Remembering Pearl Harbor

More than 2,400 Americans lost their lives and nearly 1,200 more were wounded on Dec. 7, 1941, when Japanese fighter pilots launched a surprise attack on U.S. Naval Station Pearl Harbor.

The tragic events of that day will forever “live in infamy,” thanks to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s iconic speech, a declaration of war against Japan that began America’s involvement in World War II.

In honor of those who lost their lives 81 years ago, and all of the men and women who subsequently fought and served in World War II, veterans in Rockville Centre and the surrounding communities gathered along Mill River on Dec. 7 for a solemn ceremony.

“The attack on Pearl Harbor was intended to bring an end to America as a major power,” Frank Colón, commander of American Legion Post No. 303, said during the ceremony. “Instead it was the awakening of a sleeping giant.”

After the attack, Colón said, hundreds of thousands of Americans lined up outside military recruiters’ offices across the country, looking to enlist. It was the first time since the War of 1812, almost 130 years earlier, that such an attack had taken place on American soil.

Eight battleships in Pearl Harbor were damaged, and four of them sank, including the USS Arizona, which remains underwater, a memorial to the 1,177 officers and crew who were killed that day.

In the aftermath, 15 U.S. Navy sailors were presented with the Medal of Honor for their bravery in fighting off the Japanese attack. Among the other awards given to American servicemen who distinguished themselves in combat at Pearl Harbor were 51 Naval Crosses, 53 Silver Stars, four Navy and Marine Corps medals and three Bronze Stars.

Colón said that even today, the U.S. military’s Defense POW-MIA Accounting Agency continues to identify the remains of those who died there.

“It’s remembered as a day of infamy, but it should also be recalled as a day of bravery,” he said. “There were many other heroic acts not recognized with medals. We must remember it was an ordinary Sunday morning, in which unsuspecting American Legion servicemen played extraordinary heroism. We still remember them. Forgetting their heroism would be an additional act of infamy.”

Rockville Centre Mayor Francis Murray joined the veterans in paying tribute, and spoke about the swift response to Roosevelt’s call to action and the heroism of those who served in the war that followed.

“Our president acted with resilience and brought our country together,” Murray said. “And everyone knows what happened after that. The Coral Sea. Midway. We sunk every one of their aircraft carriers and, soon after, in 1945, we ended that war.”

Murray thanked all those who marched into battle, those who served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, and all those who gave their lives or were wounded to protect the nation from Axis forces.

After he spoke, Murray joined Nassau County American Legion Commander Joe Scarola in tossing a wreath into the river, which was followed by taps and “God Bless America” to conclude the ceremony.

Pearl Harbor Day is not a national holiday, but it is recognized across the country by those who fly the American flag at half-staff until sunset.

To learn more about Pearl Harbor, World War II and the memorials dedicated to the USS Arizona, the USS Oklahoma and the USS Utah, visit the National Park Service website, NPS.gov, or the national World War II Museum, NationalWW2Museum.org.