KANSAS CITY, Mo. – On this 79th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and its Auxiliary somberly honor the 2,403 men and women we heartbreakingly lost in the attack Dec. 7, 1941.
Today, we remember the 2,008 sailors, 109 Marines, 218 soldiers, and 68 civilians we tragically lost without warning and without a declaration of war.
“National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is a time of reflection, a time of tribute, a time of respect for the thousands of Americans who died at Pearl Harbor,” said VFW National Commander Harold “Hal” Roesch II. “As each year passes, we are reminded of the courage, patriotism and sacrifice these men and women exhibited on that fateful day. And while we may have been attacked without warning, we quickly arose and recovered as a nation.”
On this National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, the VFW encourages every American to pause for a moment of silence and humbly pay their respect for the service, sacrifice and bravery of our men and women who honorably defended our nation’s freedom.
As President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, the bombing of Pearl Harbor is “a date which will live in infamy.”