Pearl Harbor Memorial

Today we recognize the significance of this date in the history of the United States. On Aug. 23, 1994, the United States Congress designated Dec. 7 as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Each year on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Survivors, veterans, and visitors from all over the world come together to honor and remember the 2,403 service members and civilians who were killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The ceremonies begin with a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m., local time, when the attack began. In addition to those who died that morning 1,178 people were injured. The attack permanently sank two U.S. Navy battleships (the USS Arizona and the USS Utah) and destroyed 188 aircraft. The United States officially entered World War 2 through a declaration of war by the Congress the next day. The Pearl Harbor National Memorial in Hawai’i is managed by the National Park Service.