Hawaii remembers Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 70 years ago today

Survivors of the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor will remember the 2,400 people who lost their lives 70 years ago today when Japan bombed Hawaii, launching World War II.

In Sacramento, Gov. Jerry Brown issued a proclamation naming today as “Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.”

It reads:

“Seventy years ago today, the Imperial Japanese Navy mounted a surprise attack on our nation’s fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii. This assault opened the struggle for control of the Pacific that would claim the lives of over 100,000 Americans. In a speech to Congress the following day, President Roosevelt gave the seventh of December, 1941, its immortal name: “a date which will live in infamy.”

“Today, while still deploring the treachery of one country attacking another without provocation, we remember with awe the valor of those who defended Pearl Harbor, and the many more who answered their country’s call in the ensuing mobilization. The 2,402 members of the armed forces who gave their lives that day will always live in our hearts as true American heroes.”

According to CNN, the annual commemoration in Hawaii begins at 7:40 a.m. Hawaii time at the Pearl Harbor visitor center.

The CNN report states that about 3,000 guests will witness a rifle salute, wreath presentations and recognition of those who died, according to the National Park Service, which operates the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. The venue overlooks the USS Arizona memorial.

At 7:55 a.m., the exact moment the attack began, a moment of silence will be observed. A U.S. Navy ship will render honors to the Arizona, followed by an aerial flyover in a “missing man” formation.

CNN also reports that the remains of Vernon Olsen, 91, of Port Charlotte, Florida, will be interred later today in the USS Arizona, the battleship on which he served and where 1,117 sailors and Marines died in the attack.

In Pleasanton, there are no reports of commemorative services marking the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack.

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