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Wednesday marks the 81st anniversary of the “day that will live in infamy,” as President Franklin D Roosevelt described it in a speech that will never be forgotten.

On that day, at 7:55 a.m., without warning, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor sending a shockwave across our country.

The attacks on Pearl Harbor changed the way Americans felt. The United States was no longer that country that seemed immune from outside attacks — similar to the way the nation felt after Sept 11.

According to the History.com, the attacks on Pearl Harbor took the lives of 2,403 servicemen and wounded 1,000 more. Civilians died too.

The attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into war against the axis powers of Germany and Japan. Roosevelt acted decisively, finding out about the attacks on a Sunday afternoon and by Monday morning the declaration of war was signed.

This is such an important date in our history, even if it’s one we’d rather not remember. 

We urge you to take a moment, grab your child or grandchild and let them read about what it was like for the people of Hawaii on that day and how the nation came together in support of this great country.

Pearl Harbor Survivors Association National President William Muehleib once said, “We did what we had to do. We did what we were called to do. And then we went on and lived our lives. It was over and done.”

Just because it is over and done, doesn’t mean we need to forget it.