Not too long ago, there were two days in December that were widely regarded by Americans, Dec. 25, of course, Christmas; and Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Day. Christmas gets bigger and louder and longer every year. In contrast, the day to remember Pearl Harbor seems to get smaller and smaller as it recedes into the past, and not heralded as it was in the past.
At one time, Pearl Harbor loomed large in American culture. In the sense that it dragged America to the center of the world stage and reshaped international order for decades, it was an epoch. The aftermath of Pearl Harbor reshaped the Second World War and cemented the United States place on the world stage.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there only remains about 45,000 veterans who served in World War II out of the approximately 16.4 million who served. They are all in their 90s now. As the Greatest Generation numbers wane, the personal cost of that faithful day on Dec. 7, 1941 and the ensuing American response will lose its first person account. Future generations will only read about it in books or hear about the events from descendents.
As much as we aim to never forget what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, it is much more recent to our memories. We should continue to teach and remember what happened at Pearl Harbor and how it instigated the United States to formally join the war. Like Sept. 11, it was an event that shocked the nation. The attack on Pearl Harbor resulted in more than 3,500 troop and civilian casualties either killed or injured, and severely damaged the Naval fleet.
It is important to remember those who served on Pearl Harbor, remember the lives that were lost or altered that day, and those who rallied to the cause and enlisted to serve and protect their country as a result of the attack.
Remembering the attack on Pearl Harbor and passing this knowledge down to future generations helps to prevent that day from being lost to history, and keep telling the stories of all those who were involved.
Let Dec. 7 be a day where we can reflect on the tragedy that occurred, and come together as a nation to be strong and persevere from any hardships we may face.
