Service set at Calverton National to observe 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor attack

A solemn service to observe the 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 7 at 12:35 p.m. at Calverton National Cemetery at the Pearl Harbor monument.

On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, Japan attacked the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  The surprise attack killed more than 2,400 Americans and injured another 1,100. It sank four U.S. Navy battleships and damaged four others. It also damaged or sank numerous other ships and damaged 188 aircraft.

The attack marked the entry of the United States into World War II, a battle fought in two theatres, in the Pacific and in Europe, against the Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japan. On Dec. 8, in an address to Congress, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared Dec. 7, 1941 “a date which will live in infamy.” Watch a video of the president’s address here.

Dec. 7 was designated Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day by an act of Congress in 1994. There will be remembrance ceremonies at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base Tuesday and a ceremony at the National World War II Museum in Washington. The museum has opened a special exhibit about the attack, “Infamy: Pearl Harbor Remembered,” which is open through June 7. Its website offers a collection of articles, photos and videos on the history of Pearl Harbor before and after the attack and the events that followed.

The Pearl Harbor monument at Calverton National Cemetery is located near the intersection of Calverton Drive and Princeton Boulevard. Parking is available in the lot behind the monument. The service will last about 45 minutes. Chairs will not be provided, but guests are welcome to bring their own.

The monument was erected in 2011 through efforts organized by the late Frank Belsito of the American Legion Pearl Harbor Memorial Post 1941. It was dedicated that year in advance of the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.