December 7, 2009: The 68th Anniversary Of Pearl Harbor Attacks

by Yuliya Talmazan | December 7, 2009 at 10:05 am

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December 7th, 2009, marks the 68th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor military base by the Empire of Japan in 1941. The Pearl Harbor Day 2009 commemorates the attacks carried by the Japanese air force on the US Navy stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, without any formal declaration of war. At 7:51 local time on December 7, 1941, the first wave of 183 Japanese planes launched an attack on unsuspecting military base. At 8:30, a second wave fo 170 planes attacked the anchored fleet, drowning the now famous USS Arizona in the process. A total of 2,350 people including US military personal and civilians were killed in the attack. Another 1,178 were injured. Over 50% of casualties came from the bomb-shelled USS Arizona.

The Pearl Harbor attack was the deciding factor that brought the United States into the World War II. Many Americans have special reverence of Pearl Harbor Day as one of the boldest and shocking attacks on the American soil.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt who lead the United States through World War II proclaimed "December 7th, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy." Franklin D. Roosevelt's Pearl Harbor six and a half minute "infamy" speech was delivered one day after the attacks on December 8, 1941, which went down in history as one of the most famous speeches made by an American politician in the 20th century. Within an hour of the speech, U.S. Congress passed a formal declaration of war against Japan.

The full text and the video recording of Franklin D. Roosevelt's history defining speech still gives the shivers to generations of Americans.

In observance of commemorations of the Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, flags will be flown at half-staff across the United States on Decemeber 7 in honor of those who died during the attacks. Commemoration ceremonies will be held throughout the country. In his Pearl Harbor proclamation, the President of the United States Barack Obama proclaimed Monday, December 7, 2009 as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, encouraging all Americans to observe this solemn day of remembrance with appropriate ceremonies and activities.