Seventy-five years to the exact moment that Japanese dive bombers appeared over the skies of the big island of Hawaii, President-elect Donald Trump issued the following statement to commemorate those who lost their lives and were injured during the attack on Pearl Harbor that pushed the United States into World War II:
We pause today to remember the 2,403 American heroes who selflessly gave their lives at Pearl Harbor 75 years ago, on a date that will forever live in infamy. We also honor the 1,178 Americans who were wounded and the countless others who instinctively did their duty, rushing to their posts in the midst of the chaos. Their shared sacrifice reminds us of the great costs paid by those who came before us to secure the liberties we enjoy and inspires us to rise to meet the new challenges that stand before us today.
America’s enemies have changed over the past 75 years. But the fact remains, as President Reagan said when first proclaiming National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, ‘there can be no substitute for victory’ in the pursuit of peace.
Today we are the bearers of the torch of freedom these brave Americans passed on to us. In honor of their faithfulness, and for the sake of generations to come, we will never allow that flame to be extinguished. {eoa}
