Pearl Harbor 76th Anniversary: Facts And Photos

The attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec.7, 1941, brought the entire might of the American military into a war it wanted to avoid.

This beautiful lagoon in the Hawaiian Islands houses the headquarters of the United States Pacific Fleet. Since 1887, this harbor has been an important part of the American Naval placement in the Pacific Ocean.

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is observed every year to honor the more than 2400 men and women who died in the Japanese attack on the harbor way back in 1941.

Within two hours of the attack, 2,335 U.S. servicemen were killed and 1,143 were wounded. Nearly 68 civilians were also killed in the attack while 35 were injured. The Japanese lost some 65 men and one of their soldiers was captured.

On the 76 th anniversary of the attack, two men are being posthumously awarded medals as they helped to save the lives of their shipmates during the attack.

According to the Associated Press, late Lt. J.G. Aloysious Schmitt who served in the USS Oklahoma will be awarded with Silver Star for his bravery. Schmitt sacrificed his life while helping his fellow sailors to escape from their battleship that had turned over during the attack.

Chief Boatswain's Mate Joseph George of the USS Vestal will be awarded the Bronze Star for saving the lives of his co-sailors from the USS Arizona.

Out of the eight battleships that were targeted by the Japanese, two ships – the USS West Virginia and the USS California — were repaired and reused by the Navy.

Nearly 20 American naval vessels were destroyed in the attack, including eight massive battleships. More than 300 airplanes were also lost.

According to the USA Today, until July 2017, only five survivors of the USS Arizona were still alive. They are Lauren Bruner of La Mirada, California, Lou Conter of Grass Valley, California, Lonnie Cook of Morris, Oklahoma, Ken Potts of Provo, Utah, and Donald Stratton of Colorado Springs.

Even today the U.S. warships remain at the Pearl Harbor. The USS Arizona Memorial marks the resting place of many of the sailors who were killed on the battleship during the attack.