Next Wednesday (December 7, 2016) is the 75th Anniversary of the horrific surprise attack by the Japanese on US military forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The following day in a speech to the assembled Congress, President Franklin Deleno Roosevelt told Americans: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. The United States was at peace with that nation…”

As the President requested, Congress declared that a state of war existed between the US and the Japanese empire. More than 3,400 Americans were killed or wounded in that one day alone. Many more Americans and allies were to die in the coming years before the war (now known as WW II) ended.

Fountain Hills’ veterans organizations will commemorate this horrific day with a Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ceremony at the Veterans Memorial (17200 E El Lago Blvd). The ceremony will commence at 10:50 a.m. with the Posting of the Colors by VFW Post 7507’s color guard and a fly-over at 10:56 a.m. (the time of the initial attack - 7:56 Hawaiian time). The ceremony should take about an hour.

Everyone is invited to attend the commemorative ceremony. Veterans are encouraged to wear any uniform parts that still fit. Members of veterans service organization such as the VFW, AmVets, American Legion, Disabled Vets, etc. are encouraged to wear organizational clothing. All attendees are invited/encouraged to wear patriotic clothing.