HONOLULU, HAWAII – The annual Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony marked a somber milestone this year: none of the remaining survivors of the 1941 Japanese attack were able to attend. Only 12 centenarians remain from the more than 87,000 U.S. troops stationed on Oahu that day, and their absence meant the ceremony lacked firsthand witnesses to the events that killed over 2,300 service members and thrust the United States into World War II. Families and attendees noted the emotional impact of the moment, as the ceremony continued with rituals and military honors even without survivors present.
The ceremony followed familiar traditions, including a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m., fighter jets flying in missing man formation, and wreath-laying, now often carried out by active-duty personnel. Memories of the attack are preserved through oral histories, interviews, and family accounts. Veterans like Harry Chandler, who recounted seeing Japanese planes and the Arizona explode, have passed on, but their recollections remain preserved in nearly 800 interviews conducted by the National Park Service, as well as thousands more housed in the Library of Congress. Organizations such as the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors continue to share the stories in schools, parades, and public events, ensuring that the legacy of those who lived through the attack endures even as the last survivors are gone.
