Pearl Harbor’s 57th Anniversary Observed

All went silent at 7:55 a.m. Monday, the exact moment 57 years ago that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and dragged the United States into World War II.

Then a long blast from the Naval ship Russell honored the 2,388 soldiers and civilians killed on that “date which will live in infamy” at Pearl Harbor and nearby military bases and civilian sites.

Through the mist, Hawaii Air National Guard F-15s roared over the harbor in the “missing man” formation.

Survivors, relatives, state and military officials gathered at the Arizona Memorial, directly over the wreckage, to pay tribute in a somber ceremony.

“This is something I feel I owe to the people that are out there,” said Ansil “Sandy” Saunders, 80, of New York and Hawaii, who was serving on the Raleigh during the attack. “I saw the ship go down. It’s a thing of respect and duty I feel I should perform.”

Petals plucked from nearly four dozen wreaths were dropped through a well at the memorial and floated away in water slicked by oil that continues to leak from the ship.

About 900 of the 1,177 crew members aboard the Arizona at the time of the attack remain entombed there. Another dozen survivors have been interred there since 1988.

Rear Adm. William Sutton, commander of the Pearl Harbor Naval Base, said his message for the day was “we remember.”

“Even 57 years later, we remember the heroism, the valor, the sacrifice and are thankful for the legacy they left for us--a legacy which continues to thrive in today’s Navy,” Sutton said.

For the first time, a special ceremony was held honoring the 63 minority soldiers--black, Filipino, Guamanian--killed during the three-hour bombardment. The ceremony was organized by the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Coalition and the Coalition for Human Rights Education, in cooperation with the National Park Service.

The ceremony was held 50 years after the integration of the U.S. armed services by President Truman on July 26, 1948.

“War is a great equalizer,” said Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii), who was wounded in World War II. “The blood that gushes from all is equally red. There is no black blood, white blood, brown blood or yellow blood.”

The military has honored only one black sailor for his actions during the Japanese attack and more minority servicemen should have been honored, said Marsha Rose Joyner, president of the King Holiday Coalition. Messman Doris Miller was awarded the Navy Cross, a Purple Heart, four other medals and two bronze stars for shooting down five Japanese planes from the decks of the West Virginia.

The Japanese surprise attack killed 2,340 military personnel at bases throughout Hawaii and 48 civilians, sank or beached 12 Navy ships and destroyed 164 military planes, according to the National Park Service.