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U.S. Commemorates 83rd Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Attack, "A Date Which Will Live in Infamy"

Dec 7, 2024, 01:00 PM

December 7, 2024 marks the 83rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, a pivotal moment in American history that led to the United States' entry into World War II. On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces launched a surprise aerial attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii before a formal declaration of war. The assault, which President Franklin D. Roosevelt described as "a date which will live in infamy," resulted in the deaths of 2,403 service members and civilians and wounded 1,178 others. Among the ships damaged or sunk were the USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS Utah, and the USS Helena (CL-50). Nearly 400 Japanese warplanes, launched from six aircraft carriers, damaged or sank numerous vessels—including five U.S. battleships and ten other ships—and destroyed over 180 U.S. aircraft during the hour and 15-minute attack. Notably, Doris Miller, an African American sailor from Waco, Texas, displayed extraordinary heroism during the attack. The following day, the United States declared war on Japan, and on December 11, Nazi Germany declared war on the U.S., bringing America into the European conflict. Memorial ceremonies are being held across the country to honor the lives lost—including Julius Ellsberry, believed to be the first Black Alabamian to die in World War II—and to commemorate the courage of those who served.