Solemn ceremony at Pearl Harbor, 71 years later

U.S. Navy file photo shows small boat rescuing USS West Virginia crew member from water after Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 / AP Photo, File

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii More than 2,000 people are expected at Pearl Harbor Friday to mark the 71st anniversary of the Japanese attack that killed thousands of people and launched the United States into World War II.

Ceremonies get under way with a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m., the exact time the bombing began in 1941.

The crew of a Navy guided-missile destroyer will stand on deck while the ship passes the USS Arizona, a battleship that still lies in the harbor where it sank decades ago.

Hawaii Air National Guard aircraft will fly overhead in missing man formation.

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Pearl Harbor remembered

The Navy and National Park Service are hosting the ceremonies, which are being held in remembrance of the 2,390 service members and 49 civilians killed in the attack.

Friday's events will also give special recognition to members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, who flew noncombat missions during World War II, and to Ray Emory, a 91-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor who has pushed to identify the remains of unknown servicemen.

Admiral Cecil Haney, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, is scheduled to give the keynote address at the ceremony. The ceremony will also include a Hawaiian blessing, songs played by the U.S. Pacific Fleet band and a rifle salute from the U.S. Marine Corps.

President Obama marked the day on Thursday by issuing a presidential proclamation, calling for flags to fly at half-staff on Friday and asking all Americans to observe the day of remembrance and honor military service members and veterans.

"Today, we pay solemn tribute to America's sons and daughters who made the ultimate sacrifice at Oahu," Mr. Obama said in a statement. "As we do, let us also reaffirm that their legacy will always burn bright, whether in the memory of those who knew them, the spirit of service that guides our men and women in uniform today, or the heart of the country they kept strong and free."

The Navy and park service will resume taking visitors to the USS Arizona Memorial, which sits atop the sunken battleship, after the ceremony.

[Forty-Four]

I was looking for a story like this

[Leospc]

Num Nut Americans drive more *** cars than the Japanese. Where's the respect for our real American Hero's and America?
Leo Albert

[Forty-Four]

Superior car? I see many more recalls on foreign vehicles (especially Toyotas) than I do for American ones, although there are still more than there should be. "Out of a job yet? Keep buying foreign"

[Tramhue]

A Day That Will Forever "Live In Infamy." The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor 71 years ago today...was totally un-provoked and with-out precedent. Thousands of men were killed, billions of dollars worth of damage done to property. This was the first and hopefully the last time the Imperial Japanese Navy will ever strike our Republic. A few short days after the attack, a Japanese officer remarked: I am afraid we have "Awakened a Sleeping Giant."