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126093089_web1_Andrew-Chew---The-Institute

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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; Today is a day that has, as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, &ldquo;lived in infamy.&rdquo;
				Today is Pearl Harbor Day, one of the most tragic days in history &mdash; Dec. 7, 1941.
				So on this 79th anniversary of Japan&rsquo;s attack on Pearl Harbor, we must take time to remember our heroic dead and also to pause to thank all veterans of all wars for their service to our country.
				It really is the very least we can do.
				&#8226; The Pearl Harbor attack killed 2,403 service members and wounded 1,178 more, and sank or destroyed six U.S. ships,. Also destroyed were 169 U.S. Navy and Army Air Corps planes.
				&#8226; The Japanese losses included 29 aircraft, in addition to five midget submarines, and 129 attackers were killed and one taken prisoner.
				A couple of years ago, Times Leader staffer Ed Lewis listed the names of Luzerne County soldiers killed that day.
				According to reports, listed as killed in the attack were: Albert Joseph Konnick, of Wilkes-Barre, Brinley Varchol, of Hanover Township, Keith Jeffries, of Newport Township; John Peter Rutkowski, of Nanticoke, John Joseph Petyak, of Wilkes-Barre; Joseph J. Resuskey, of Jenkins Township, Edward F. Slapikas, of Newport Township and John Burns, of Wilkes-Barre.
				A couple of years ago I attended a service at the Daddow-Isaacs Dallas American Legion Post 672. A bugler played &ldquo;To the Colors&rdquo; as the American flag was raised that Thursday morning at the start of the Pearl Harbor commemorative ceremony.
				Once the flag was hoisted to the top of the flagpole, it was then lowered to half-staff in honor of all those who have died in service to our country, especially those who died Dec. 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
				&ldquo;As President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, &lsquo;This day will live in infamy,&rsquo; and we will never forget,&rdquo; said Clarence Michael, an Army veteran. &ldquo;I have visited Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. We have come through the attack on Pearl Harbor, the loss of our battleships and the loss of so many soldiers.&rdquo;
				Michael said many people still wonder why Pearl Harbor happened. He acknowledged that many World War II veterans are gone, but he said it is important to remember them and their stories.
				&ldquo;We must never forget what they died for,&rdquo; Michael said. &ldquo;We must celebrate their service to our country &mdash; the land of the free and the home of the brave.&rdquo;
				I recall Michael saying he hoped that history like Pearl Harbor is still being taught in our schools. He said he knows of many young people who don&rsquo;t know what Pearl Harbor is or who George Washington was.
				&ldquo;We need to keep teaching these lessons in our schools,&rdquo; Michael said. &ldquo;But too often, they come up short.&rdquo;
				Ceremonies like that one at the Dallas American Legion are held to remember the 2,403 service members and civilians who were killed &mdash; 1,178 more were injured in the attack.
				On Aug. 23, 1994, the United States Congress designated Dec. 7 as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
				And as the years go by, our World War II veterans &mdash; the foundation of &ldquo;the Greatest Generation&rdquo; &mdash; are disappearing right before our eyes.
				On this, the 79th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the importance of remembering our World War II veterans grows more and more significant.
				Jim Spagnola, Luzerne County&rsquo;s veterans affairs director, once told me he will always remember the conversations he&rsquo;s had with World War II veterans &mdash; how humble they all are, how proud to have served, how reluctant to be called &ldquo;hero.&rdquo;
				These men and women have set an example that must be followed if we are to remain strong. There are so many stories about bravery and courage and country-before-self that the least we can do is stop and pause to remember what each has done for us.
				We really can never thank our veterans enough.
				And never, never, never forget.

Beyond the Byline: Never forget this day of infamy