81 Years: Remembering Pearl Harbor

Photo courtesy of The New York Times

Today, National Pearl Harbor Day of Remembrance, marks the 81st anniversary since the deadly attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. We remember and honor the thousands of lives lost, all who were injured, and the many families and loved ones impacted by this tragic event.

On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise military attack against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor — precipitating the entry of the U.S. into World War II. The Japanese sank or damaged all eight U.S. battleships, three cruisers, and three destroyers. Some 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed, 2,403 Americans were killed, and 1,178 others were wounded. 

The following day, on Dec. 8, the United States declared war on Japan. In a speech, then President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Dec. 7, 1941 as “a date which will live in infamy.” During the war, True Father was enrolled in Waseda Koutou Kougakko, a technical engineering school affiliated with Waseda University in Japan, while active in the Korean student underground independence movement. He began his public ministry with the defeat of Japan and independence of Korea in 1945. To date, the Unification movement’s Marriage Blessing has joined millions of couples from diverse backgrounds worldwide, including many Japanese-American and Japanese-Korean unions.

You can read President Roosevelt’s “Day of Infamy” speech here.