National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, which is also sometimes known as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day or even just Pearl Harbor Day, takes place every year on 7th December in the United States. The day commemorates the attack on Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor during World War II, which saw many US service men and women lose their lives or be seriously wounded on the 7th of December, 1941.
In order to commemorate National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, the President encourages citizens to display the United States flag on their homes, as well as the flag being displayed on government buildings and the White House. The flag should be flown at half-mast in order to honor those who lost their lives in the Pearl Harbor attack.
Pearl Harbor Day is not a recognized federal holiday, however, and government businesses, offices and schools do not close and there is no disruption to the regular schedules of public transit systems. A number of organizations have been known to hold special events in order to remember those killed or maimed at Pearl Harbor.
On the morning of Sunday 7th December 1941, the US Army and Naval base situated at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii came under surprise attack from the Imperial Japanese Navy and resulted in a massive loss of life and equipment. Over 2,000 US citizens were killed and over 1,000 injured, with the US also losing a large proportion of its aircraft and battleships stationed in the area. The Japanese were hoping to dissuade America from trying to increase its influence in the Pacific, but the attack led to America declaring war on Japan.
Jon Huser
