Today, Remember the Men and Women of Pearl Harbor

Please take a moment or two today to remember the men and women who lost their lives during the attack on Pearl Harbor on this date December 7th, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy".

In an early-morning sneak attack, Japanese warplanes bomb the U.S. naval base at Oahu Island's Pearl Harbor, causing the United States to enter World War II (more info).  The following day President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his famous speech.

2, 402 people lost their lives that day.  For people like me who were fortunate enough to have parents from "the greatest generation", the stories told of that date weigh heavily.  My father would eventually be station with the U.S. Navy in Okinawa during the war, my mother still sheds a tear to this day when Pearl Harbor is brought up.

Today Pearl Harbor is a vibrant community, and tourists visit the memorials.

Governor Paul R. LePage today has ordered that the United States flag and the State of Maine flag be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Friday, Dec. 7 in honor of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

The men and women of that day are an important part of our freedom.  Take a moment to remember.