The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, is one of the most devastating tragedies in our nation’s history. We celebrate Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day to honor the 2,403 Americans who were killed in the attacks and help ensure that the “date which will live in infamy” will never be forgotten. The attack marks our entry in World War II and changed the course of American history forever.
A scourge on our nation, the attack changed the American mindset completely. Both fear and patriotism swept across the land, and the realization of war was inevitable. Before the attack, much of American government was opposed to entering the war, but the declaration of war against the US by Germany and Italy shortly after forced us to enter the European front, also.
Take a moment today to remember that freedom isn’t free and remember the thousands of lives, including U.S. citizens, that were lost 80 years ago today.