December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor day

December 7, 1941 is a date which will live in infamy.

More than 2,400 Americans were killed and nearly 1,180 injured when stealth fighters of Imperial Japanese Navy bombed and sank 12 US naval vessels and heavily damaged nine others, on this day before 69 years at  Pearl Harbor.

As on date there are only 20 survivors left from the USS Arizona, and just five are healthy enough to travel.

The attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led United States into World War II. The following day on December 8,  the United States declared war on Japan.  Domestic sentiment to remain neutral, which had been strong, disappeared. Subsequent operations by the U.S., as well as the Axis alliance, prompted Germany and Italy to declare war on the U.S. on December 11. US  reciprocated back the same day.

Despite numerous historical precedents for unannounced military action, the lack of any formal warning by Japan, particularly while negotiations were still apparently ongoing, led to President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaiming December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy."

This year’s  Pearl Harbor day anniversary coincides with the dedication of a new $56 million Pearl Harbor visitor’s center featuring galleries, interactive exhibits, two movie theaters, an amphitheater and an education center. This is  paid for with a mix of private and public funds.