Eight decades after the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan, the death of 2,403 Americans, the bravery of those who were catapulted into immediate battle, and the sacrifice of the thousands of brave military men and women, who shaped the world as it exists today, were not forgotten in Colusa County.
Members of Colusa Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 2441 and Maxwell American Legion Post No. 218 gathered at Veterans Memorial Park in Colusa, on a cold and foggy Tuesday morning, to remember the day that launched the U.S. into World War II.
“We must remember Pearl Harbor, not just as the opening salvo of a long war, we must remember it as it was – an ordinary Sunday morning in which unsuspecting American service members displayed extraordinary heroism,” said Colusa County Veterans Service Officer Don Parsons, who gave the keynote address.
Early in the morning on Dec. 7, 1941, Japan’s Imperial Navy launched a surprise airstrike on the U.S. military base at Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.
At the time, the U.S. had considered itself neutral to the conflict in Europe, up until that point, and entered the war the following day on the side of the Allied forces.
Parson said 15 Medals of Honor were awarded to U.S. sailors as a result of the attack on Pearl Harbor; 51 Navy Crosses were earned, and 53 Silver Stars.
“Thousands of other acts of heroism occurred that day 80 years ago,” Parsons said. “Many of those acts were not recognized with medals because documentation was not a priority. Saving others and fighting another day in order to defeat those who brought the war became job No. 1.”
Of the eight Navy battleships stationed at Pearl Harbor at the time, four were sunk in the attack and 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed. The USS Arizona, first launched in 1915, remains in the shallows of the harbor, entombing more than 900 of its crew.
“The attack on Pearl Harbor was intended to bring an end to America as a major power,” Parsons said. “Instead, it was as Japanese Admiral Yamamoto feared, the awakening ‘of a sleeping giant.’ Six months later, the U.S. Navy, and its sister branches, would stage a remarkable comeback with a resounding victory over the Japanese at Midway. It was a turning point. If Pearl Harbor simply ignited the Pacific war for the United States, it still would have been the most consequential event of the 20th century. But it would also be the spark that would lead the United States to confront fascism and tyranny in Europe.”
Despite the passage of time, ceremonies continue to be held nationwide annually to remember the events of that day.
President Joe Biden visited the World War II memorial in Washington early Tuesday morning to observe the anniversary, saluting a wreath placed among the columns.
In Hawaii, several ceremonies were held, including one to honor the 58 servicemen who died aboard the battleship USS Utah, the first ship hit in the attack.
On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom, in a proclamation, called on all Californians to reflect on the meaning of sacrifice and heroism, and to pay tribute to the American heroes who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor, those that fought and survived to fight another day, and all those who came after the attack to defend the nation against foreign enemies.
“As we mourn the lives of those we lost that fateful day, we remember those who defended Pearl Harbor – and all those who answered the call to serve our country in battlefields across the world,” Newsom stated. “Each year, we are reminded of these immense sacrifices and all that we owe our service members who fight to defend the freedoms we cherish.”
Tuesday’s ceremony in Colusa was brief. It concluded with a three-shot volley of gunfire and the playing of Taps to honor those who served and died.