The United States observes National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, alternatively called Pearl Harbor Day, on Dec. 7 in honor of the U.S. Army personnel and citizens who lost their lives in the surprise airstrike conducted by the Japanese near the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in 1941.

The total number of casualties of the deadly assault was 2,403. The American flag is flown in half-staff on the day to mourn the lives lost. The day isn’t declared a federal holiday. Some organizations voluntarily hold special events in memory of those who were killed in the attack.

History and aftermath of the Pearl Harbor Attack:

On the day of the attack, a fleet of around 360 Japanese warplanes launched an attack on the U.S. military in Hawaii, damaging nearly 20 American naval vessels, eight battleships, and over 300 airplanes. The day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, then-president Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed a joint session to Congress, proposing it to help declare war against Japan.

"Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan," Roosevelt said in his iconic speech during the address.

"We must be the great arsenal of democracy. For us, this is an emergency as serious as war itself. We must apply ourselves to our task with the same resolution, the same sense of urgency, the same spirit of patriotism and sacrifice as we would show were we at war," he said.

Quotes that highlight the importance of honoring the army men and civilians who died during the Pearl Harbor attack: (Courtesy: The fresh quotes and Brainyquote.com)

  • "As costly as it was in the lives of our men and women in uniform, in military assets, and in esteem and pride, Pearl Harbor was a watershed moment for America,"- Joe Baca
  • "Our military thought that they couldn’t get to Pearl Harbor, that it was too long a journey from Japan to get there, and they proved us wrong," - Jerry Bruckheimer
  • "Seventy years ago today, a bright Sunday morning was darkened by the unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor…We salute the veterans and survivors of Pearl Harbor who inspire us still. Despite overwhelming odds, they fought back heroically, inspiring our nation and putting us on the path to victory," Barack Obama.
  • "My father pulled into Pearl Harbor four days after the bombing, and he said, everything was still burning. He said they never told the public how bad it was. It was really bad," John Lasseter.
  • "Pearl Harbor caused our Nation to wholeheartedly commit to winning World War II, changing the course of our Nation's history and the world's future," –Joe Baca
A photo from the National Archives of the Japanese December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
A photo from the National Archives of the Japanese December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
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