Pearl Harbor ceremony in St. George commemorates 1941 attack
By Pam Palermo
The American Legion Posts of Washington County, Vietnam Veterans of America, Veterans Foreign War, American Legion Riders, Patriot Guard Riders, Marine Corps League will hold a Pearl Harbor ceremony in St. George to commemorate the valor and remember the losses from the Dec. 7, 1941 attack. The program will begin at 10:48 a.m. (7:48 a.m. Hawaii time), the exact time of the attack on Pearl Harbor 77 years earlier. The event is free and open to the public.
There will be four veterans representing four branches of military service who will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony. Four of the oldest Legionnaires from the Four Posts will be seated on sides of the Pearl Harbor Memorial at Tonaquint Cemetery. Plan to arrive not later than 10:30 a.m. as the ceremony will be very short.
It was 77 years ago in the otherwise calm island paradise of Honolulu when the United States was suddenly attacked by Axis power Japan. That morning’s actions, which President Franklin D Roosevelt’s words characterized as “a day which will live in infamy,” plunged America into World War II. The losses suffered at Pearl Harbor were catastrophic. There were 2,403 killed and 1,178 wounded, along with four American battleships sunk and nearly 350 aircraft damaged or destroyed.
Those who did not die were not merely veterans of battle. They were survivors who foreshadowed the grit and character that embodied U.S. service members. Service and sacrifice were demonstrated over the next 44 months of war as the fate of the free world hung in balance.
Bravery was in abundance that morning of Dec. 7. Fifteen Medals of Honor were awarded as well as 51 Navy Crosses and 53 Silver Stars. And the Americans destroyed 29 enemy aircraft, damaged 29 others, and sank or beached five mini-subs.
It is imperative for us to remember the events of Dec. 7, 1941, and how our response to the attack defined American and changed the course of world history. The incredible resilience and valor for those who fought at Pearl Harbor is a legacy that benefited not just the Veterans Service Organizations but the entire free world. We will always be grateful for those heroes of 77 years ago. So many of the Pearl Harbor survivors have passed away over the years. It is up to us to keep their legacy alive.
Marti Bigbie is the Commander of the American Legion Lester Keate Post 90 St. George, Commander District 7 Utah, Vice Commander Department of Utah.
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