[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 193 (Wednesday, December 6, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2297]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E 2297]]


                     REMEMBERING PEARL HARBOR, 1995

                                 ______


                             HON. BOB STUMP

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 6, 1995

  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, on December 7, 1995, we pay homage to the 
2,403 Americans killed at Pearl Harbor. Both Congress and the President 
have resolved that this date shall be designated as ``National Pearl 
Harbor Remembrance Day.'' The most effective way we can honor the 
memory of those Americans who were killed in battle is to encourage 
future generations of Americans to remember the tragedy and the 
significance of that day. On December 8, 1941, President Franklin 
Delano Roosevelt appeared before a joint session of Congress asking 
that ``a state of war'' be declared against the Imperial Government of 
Japan.

       . . . But always will our whole Nation remember the 
     character of the onslaught against us . . . The American 
     people in their righteous might, will win through to absolute 
     victory . . . [We] will make it very certain that this form 
     of treachery shall never again endanger us . . . With 
     confidence in our armed forces--with the unbounding 
     determination of our people--we will gain the inevitable 
     triumph--so help us God.

  On Sunday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, and on 
December 8, the Japanese launched unprovoked attacks against Pearl 
Harbor, Malaya, Hong Kong, Guam, the Philippine Islands, Wake Island, 
and Midway Island.
  At 0755 that fateful morning, waves of Japanese planes descended upon 
Pearl Harbor, bombing and strafing American planes and the Pacific 
fleet. In less than 2 hours, the attack was over.
  The Japanese left behind a scene of destruction and carnage 
unparalleled in the history of the United States. Of the 96 ships 
present in the harbor that day, 3 were destroyed and 16 were severely 
damaged. The U.S.S. Arizona exploded and sank within 9 minutes, killing 
1,103 sailors and Marines. When the smoke cleared that day 2,403 
Americans were dead and 1,178 were wounded. Fifteen Medals of Honor 
were awarded, as well as 51 Navy Crosses, one Distinguished Flying 
Cross, and 53 Silver Stars.
  On that day, boys became men, and men became heroes. Their courage 
came naturally and they reacted instinctively, knowing full well that 
America would ultimately succeed due to the nobility of their cause.
  Never in the history of our fledgling republic has such a 
reprehensible act been perpetrated against innocent victims in a 
country not at war.
  Never in the history of the United States has a country deceived 
another by false statements and expressions of hope for continued 
peace.
  Never in history of a constitutional government has this degree of 
treachery been committed against a military objective in a country not 
at war. These were truly dastardly and cowardly acts by the Imperial 
Government of Japan.
  The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, however, was not a complete 
success. Their main targets, the aircraft carriers U.S.S. Lexington, 
Enterprise and Saratoga, were absent during the assault. The Japanese, 
as well, failed to destroy both repair and strategic oil storage 
facilities on the island, without which the Pacific fleet would have 
been forced to withdraw to the west coast of the United States.
  History has established that wealth alone offers no protection 
against aggression. Success in war depends upon the character of its 
citizens and the quality of its leadership, not the sum total of its 
wealth.
  No nation on Earth has ever been overwhelmed for a lack of it, and 
the nobility of the character of its citizens has produced a legacy of 
magnanimity for generations to come. It is for them, America's future, 
that we apply the lessons of the past.
  The attack on Pearl Harbor was the defining moment in the 
consolidation of the American spirit. Pearl Harbor was our rally point 
producing our single-minded resolve toward victory. That resolve made 
us unyielding in war, and today sustains our aspirations for lasting 
peace. The energized and unleashed power of America turned the tide of 
battle in the Pacific, resulting in a continuous procession of 
pulverizing defeats against the Imperial Government of Japan.
  Since Pearl Harbor, America has never stood alone. Beside us stand 
nations deeply committed to freedom, democracy, and a free market 
environment--nations including our former enemies Japan, Germany and 
Russia. This unity of purpose continues to inspire us in the cause of 
peace among nations.
  As we commensurate ``National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day,'' let us 
never forget the memory of those Americans who sacrificed their lives 
in the defense of freedom and democracy, and let us always recall, with 
deep respect, those individual acts of heroism and valor demonstrated 
by men and women who defended America 55 years ago today.

                          ____________________