Departments of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the US

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day 2008

Posted at 10:20 PM on Friday, December 5, 2008 by VFW News

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

On National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we mourn the more than 2,400 Americans whose lives were lost in the surprise attack on our homeland that changed the course of history. Their service and sacrifice and the service and sacrifice of all our World War II veterans will be forever honored on this day by the citizens of a free and grateful Nation.

On December 7, 1941, the enemy nearly destroyed our Pacific Fleet, and the United States was forced into a long and terrible war. A generation of Americans stepped forward to fight for our country. Their message to America's enemies was clear: If you attack this country and harm our people, there is no corner of the Earth remote enough to protect you from the reach of our Nation's Armed Forces.

Read the full proclamation here

At the same time, President Bush also signed a proclamation which establishes the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument.  Click here to read the proclamation.

Additional Video: Six crew members of the USS Arizona return to Pearl Harbor for 67th anniversary of the attack.

 Reminder to all VFW Posts: The United States flag will be at half-staff, Sunday, December 7, from sunrise to sunset, for National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.