PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (KHON2) — Clear skies greeted guests and dignitaries at the 83rd commemoration of the Pearl Harbor attacks on Saturday, Dec. 7.
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The ceremony in 2024 brought reflection and hope by honoring the past while looking toward the future.
There was a moment of silence for those who lost their lives in the chaos 83 years ago to kick off the ceremony as the sun rose over the Arizona Memorial on Saturday.
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“The survivors here today lived all of that. They will never forget it and neither must we,” said U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Steve Koehler.
More than 2,400 Americans were killed that day and over 1,100 of them perished on the USS Arizona.
The Memorial crossed a solemn milestone in April 2024 with the passing of Lou Conter, the Arizona’s last living survivor.
“When the Arizona sank, he came back on a boat to rescue his shipmates. Later in the war, when his plane was shot down over the Pacific,” Adm. Koehler said, “he told his aircrew, ‘Get ready to swim and if a shark comes up to you, punch it in the nose!’”