[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 19517]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             76TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I wish to recognize and honor the 2,403 
Americans who lost their lives when Japanese naval forces launched a 
surprise attack on our Nation at Pearl Harbor, HI, 76 years ago. Today 
we remember the millions of Allied Forces who fearlessly and selflessly 
gave their lives to defeat fascism and defend our freedoms and way of 
life. We will never forget the sacrifices that were made during World 
War II, and the memory of the attack on Pearl Harbor inspires us to 
remain forever vigilant.
  Just a few days ago, the Associated Press, AP, reported that the 
Department of Defense's POW/MIA Accounting Agency has identified 100 
sailors and marines killed when the USS Oklahoma capsized during the 
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Officials exhumed the bodies from a 
cemetery in Hawaii ``after determining that advances in forensic 
science and genealogical help from families made it possible to 
identify the men.'' These marines and sailors have been classified as 
missing since World War II.
  According to the AP, agency officials think they will be able to 
identify about 80 percent of the battleship's missing crewmembers by 
2020. I imagine this is of great comfort to the families of those who 
were lost, many of whom may now be buried in their hometowns. This 
effort is yet another example of our obligations to those who have 
given ``the last full measure of devotion'' that this Nation and that 
government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not 
perish from the earth, as Abraham Lincoln so eloquently and poignantly 
put it at Gettysburg, PA.
  We must be ready to counter threats to our Nation, both at home and 
abroad, that endanger the American people and our values. In President 
Franklin Delano Roosevelt's historic ``Day of Infamy'' speech, he 
pledged to ``. . . make it very certain that this form of treachery 
shall never again endanger us.'' Our Nation must remain strong and 
vigilant, prepared to meet future challenges, particularly in the fight 
against those who wish us harm.
  America's Greatest Generation was forged from the sacrifices required 
in the crucible of World War II. On this day, as we pause to remember 
and honor those sacrifices, we remind ourselves and the world that 
``American values'' still stands for freedom and a determination to use 
our unmatched strength to defend those who are unable to defend 
themselves. On this anniversary, we also take time to honor the brave 
men and women who currently serve in our military and their families. 
We pray for their safe return as they continue to serve in harm's way.

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