Anniversary of Pearl Harbor attack to be remembered in Albany

ALBANY — On Dec. 7, 1941, the United States was brought into World War II after an attack by the Empire of Japan on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii that compromised a U.S. Navy fleet and cost roughly 2,400 American lives.

Wednesday will mark the 75th anniversary of the attack, and the Southwest Georgia Coalition of Veterans Organizations, a joint committee of veteran organizations, is planning a ceremony to mark the historical event at the Veterans Park Amphitheater.

“It got us embroiled (in the war),” said Marvin Mixon, flag services chair at American Legion Post 30 and member of the coalition. “Most of everybody was trying to keep us out of the war.

“December 7, 1941 changed American history. No American life would be the same.”

The attack began at 7:52 a.m., Hawaiian time, that Sunday morning — or at 1:22 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, which, in 1941, was five and a half hours ahead of Hawaiian time. The time difference between Hawaii and the East Coast led the committee to start the ceremony at 1 p.m.

The Westover High School JROTC will present the colors, and there will be a performance of the National Anthem by Melody Spencer. A rifle salute, Taps, a recapping of the attack and its aftermath, and the “Day of Infamy” speech given by President Franklin Roosevelt the day after the attack will also be on the program along with recognition of the World War II veterans who attend.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports that there were about 16.11 million Americans who served in World War II. As of May, there were 696,000 living veterans of the conflict.

“(The ceremony) is to honor them, and we also need to remember what can happen if you don’t remain alert,” Mixon said. “We don’t want something like that to happen again.

“Freedom isn’t free. We have to remain alert.”

Paul Murray, chair of the coalition, said there was little desire to get into the war before the attack, and now that it has been 75 years since, it is a moment in history worth commemorating.

“We would like to get as much participation as possible,” Murray said. “We call them the Great Generation that enabled us to continue our way of life.”

The recent push to put a World War II monument at Veterans Park was successful, and efforts are under way to obtain a similar honor for those who served in the War on Terror, Murray said.

The anniversary of the attack has been recognized as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day since 1994.

The amphitheater is located next to the Albany Civic Center on Front Street. Everyone — especially World War II veterans and their families — is invited to attend the ceremony. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early.