Flags at the state Capitol in Honolulu and all state offices and agencies as well as the Hawaiʻi National Guard are flying at half-staff today in honor of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu. Big Island Now file photo.
At the direction of President Joe Biden, Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green ordered the flags to be flown at half-staff until sunset.
“Today, the first lady and I were able to honor in solemn remembrance at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial the sacrifices of the thousands of men and women who lost their lives on Dec. 7, 1941, during an attack that shook Hawai‘i and our nation,” Green said in a press release.
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day honors the memories of the 2,403 service members and civilians who lost their lives in the Dec. 7, 1941, attack.
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“We reflect on the resilience of America’s Armed Forces, who withstood the attack and built the most capable fighting force the world has ever known,” Biden said in a proclamation. “In the wake of tragedy, these brave women and men — the Greatest Generation — answered the call to defend freedom, justice and democracy across the Pacific, throughout Europe and around the globe. Today, we carry forward their spirit of unity and their enduring resolve to protect the United States against those who seek to do us harm.”
The president said the commemoration is also a reminder that the country is capable of achieving great triumphs coming out of dark moments.
“From the death and destruction at Pearl Harbor came victory over the forces of fascism,” Biden’s proclamation says. “Fierce battles with the Axis powers gave way to diplomatic partnerships with strong allies. And from the darkness of World War II came the light of liberty and the establishment of a rules-based international order. Today and every day, we remember that the great and defining truth about our nation and our people is that there is nothing beyond our capacity — we do not break, we never give in and we never back down.”
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