December 7, 2021: Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

WHEREAS, December 7, 2021, marks the 80^th anniversary of the attack on the Pearl Harbor American Army and Naval Base in Hawaii; and,

WHEREAS, on this day, we remember the 2,403 Americans who lost their lives and the 1,178 others who were wounded; and,

WHEREAS, 613,543 Michiganders answered the call to serve in the armed forces in the years following the attack on Pearl Harbor; and,

WHEREAS, the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, which disbanded in 2011 after 53 years of service, served as an active voice against unwarranted acts of war and was dedicated to remembering and honoring fallen armed service men and women; and,

WHEREAS, former members of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association and community leaders in Virginia continue to honor the fallen each year at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, the site for the Pearl Harbor Remembrance ceremony since the Pearl Harbor Memorial was dedicated in 1990; and,

WHEREAS, Michiganders and Americans everywhere owe a debt of gratitude to the members of the United States Armed Forces who died at Pearl Harbor, as well as to those who survived and fought with great honor and bravery in the Second World War while defending the people and principles of our nation; and,

WHEREAS, it is fitting to observe a day in honor of everyone who served in the United States Armed Forces at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and to reflect upon their sacrifices and on the losses endured by their families and loved ones;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim December 7, 2021, as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in Michigan.