On Monday, Dec. 7, many across Kentucky and the nation and will pause to remember the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
For an ever-shrinking number of citizens, those who are part of what we rightfully call the “Greatest Generation,” that day remains as etched into memory as Sept. 11, 2001, does for those of us much younger. Time has not dulled its impact.
More than 2,400 sailors and soldiers were killed and close to 1,200 others were wounded that Sunday morning in 1941. Almost 20 ships were damaged or destroyed, including eight battleships. Many of those who died were on the U.S.S. Arizona, which still lies in the bottom of Pearl Harbor Bay, the final resting place of 1,102 sailors. Twenty-three Kentuckians who perished there that day were on that ship.
It was estimated that there were 60,000 survivors from the attack, but no one is sure how many remain. Two years ago, an official with the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial said it likely was between 2,000 and 2,500.
Beyond the tragedy of the event itself, the bombing of Pearl Harbor was the catalyst drawing the United States into World War II. Congress declared war just a day after the attack, following President Franklin Roosevelt’s speech that said Dec. 7th would be “a day which will live in infamy.”
Many may not know it, but the leader of our country’s naval fleet in the Pacific at that time was originally from Kentucky. Admiral Husband Edward Kimmel was a Henderson native, and he knew Pearl Harbor was at risk of attack. Earlier in the year, he wrote that “we are taking immediate practical steps to minimize the damage inflicted and to ensure that the attacking force will pay.”
Although he was demoted after the attack, some have felt that he shouldered more blame than he should have. The U.S. Senate approved a non-binding resolution in 1999 that sought to return his rank posthumously, but no president has granted it.
While many of us were not yet born when the Pearl Harbor attack occurred, we are still called upon to remember the significant role it has played in our nation’s history. I remember my parents and others telling stories about it and the aftermath and how that one event changed their lives forever. They talked about a Christmas filled with chaos and the effort everyone made to make sure it was as enjoyable as possible. I can only imagine what that must have been like.
On Monday, I hope you will take at least a moment to recall what was lost that day nearly three-quarters of a century ago, and what we have gained from those who selflessly fought for our freedom overseas and who made countless sacrifices here at home. We owe them a great deal of gratitude.
State Rep. Mike Denham is a Democrat from Maysville and has represented House District 70 (Bracken, Fleming and Mason counties) since 2001.