The Third Corps of Cadets of the Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy in Elizabethtown held a Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony on Monday morning to mark the 74th anniversary of the event.
Commandant of Cadets Carl Lloyd told those gathered that the Japanese military officials believed if they destroyed the pacific fleet America wouldn’t be able to defend themselves from another attack.
Lloyd said that at 8:10 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, a bomb landed on the deck of the USS Arizona causing major damage and causing the destroyer to eventually sink killing 1,100 sailors.
Lloyd continued saying the USS Oklahoma was also stuck and eventually rolled over onto its side and sank killing 429 soldiers and sailors.
The attack crippled or destroyed a total of 18 ships and resulted in the sinking of the Arizona and Oklahoma.
Lloyd said all of the Pacific Fleet’s aircraft carriers were out at sea at the time for the attack and was not damaged.
He explained that the docks remained intact after the attack and that enabled Pearl Harbor to bounce back quickly.
Lloyd recounted how President Franklin Delano Roosevelt went to Congress and received a declaration of war against Japan.
Lloyd said that advisors to Roosevelt tried to convince him to give a lengthy speech and detail exactly what had happened. Roosevelt felt a long and protracted speech would be too much for people to take in and instead Roosevelt made a 6 minute speech.
“The American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory,” read Lloyd.
On Dec. 8, Congress made a declaration of war against Japan.
He added that the United States entering the war would spawn what Tom Brokaw called the “Greatest Generation.”
Lloyd said, “Today we pay homage to men and women who lost their lives.”
The cadets gave a 21 gun salute followed by the playing of Taps.
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