Recognizing Their Sacrifice

To Honor the Greatest Generation of American Military Men and Women

To Respect the Great Generation Who Serve Today

To Remember the Reason They Fought and Still Fight

Recognizing and Saluting the Future of the American Military

In Tribute to Those Who Gave the Ultimate Sacrifice

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The Attack
Japanese forces arrived undetected just 230 miles north of the Hawaiian Islands. At dawn, the six carriers launched their planes in two waves. The first wave of bombers and fighters struck Pearl Harbor at 7:55 a.m. For two hours, the planes roared overhead raining a torrent of bombs and torpedoes on the unsuspecting American forces. The ignition of the forward magazine by an Ariel bomb on the USS Arizona was so devastating; she sank to the bottom in just nine minutes.

Japanese Forces
Six battle-ready aircraft carriers and 25 support vessels made up the task force. The carriers launched a total of 350 aircraft to participate in the attack.

American Forces
Twenty-one vessels, including all eight first-line battle ships, were sunk or damaged. One hundred seventy aircraft were destroyed and one hundred fifty were damaged.

Casualties of the Attack
On the American side, 2,388 servicemen and civilians were killed, including 1,177 on the USS Arizona. Only 337 of the Arizona crewmen survived. Twenty-nine Japanese aircraft were shot down. Fifty-five airmen were killed. Four midget submarines were sunk, one captured, and nine crewmembers were killed.