After being struck by 7 Japanese torpedoes, the Battleship USS West Virginia burns and then sinks during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941. (Photo: Wikipedia)
Victims not on the USS Arizona were interred at Punch Bowl National Cemetery, Oahu, HI. (Photo: Pestovich)
Bottom Line: Rest assured, we will never forget. In addition to the 2,403 U.S. servicemen who were killed on this day in 1941, another 1,178 were wounded. 68 American civilians were killed as well, and another 35 wounded. As members of that “greatest generation” continue to pass away, the responsibility to honor their sacrifice and remember and retell the events of that terrible day has fallen to subsequent generations. So, if you haven’t already, please take a moment to explain the importance of Pearl Harbor to your children, many of whom may never learn about it in school (you’d be surprised). While you’re at it, please thank an active-duty serviceman or woman you may know for everything that they do now, or have done in the past, in service to our country.
