LULAC Says America Should Still Honor Pearl Harbor Day

Nation’s Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Calls Upon Americans Not to Forget the Sacrifice for Freedom

Washington, DC - Domingo Garcia, LULAC National President today issued the following statement in remembrance of the 79th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor which led to the United States entering World War II.

“December 7th is a day whose significance in our country’s history has faded from the minds of many people and others are too young to even be aware of it. Yet, for the loved ones of the 2,400 Americans killed and more than 1,000 others wounded in the attack, their memories are still as vivid and their loss just as real. On this day, LULAC pays tribute to those who died and were wounded including 2,008 Navy personnel, 109 Marines, 218 Army service members and 68 civilians. 1,177 were from the USS Arizona alone which now marks the main memorial to this “day of infamy”. The total number of wounded was 1,143 including 710 Navy, 69 Marines, 364 Army and 103 civilians.

These are not just numbers. They represent the lives of fathers, mothers, sons and daughters who died in service to their country. They were the first of the more than 1-million American service members who would die or suffer combat injuries in World War II, which this incident triggered. It was the worst military conflict up until that time that the world had witnessed and on a scale not repeated since.

LULAC has always honored veterans and those who are serving in our nation’s defense. May we on this day, nearly eight decades later, take a moment to reflect upon the meaning of Pearl Harbor Day and share a word or prayer for those who perished and their families whose lives were forever changed because of this single event. Our freedoms are precious and they have been won by courageous men and women paying the highest price possible. May we never forget them and may God bless America.

###

About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit https://lulac.org/