Lee veterans remember Pearl Harbor in small ceremony

Dec. 8—BROADWAY

A bell tolled 23 times — once for each American ship lost in Japan's surprise attack on forces at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 — as a handful of Lee County veterans gathered to mark "a date which will remain in infamy."

The service began at 11:55 a.m. — the same time of the assault that happened 81 years ago — and marked the country's entry into what would become World War

II, according to Dick Kanning, a Naval submarine service veteran, presided over the brief ceremony held under shelter at the N.C. Veterans Memorial Pavilion on Main Street.

"This is a time-honored memorial service to honor our losses," Kanning said.

The losses for Americans were staggering, according to Kanning and historical records.

The two-wave attack destroyed or damaged eight battleships, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship and a minelayer. Attacks on three airfields destroyed 188 aircraft and damaged 159 more.

The attack by the Japanese took the lives of 2,008 sailors; 218 soldiers and airmen; 109 Marines; and 69 civilians.

President Franklin Roosevelt responded quickly and firmly the next day in an address to Congress and the nation.

"Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date that will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan," he said in his first sentence.

Among the ships that were destroyed were the USS Raleigh CL-7, the USS Honolulu CL-48, the USS Oklahoma BB-37 and the USS Nevada BB-36."

"The USS Nevada damn near made it out of the harbor," Kanning said.

There are but a few veterans of the battle still alive, but Dec. 7, 1941, and the attack on Pearl Harbor have done what Roosevelt predicted: the day remains one of infamy.