Program: Memorializing Pearl Harbor

As we near December 7th, and the remembrance of the attack on Pearl Harbor “A date that will live in infamy”, it is fitting that our Rotary program will relate to this historic event. Our Tuesday speaker is a published author and former member of the Board of Directors of the USS Arizona Memorial Museum Association. Geoff White Professor Emeritus, University of Hawai’i, and now resident of Encinitas, will reveal some salient points of his extensive research with reference to the “Memorializing of Pearl Harbor.”

The 75th Commemoration of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and six other military bases on the Hawaiian island of Oahu precipitated America's entry into World War II, a global conflict. Pearl Harbor endures as a symbol of American resilience and resolve, and the annual commemoration of the attack on Pearl Harbor fosters reflection, remembrance, and understanding.  It would thrust America into World War II, changing Hawaii and America forever and continues to define their place in the world. The events of that date triggered our resolve as a nation, our can-do attitude and resourcefulness and an unmatched commitment to the defense of freedom.

Understanding past events and their consequences can inspire reverence for an emotional commitment to peaceful solutions to conflict. How do we help future generations chart their way toward peace and prosperity? We can learn from the past. A key focus of the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor will be a brighter future in our relationship with Japan and the celebration of 71 years of peace between us.

Called Pu'uloa, meaning "long hill," or Wai Momi, literally, "water of pearl," by early Hawaiians, Pearl Harbor, so named because of the abundance of pearls once found within its protected waters, is the largest natural harbor in the State of Hawaii and the number one visitor destination on Oahu.

Today, Pearl Harbor remains an active military base, Headquarters of the Pacific Fleet, and a National Historic Landmark that's home to four unique attractions: from the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that started it all, to the surrender of the Japanese on the deck of the mighty Battleship Missouri, these four historic sites together tell the story of the War in the Pacific, commemorating the accomplishments of a previous generation.

Located on the island of Oahu, "The Gathering Place," halfway between Japan and the mainland United States, Pearl Harbor will always be a welcoming place where survivors of the attack can reflect on the events which led to the war and which had such a profound impact on the lives of an entire generation.

To those who fought in the war, to those whose lives were affected by the war, their children, grandchildren, and each succeeding generation, Pearl Harbor is a place where people from far-flung corners of the world can come together in peace to honor the memory of the fallen and to celebrate the ultimate triumph of the human spirit.