Fly Your Flag at Half Staff In Remembrance of Pearl Harbor

Seventy years ago today, the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan launched the United States into World War II.

Some figures from that terrible day:

• 2,402 Americans killed
• 1,177 of those killed were on the USS Arizona
• 1,282 Americans wounded
• 188 American aircraft destroyed
• 4 American battleships sunk

In his address to Congress requesting a declaration of war against Japan, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, called Dec. 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy."

It took almost four years before that total victory in 1945. In that time, more than 400,000 American military members were killed, more than 600,000 were wounded and more than 30,000 were missing.

More than 16 million Americans served in World War II. Only 2 million are alive today.

Today, Americans should fly their flags at half staff to commemorate those lost on Dec. 7, 1941.

member, veteran and historian John Shondel said anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor is one of the two days during the year that the Stars and Stripes are flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset: the other is Patriot Day, Sept. 11. On Memorial Day, the US Flag is flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon and raised to full staff.

If you have wall mounted Flag that can't be lowered, an alternate display is to attach a black streamer, the width of a stripe and as long as "fly" of the flag, just below the finial, Shondel said.

There will be Remembrance Service on the front lawn of at 12:53 p.m. that Wednesday as well as a similar ceremony at Post 211 at 7 p.m.

Do you have a relative who served in World War II? Share your memories and pictures of them, or invite them to share their photos and memories of the war, here. And thank them for all of us.