Today we remember the American lives that were lost on December 7, 1941, a day that President Franklin D. Roosevelt called “a date which will live in infamy” in his address to Congress. More Americans – 2403 military and 68 civilians, with an additional 1,178 injured – were lost in that attack than any on American soil before the September 11, 2001 attack on the Twin Towers.
Michael Schindler sums it up in his article at the Seattlepi blog:
The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions the Empire of Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States. Over 2400 lives were lost in that attack and it woke the sleeping giant – the Spirit of America.
Today, Japan is one of our greatest allies and there is no question that those who served during WWII (which many are leaving us daily) are responsible for a rebirth in America that was much needed. Today we salute you and thank you. You served us well.
In this video posted today by TelegraphTV, a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor describes the rescue efforts that day. He ends by saying, “We had a lot of help from above.” Amen.
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Here is another memorial video, posted by EverittJames, with a list of the names of the American lives lost that day, photos of the attack, and a recording of FDR’s address to Congress.
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