Honor December 7th today.

On Sunday, December 7 at approximately 6am, the Japanese attack force of six carriers with 423 planes, is about to attack. The first attack wave of 183 Japanese planes takes off from the carriers located 230 miles north of Oahu and heads for the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.

At 7:02 a.m., two Army radio operators detect the Japanese air attack approaching and contact a junior officer who disregards their reports, thinking they are American B-17 planes which are expected in from the U.S. west coast.

At 7:15 a.m., a second attack wave of 167 planes takes off from the Japanese carriers and heads for Pearl Harbor. The planes arrive at Pearl Harbor at 7:53am and commit a savage attack against an unprepared and, at the time, undeclared, enemy. The air raid lasts until 9:45 a.m. Eight battleships are damaged, and five sunk. Three light cruisers, three destroyers and three smaller vessels are lost along with 188 aircraft. The Japanese lose only 27 planes and five midget submarines.

2,335 servicemen and 68 civilians killed, and another 1,178 wounded. Those 1,104 men stationed on the USS Arizona were killed after a 1,760-pound air bomb penetrated the forward magazine. 

Today, the Arizona is at the bottom of the harbor, but she is spanned by a memorial that draws over a million visitors every year. And once a year, on December 7th, those who survived that horrible day return to pay their respects to their fallen friends. 

Every year that gathering gets smaller and smaller. According to the Veteran's Administration, we are loosing our World War II Veterans at 740 per day. There will come a time in the very near future when there will be no survivors left to speak out, to stand on the memorial, and to teach the next generation. 

The events of this day, 70 years ago, still affect us today. Hate and genocide are still with us. Consider this day carefully and talk to those you meet about it. Explain the significance of this day to your children. Lite a candle. Buy a wreath for your door. By claiming these remembrance days and celebrating them with solemn tradition, we affirm that we will indeed be watchful of our fellow man and that we will not stand by and let hate and insanity rule the world again. 

And to our veterans. . . I say a very grateful  and heartfelt thank you and God bless you.