Democrats and Republicans came together on Saturday to honor surviving veterans and those who lost their lives in the attack on Pearl Harbor more than 80 years ago.
“Today, we honor the brave Americans who perished at Pearl Harbor 83 years ago, and the service members who defended democracy and freedom in the days and years that followed,” President Biden wrote on social platform X.
“In their memory, let us carry forward their mission of forging a better future for humankind,” he added.
In a separate post from his personal X account, Biden shared a picture of him and first lady Jill Biden at the World War II Memorial in Washington, pressing for a future “of greater dignity, opportunity, and security for all.”
His comments come a day after he gave remarks honoring those who fought in Pearl Harbor and their families while attending a live performance of PBS’s “The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day” at the White House — a program telling the dramatic story of the final 11 months of World War II.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), in his remembrance post on X, wrote that, “America honors the memory of all those who perished on that tragic day.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Commitee, honored the servicemembers and civilians who died during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on the base in Hawaii.
“On the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, we remember the American servicemembers and civilians who were tragically killed,” Tillis wrote Saturday on X. “We will always honor their sacrifice and be grateful to those who answered the call to defend our country. #PearlHarborRemembranceDay”
Hundreds of Japanese warplanes attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, killing over 2,400 Americans. Today, there are only 16 Pearl Harbor attack survivors alive, the California state chair of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, Kathleen Farley, confirmed to CNN.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who serves on the Senate Armed Services Commitee, stated that Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day “will forever live in infamy.”
“We remember the over 2,000 servicemembers and civilians who lost their lives in the horrific attack on December 7, 1941. A day that will forever live in infamy,” Duckworth, who was deployed to Iraq in 2004, posted online. “We will never forget the courage, service and sacrifice of the Greatest Generation.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence also commemorated the civilians, sailors and soldiers “who paid the ultimate price on the ‘Day that Will Live in Infamy.’”
“As we remember, let us resolve to learn the lessons of history and never again heed the voices among us who urge America to turn inward as storms gather on the horizon of freedom,” Pence wrote early Saturday.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), in his own post, said he is reflecting on the “thousands of servicemembers and civilians who lost their lives during the attack on Pearl Harbor, their families and the survivors.”
“We honor their service, courage, and sacrifices to defend our country—today, and always,” he added.
Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) acknowledged in a post online that “their sacrifice reminds us freedom isn’t free. May we never forget.”
