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AMVETS
National Speeches
Pearl Harbor Day 2008
Good morning ladies and gentlemen, my fellow veterans, and in particular, our pearl harbor survivors. IT IS AN HONOR FOR ME TO SPEAK WITH YOU ON BEHALF OF AMVETS AS WE REMEMBER THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF DECEMBER SEVENTH, NINETEEN Forty-one.
We are gathered here to reflect on the infamous Sunday morning that has stood to define America’s “Greatest Generation,” the attack on pearl harbor. we honor those who perished on that fateful December morning, but we are also gathered to honor the brave men and women who survived to fight on, defending the ideals and the way of life that each of us so cherish.
Each day, when our staff walks into the National Headquarters just outside of washington, we are each reminded of why we do what we do. IN our foyer hangs a piece of the original wall from the USS Arizona memorial, recounting the tragic events of December seventh nineteen forty-one. it is a somber reminder that freedom comes at a heftY price and that our nation must honor the sacrifices of ALL brave americans who have sworn to uphold and defend the constitution.
Those who perished at Pearl Harbor will always be remembered for making the ultimate sacrifice in the name of liberty. Those who survived the vicious attack and those who took up arms all across this great land must always be honored for answering their call to serve in our nation’s hour of need.
Our world was shattered on that fateful december morning. Prior to december 7, 1941, we, as Americans, consciously isolated ourselves from the problems of the world. We felt a sense of security; for the horrors wrought by brutal nazi advances in Europe and an emerging japanese empire in the pacific rim seemed as though they were a world away. Besides, the United States was “too powerful” to be attacked, or so many of us thought.
On this day, 67 years ago, our will was tested as a nation. As thousands of American sailors fought insurmountable odds aboard a torched Pacific Fleet, brave men and women on land – both military and civilian – took up arms to ward off the Japanese onslaught by any means necessary.
Once the smoke cleared, more than 2,400 of America’s bravest were either injured or killed. On the USS Arizona alone, more than 1,000 sailors went down with their ship, where they remain entombed to this day.
AMVETS, FOUNDED IN THE WAKE OF WORLD WAR II, has made it our mission to honor the sacrifices of these brave men and women. Early on, AMVETS took on an active role to ensure that the sailors of the USS Arizona would be honored properly by playing an integral role in funding the memorial, and we continue to work to ensure that this memorial stands as a testament to the sailors’ sacrifices for generations to come.
each year, we gather here at arlington National cemetery with our pearl harbor survivors to lay a wreath in honor of our fallen brothers and sisters.
decades have passed since that fateful day, and millions of brave americans have been called to serve in conflicts all across the globe. Today, more than a quarter million of our best and brightest serve on the front lines in iraq and afghanistan, upholding the ideals of our nation and ensuring our security on the home front.
it is our duty, as Americans, never to forget that all of our veterans, past and present, deserve reverence for answering this call to serve.
Thank you. May God bless the men and women of our military; may god bless our veterans; and may god bless america.
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Media Contact:
National
Communications Director
Jay Agg
(301)-683-4035
jagg@amvets.org
National
Graphic Designer
Luis A. JImenez
(301) 683-4036
ljimenez@amvets.org
National
Media Specialist
Ryan Gallucci
(301)683-4073
rgallucci@amvets.org
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