The USS Hornet Museum on board the USS Hornet aircraft carrier docked at Alameda here in the San Francisco Bay will hold a special ceremony on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 in order to honor those who served at Pearl Harbor. The special event marks the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and honors those who served our country at the time.
The Japanese took America by surprise on December 7, 1941 when they launched a military strike on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The attack was a preemptive strike by the Japanese, their goal being to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from entering the war.
Several U.S. Navy ships were damaged, four of which sunk. The most famous of the ships sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor was the USS Arizona. Only two of the ships damaged during the attack were repaired and returned to service during World War II. Unfortunately, 2,402 Americans were killed during the attacks with 1,282 wounded.
Japan left the United States no choice but to enter World War II. Many have referred to our country’s entry into the war after the attack as “awaking a sleeping giant.”
To learn more about the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor on the USS Hornet, please visit USS-Hornet.org.
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