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What a beautiful day it is today. Some of you may say, it’s a beautiful day? It’s raining out, it’s cloudy. But I don’t see the rain, I don’t see the clouds. I see the shining spirit of all those who lost their lives on December 7th, 1941, shining down on us today. Thanking us, for memorializing their lives, their sacrifice, and that of their families since that fateful day. So thank you for joining us.
“Air raid on Pearl Harbor. This is no drill.”
Those words were broadcast to the fleet from right there on Ford Island at 7:58 AM, 80 years ago. Two minutes later, an armor-piercing bomb penetrated the decks of USS ARIZONA, igniting her forward ammunition magazine. The resulting explosion and fire killed 1,177 Sailors and Marines, the greatest loss of life ever on any US Navy ship.
In just under two hours, 21 ships of the United States Pacific Fleet were either sunk or damaged. 188 aircraft were destroyed. Another 159 were damaged. The material costs were grave. But the human costs were even worse. 2,403 dead and 1,178 wounded.
Sailors. Marines. Soldiers. And Civilians. Many of those civilians were Hawaiian Americans, caught in the fury of the attack throughout the island. We honor them here today as well.
We gather today to remember all of those we lost on that infamous day. But we also gather to honor the bravery and skill of all who fought back, those that saved lives, and those that persevered.
Because it wasn’t just the fleet that was attacked here at Pearl Harbor. It wasn’t even just our Nation. It was the very future of freedom and democracy around the world.
No one understands the value of those words more than someone born in a land where neither freedom nor democracy exist. My family fled Cuba when I was a young child, seeking a new life in the United States.
We found that better life because of the honor, the courage, and the commitment of those who have always fought to protect our Nation’s freedoms. We found it because of the veterans – you all - sitting here today, and all who served, from every background.
African Americans like Petty Officer Doris Miller, who earned the Navy Cross for firing back at the enemy from his ship, USS WEST VIRGINIA.
Irish Americans like Ensign Francis Flaherty, who earned the Medal of Honor by sacrificing himself on USS OKLAHOMA, guiding shipmates to safety.
Native Americans like Rear Admiral Francis J. Mee, who navigated a cruiser during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Hispanic Americans like Marine Private Richard Trujillo, a new recruit – a new recruit - serving aboard USS NEVADA, and Naval Aviator Manuel Gonzalez, one of the first American casualties of the war.
Italian Americans like Marine Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, who would later earn the Medal of Honor for his heroics on Guadalcanal.
Asian Americans like Army Lieutenant Daniel Inouye, who we will honor tomorrow with the commissioning of a Destroyer in his name – that ship right there.
Hawaiian Americans like Ben Kanahele, a civilian who was awarded the Medal of Merit for his heroism that day.
And many women like Ann Danyo, one of the nurses aboard USS SOLACE at Ford Island, who tirelessly treated over 130 wounded and burned Sailors and Marines as the attack continued all around them.
We remember each of them, and so many others, of every background and birthplace, all Americans, who fought that day or volunteered to serve soon after.
They lived up to our national motto: E Pluribus Unum. Of many, one. They – we – are all Americans. They made it clear that the United States will never sacrifice our beloved principles. And they sent a clear signal to authoritarian states everywhere that we will never back down.
Just like those brave souls, generation after generation of Americans have risen to carry freedom’s torch over the past eight decades.
And as the USS ARIZONA memorial reminds us, freedom does not come cheap. We gather today not only to mourn those who were lost on December 7th, 1941, but to remember why they were here in the first place.
They answered their Nation’s call. They placed themselves in harm’s way. And they fulfilled their oath to the fullest extent.
We will never forget warriors like Senator Bob Dole, who served with valor in Europe, and carried the wounds of war though a long life of public service. We will never waver in defense of the peace and security forged through the sacrifices of that greatest generation. And we will carry their legacy forever in the United States Navy and in the Marine Corps.
A reminder of that legacy sits in my office. A ship’s bell, time-worn, and battle-scarred. It is stamped with the name “USS VESTAL”, a repair ship that was secured outboard of ARIZONA on that fateful December morning.
When ARIZONA exploded, six Sailors were trapped in a fire control tower. One of the stranded sailors was Petty Officer Don Stratton of Red Cloud, Nebraska, who died earlier this year. And I just recently met his family.
In his memoir, he wrote: “The ship was ablaze, our shipmates were dead, wounded, and fighting to live. We were all wounded, and had no way out.”
But these Sailors were not alone, nor were they forgotten. A Sailor on USS VESTAL, Petty Officer Joe George, spotted them. He tossed them a line, despite orders to cut loose from the sinking ship.
He urged these wounded Sailors to climb across the sagging rope, hand over hand, over the burning water. All six of those men made it across to safety.
We sometimes talk about our victory in World War II as if it was inevitable, only a matter of time. But there was nothing inevitable about one Sailor’s decision to toss that line. And there was nothing inevitable about the courage it took for those wounded men to get across from the lowest point in the line to the safety of the VESTAL.
And it took millions of individual acts of valor and courage, at home and overseas, to carry our Nation across the long ordeal of World War II. Today we remember and honor them, and the many Pearl Harbor and World War II veterans who are with us today.
We carry your legacy, as we stand ready once again to defend freedom and democracy around the world. Let there be no mistake – in the face of authoritarian threats, we will never back down. We will defend our freedom, and stand by our partners and allies around the globe.
We will always be like Petty Officer Joe George, ready to toss a line to all those individuals and nations in need. And we will always be like Petty Officer Don Stratton, ready to cross through the fire to continue the fight.
So on behalf of a grateful nation, on behalf of our President and the Secretary of Defense, I thank all who fought through that long and horrific war, and all the families who served and sacrificed alongside them.
I also thank those who rose to defend freedom in Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, Desert Storm, Iraq, Afghanistan, and every other conflict.
I also want to thank you, the American people, for your unwavering support of our military, and their families. It’s so very important to us.
And most of all, I thank the men and women who continue to serve today in our Nation’s military. They are also brave souls.
May God bless each and every one of you. May God protect your families. And may God continue to bless the United States of America.
Carlos Del Toro
07 December 2021
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