The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, on Dec. 7, 1941, is considered a seminal, pivotal and defining moment in U.S. history. Not only did it end the country’s isolation policy, it catapulted America into World War II.
“Pearl Harbor may be the most significant day in our country’s history in the 20th century,” said Seth Mallios, the university history curator at San Diego State University. “Without it, the United States doesn’t enter the Second World War, there’s no United Nations, and there’s no NATO. I can’t overstate the importance of Pearl Harbor.”
Of the more than 80,000 U.S. military personnel who were stationed in Hawaii, nearly 2,400 servicemembers were killed during the attack that day more than 80 years ago. Sadly, it is estimated that there are less than 25 Pearl Harbor survivors who remain alive today.
Although time has now taken a majority of America’s Greatest Generation involved in the attack, for the families of the survivors, honoring those who fought and died on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day each year continues to be an imperative.
“There’s nobody left to represent them,” said Patrick Schenkelberg, whose father, Clayton, was a U.S. Navy torpedoman at Pearl Harbor and passed away in 2021 at the age of 103. “It’s important for me that we continue that remembrance.”
As it has done since opening its doors to the public more than 20 years ago, the USS Midway Museum continued honoring the courage and bravery of the Pearl Harbor survivors through its annual commemoration ceremony.
“Although nearly 85 years have passed, we still feel that it is critically important to take a few moments each year to pay tribute to all of those who fought for freedom that day, especially those who paid the ultimate sacrifice,” said David Koontz, the director of marketing at the USS Midway Museum who also emceed the ceremony. “We now owe it also to the families of the Pearl Harbor survivors to not let the sacrifices made by their relatives be forgotten.”
As the ceremony’s guest speaker, Dr. Mallios spoke about the impacts of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the consequences for today.
“The consequences of the attack on Pearl Harbor cross-cut every aspect of American society,” said Seth, who is also a professor of anthropology at SDSU. “The attack on Pearl Harbor was a catalyst for the United States becoming a global superpower and a most active player in international relations. Pearl Harbor also emphasized the vulnerabilities of all nations and ushered in a new dawn of international cooperation. That remains the singular point of these entities—to collectively fight tyranny with a simultaneous goal of peace and security. We must never forget how these concepts fold together into one.”
While the long-term effect of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and of World War II, forever changed the international landscape, the immediate impact of the attack was experienced on a deeply personal level for the survivors and their families. The impact is still felt today.
“Let us honor the sacrifice of those we memorialize with more than kind words,” said Seth. “More than even this amazing annual ceremony on this iconic military vessel, let us honor their sacrifice and the continued service of our military personnel with urgency in our every action. Let us serve the greater good in our repeated and intentional actions. Our history shows us how. And our agency is needed now more than ever.”
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