Airmen of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing honor guard at an Air Base in Southwest Asia lower the flag Dec. 7 during a retreat ceremony in honor of those who fell and those who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor 66 years ago. Members of the honor guard detail are Airmen 1st Class Jesse Lancaster (left), Huy-Ryan Nguyen (center) and George Navarro. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Greg Kunkle)
Airmen 1st Class George Navarro (left) and Huy-Ryan Nguyen fold the flag while Jesse Lancaster stands by during a retreat ceremony Dec. 7 at an air base in Southwest Asia commemorating the attack on Pearl Harbor 66 years ago. The Airmen are members of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing honor guard. Brig. Gen. Charlie Lyon, 379th AEW commander, stands at attention in the background. (United States Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Douglas Olsen)
Airmen of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing honor guard at an air base in Southwest Asia stand at parade rest during a ceremony Dec. 7 commemorating the attack on Pearl Harbor 66 years ago. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Doug Olsen)
by Capt. Mike Andrews
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
12/7/2007 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- More than 200 U.S. forces at an air base in Southwest Asia attended a memorial retreat in honor of the 2,340 killed and 1,143 wounded in the Dec. 7, 1941 attacks on U.S. military installations on Oahu, Territory of Hawaii.
"We have come here today to pay honor and homage to our nations' heroes, the fallen and survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor," said Brig. Gen Charles Lyon, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing commander. "Let us never forget there is a price to pay for freedom. It doesn't come free"
"Dec. 7th, a day which will live in infamy" was how then President Franklin Roosevelt responded to the Pearl Harbor attack which propelled the United States into World War II.
Although 66 years have passed, Dec. 7th remains a day in which all Americans should pause to remember the courage, sacrifices and history associated with the attack, General Lyon said.
Younger generations need only remember the Sept. 11th attacks to understand the wide-range emotions including sadness, fear and anger that swept the country following the Pearl Harbor attack, he said.
Today, deployed servicemen continue the legacy of defending the nation and making personal sacrifices similar those who served in World War II.
"Dec. 7, 1941 was a day that plunged America, once again, for the second time in the 20th century, into world war where we joined an alliance to preserve democracy and a free way of life," said General Lyon.
Although the results of the Japanese attack were devastating, even on this "Bloody Sunday" heroes were still found. Second Lieutenants George S. Welch and Kenneth M. Taylor were the first to take off from Haleiwa Field in their P-40s and engage the enemy.
They began shooting down Japanese Zeroes, each getting two confirmed kills during their first engagement. By the end of the day, Taylor had scored two confirmed kills, while Welch had four confirmed enemy scores.
Reminders of the attack are still visible at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. The tattered flag that flew over the base that day is encased and on display in the lobby of the building that was originally the consolidated barracks, later named Hale Makai, which means "house by the sea" in Hawaiian.
The former "Big Barracks" now serves as headquarters of the Pacific Air Forces, and its bullet-scarred walls are carefully preserved to serve as a constant reminder to never again be caught unprepared.
"As Americans and as partners for freedom, we will never forget the heroism, dedication and painful sacrifice of American Sailors, Airmen, Soldiers and Marines that took place 66 years ago," said General Lyon.
(Ms. Jenny Crider, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Historian, contributed to this article)
