WHEREAS, December 7, 2019, marks the 78th anniversary of the surprise attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, on this day in 1941, a military assault took place on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, claiming the lives of over 2,400 soldiers and citizens, and injuring over a thousand people. The destruction was immense – in addition to the loss of infrastructure on the base, 20 American naval vessels, including eight battleships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and over 300 airplanes were sunk or destroyed; and
WHEREAS, the bombing of Pearl Harbor spurred the entry of the United States into World War II, where the men and women of our Armed Forces fought courageously to defeat tyranny, secure our nation, and protect the freedoms of all people; and
WHEREAS, reflecting on the loss of human life and the destruction of the Pearl Harbor Base that day serves as a stark reminder of the exceptional service and selfless sacrifice of our armed servicemen and women, who risk their lives and personal safety to shield our nation from harm, and preserve our nation’s founding values and liberties; and
WHEREAS, today we pause in commemoration of those who fought and died on December 7, 1941 and we honor their bravery and final sacrifice; and
WHEREAS, we are profoundly grateful for members of our nation’s military and their families, who freely risk all for the good of others.
NOW THEREFORE, I, Michael J. Dunleavy, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF ALASKA, do hereby proclaim December 7, 2019 as:
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
in Alaska, and encourage all Alaskans to remember the exceptional service of our nation’s Veterans, and direct that the Alaska Flag be flown at half-staff in honor of the American lives lost at Pearl Harbor.
