Shared history

Seventy-fifth anniversary of Pearl Harbor attack an opportunity to reflect, learn

As President Franklin Roosevelt told the nation the day after Japan’s sneak attack against the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941, has unquestionably become, as he predicted, “a date which will live in infamy.”

Just before 8 a.m. that Sunday, the Japanese Imperial Navy launched its surprise attack on the peaceful harbor on the southern shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Japan had not declared war on the United States before launching its attack.

Less than two hours later, 21 ships were sunk or damaged and 2,403 U.S. troops were dead. The day after Roosevelt’s “infamy” speech, Congress declared war against Japan, marking the United States’ entry into World War II.

Today, 75 years later, we remember not only the date, but the destruction, the lives lost, and the atomic fury we unleashed on Japan to hasten the end of the world’s most brutal global war.

It’s fitting that we recall that horrific day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, honor those who died there, reflect on the years of conflict that followed and contemplate a better way forward.

Although we can still replay the old newsreels and republish the photos of the destruction of Pearl Harbor, we’re rapidly losing the invaluable firsthand accounts from those who were there that day, and the lessons behind them. We know of only a handful of Pearl Harbor survivors in our state and, when the 80th anniversary arrives, it’s likely fewer will remain.

So today, in particular, is a day to honor them, recognize their service and sacrifice, and promise to never forget them. We would do so at our own peril.

Despite the seething hatred that once enveloped both the Japanese and Americans, we have become surprisingly enduring allies.

President Barack Obama visited Hiroshima in May, becoming the first sitting American president to visit that city since the United States dropped the atomic bomb there on Aug. 6, 1945, killing tens of thousands instantly.

Later this month, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Pearl Harbor, becoming the first sitting Japanese leader to do so since Japan attacked the United States.

While critics might denigrate such exchanges as political theater, it’s our sincere hope they foster a deeper understanding of our shared past and a willingness to pursue a more peaceful path in the future.