HONOLULU (AP) – Survivors of the 1941 Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor have long been the center of a remembrance ceremony held each year on the military base’s waterfront.
But today only 12 are still alive – all centenarians – and this year none is able to make the pilgrimage to Hawaii to mark the event, scheduled for sunday.
That means no one attending will have firsthand memories of serving during the attack, which killed more than 2,300 troops and catapulted the U.S. into World War 2. The advancement is not a surprise and is an evolution of an ongoing trend. As survivors fade, their descendants and the public are increasingly turning to other ways of learning about the bombing.
“The idea of not having a survivor there for the first time – I just, I don’t know – it hurt my heart in a way I can’t describe,” said Kimberlee Heinrichs, whose 105-year-old father Ira “Ike” Schab had to cancel plans to fly in from oregon after falling ill.
Survivors have been present every year in recent memory except for 2020, when the Navy and the National Park Service closed the observance to the general public as of coronavirus pandemic health risks.
“I can still see what was happening.”
The ceremony begins with a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m., the same time the attack began on Dec. 7, 1941. Solemn rituals follow.
Fighter jets fly overhead in “missing man formation,” in which one jet peels off to symbolize those lost. Survivors present wreaths to honour the dead, though active duty troops have assumed this job in recent years. Survivors rise to salute active duty sailors who themselves salute as their ship passes the USS Arizona Memorial, which sits above submerged hull of the battleship sunk in the attack.
About 2,000 survivors attended the 50th anniversary event in 1991. A few dozen have showed in recent decades. Last year, only two made it.That is out of an estimated 87,000 troops stationed on Oahu that day.
Many survivors were jovial despite the occasion, happy to catch up with old friends and pose for photographs. Even so, harrowing recollections were seldom far from their minds.
In 2023,Harry Chandler gazed across the water while telling an Associated Press reporter how he was raising the flag at a mobile hospital in the hills above the base when he saw Japanese planes fly in and drop bombs.chandler and his fellow Navy hospital cor
Efforts to Preserve Firsthand Accounts of the Pearl Harbor Attack as Survivors Dwindle
As the number of Pearl Harbor survivors diminishes, dedicated individuals and organizations are working to preserve their firsthand accounts for future generations. These efforts mirror past initiatives undertaken as Civil War veterans neared the end of their lives, recognizing the urgency of capturing these irreplaceable memories.
Annual Remembrance and Personal Connections
Each year, individuals like Robert Heinrichs travel to Pearl Harbor to pay their respects. Heinrichs, whose father was a six-time visitor since 2016, honors not only those killed in the attack but also his late bandmates from the USS Dobbin, his three brothers who served in World War II, and the Pearl Harbor survivors he befriended over the years. “It’s vital to be here to honor those who deserve it,” Heinrichs said,as reported by the Associated Press.
Recording Oral Histories
Recognizing the fleeting opportunity to learn directly from those who experienced the attack, retired national Park Service Pearl Harbor historian Daniel Martinez began recording oral histories in the late 20th century. He likened the situation to the early 1900s when the voices of Civil War veterans were fading. During a 1998 convention, Martinez conducted 12-hour-a-day interviews for three days, resulting in a collection of nearly 800 interviews, primarily on video, now held by the National park Service. “They remain as a part of the national memory of a day that changed America and changed the world,” Martinez stated.
The National Park Service displays some of these interviews at the Pearl Harbor museum and plans to incorporate more following ongoing renovations, according to David Kilton, the agency’s Pearl Harbor interpretation, education and visitor services lead.
Expanding Digital archives
The Library of Congress is also actively collecting and preserving Pearl Harbor memories through its Veterans History project. The project currently holds collections from 535 Pearl Harbor survivors, including interviews, letters, photographs, and diaries, with over 80% of the materials available online. The project relies on contributions from various sources, including relatives, Eagle Scouts, and other volunteers interested in documenting veteran experiences from World war I onward.
Continuing the Legacy Through Organizations
Organizations like the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor survivors are dedicated to sharing the stories of their families through presentations in schools and participation in parades. The California chapter has seen growth this year, welcoming six new members, including two great-grandchildren of survivors.”When they’re all gone,we’re still going to be here,” said Deidre Kelley,the group’s president. “And it’s our intent to keep the memory alive as long as we’re alive.”
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