Battleship NJ, the nation remember Pearl Harbor
(WTXF/AP) - Officials will gather on the battleship New Jersey to remember the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and commemorate the ship's launch, one year after the attack.
A memorial wreath will be cast from the museum into the Delaware River from the floating museum on Wednesday.
Also, Stockton University is hosting a tribute to heroes, which will include a presentation by 93-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor Peter Fantacone.
It was exactly 75 years ago - on Dec. 7, 1941 -- that Japanese planes bombed the Hawaiian base, leading the United States to enter World War II the next day.
The attack killed more than 2,300 service people.
The Associated Press' chief of bureau in Honolulu, Eugene Burns, could not get the urgent news out. The military had already taken control of all communication lines.
Instead, he reported: "President Roosevelt said in a statement today that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, from the air. The attack of the Japanese also was made on all naval and military "activities" on the island of Oahu. The president's brief statement was read to reporters by Stephen Early, presidential secretary. No further details were given immediately. At the time of the White House announcement, the Japanese ambassadors, Kichisaburo Nomura and Saburo Kurusu, were at the State Department."
President Obama just released this statement:
"Seventy-five years ago today, a sudden and unprovoked attack turned a tranquil harbor into a sea of flames. Over 2,400 American patriots lost their lives in the attack on Pearl Harbor--military and civilian, men, women and children. Their sacrifice galvanized millions of GIs and Rosie the Riveters who answered the call to defend liberty at its moment of maximum peril. In the hours after the attack, President Roosevelt promised that "the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory." Thanks to the heroism of a generation, we did.
"Today, Michelle and I join the American people in remembering those who gave their lives at Pearl Harbor--many of them not much older than boys--and in honoring their families--spouses, siblings, sons and daughters who still carry the memories of their loved ones in their hearts. We give thanks to the veterans and survivors of Pearl Harbor who faced down fear itself, met infamy with intrepidity, freed captive peoples from fascism and whose example inspires us still. For out of the horrors of war, this Greatest Generation forged an enduring international order, became the backbone of the middle class and powered America's prosperity. Their courage and resolve remind us of that fundamental American truth--that out of many we are one; and that when we stand together, no undertaking is too great.
"On this National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we also reaffirm that the work of securing and strengthening our nation goes on. While we can never repay the profound debt of gratitude we owe to those who served on our behalf, we can embrace our commitment to care for and support veterans of America's wars from every generation.
"As a testament that even the most bitter of adversaries can become the closest of allies, I look forward to visiting the USS Arizona Memorial later this month along with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. This historic visit will stand as a tribute to the power of reconciliation and to the truth that the United States and Japan--bound by an alliance unimaginable 75 years ago--will continue to work hand-in-hand for a more peaceful and secure world. "