By Abby Drake
Staff Writer

December 7, 1941 on a quiet Sunday morning in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii the United States naval base was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the Imperial Japanese Navy.  December 7, 2010 marked the sixty-ninth anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, a day to remember the two thousand forty-three brave men and women who lost their lives.

In honor of the historic day the U.S Navy hosted a joint memorial ceremony, commemorating the attack and revealing the brand new Pearl Harbor visitors center. The ceremony took place on the front lawn of the visitor’s center that looks out into Pearl Harbor at the USS Arizona Memorial.

Four thousand distinguished guests were invited and nearly two hundred Pearl Harbor survivors were in attendance.

A moment of silence was observed at 7:55 AM, the exact time that the Japanese attack began. The ceremony also included a rifle salute, a Hawaiian blessing, and music by the pacific fleet band all in honor of those who risked their lives for their country sixty-nine years ago.

The attack on Pearl Harbor is a large piece of American history and should be recognized every year with great respect.