80TH COMMEMORATION
Valor, Sacrifice and Peace By Jim McCoy, Pacific Historic Parks
On a day threatened by inclement weather, some 150 World War II veterans made the journey to Pearl Harbor to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the attack that changed the world.
T
he group included 32 Pearl Harbor survivors and 13 civilians who survived the day of Infamy. And while those numbers were impressive, they pale compared to years past when significant anniversaries such as the 50th and 75th drew so many more. “As each year passes, we say goodbye to more and more friends who served on December 7, 1941,” Pearl Harbor National Memorial Superintendent Tom Leatherman said in his speech. “In the years to come we will have fewer and fewer first-person accounts. But our resolve to ensure their stories are not forgotten will only get stronger.” The theme of the 80th Commemoration was Valor, Sacrifice and Peace. U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro delivered the keynote address. “We gather today to remember all of those that we lost on that infamous day. But we also gather to honor the bravery and the skill of all who fought back, those that saved lives, and those that persevered,” Del Toro said. “Because it wasn’t just the fleet that was attacked here at Pearl Harbor, it wasn’t just our nation, it was the very future of freedom and democracy around the world.” 4
REMEMBRANCE WINTER 2022
Rear Admiral Timothy J. Kott praised the veterans in attendance and those viewing worldwide via livestream. “Your steadfast endurance and gallantry continue to inspire and set the absolute standard for today’s generations of Americans following in your footsteps serving our country both in and out of uniform,” Kott said. President Joe Biden and USS Arizona survivor Lou Conter delivered audio messages. The president recalled a visit he made to the USS Arizona Memorial a decade ago in which he and family members viewed the shrine room wall displaying the 1,177 names of USS Arizona crewmembers killed that day. "Seeing those names inscribed in the marble, sprinkling flower petals into the sea, I brought my granddaughter Naomi with me, because we must always remember what Pearl Harbor meant for our country, generation after generation, to honor those who perished, salute the courage of the greatest generation who stood to defend our nation and our values in the world,” Biden said.
