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On December 7, 1941 the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the Americans. They bombed at shot the entire fleet stationed in Hawaii resulting in 1,000s of deaths and destruction.
It was at 8:10 am that the Japanese dropped a 1,800-pound bomb on the USS Arizona and it hit the ammunition resulting in a explosion that caused the ship to sink with a thousand men trapped inside.
After the bombing and shooting the torpedoes came. The torpedoes shelled the USS Oklahoma with 400 sailors aboard the ship flipped and sank. 2 hours later the surprise attack finally ended with every battleship in Pearl Harbor had sustained significant damage.
The results of the entire battle were the crippling or destroying 20 American ships and more than 300 airplanes. The Japanese also destroyed the dry docks and airfields. Casualties were 2,403 sailors, soldiers and civilians were killed and 1,000 wounded.
The American people united and were determined to go to war with Japan. The Japanese went to war to get an agreement to lift economic sanctions and this was the fist time Japan had been occupied by foreign power.
This year, 2020, Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration’s theme was Above and Beyond the Call. This would follow the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII.
The soldiers, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and sailors that defending during the fight were courageous under fire and perserviered. This spirit would be the template for the long war ahead for achieving victory and peace.
This year in 2020 the event will be held on December 7th at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. In order to protect the Pearl Harbor Survivors and War World II veterans the event will be closed to the public.
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