Pearl Harbor: Americans Honor Those Who Lost Their Lives During 1941 Attack

Monday was the 79th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II, and many Americans observed National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day on social media. Civilians, military personnel and public figures all remarked on the day in somber posts. Many also compared the tragedy to the coronavirus pandemic, which is ravaging the U.S. today.

The Japanese military attacked a U.S. naval base in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, drawing the U.S. into World War II officially. The date was officially designated as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in 1994, and has since been acknowledged with certain tributes. The American flag is typically flown at half-staff on Pearl Harbor Day, and some organizations mark the occasion with an event of some kind.

This year, those observances were more challenging than usual. The attack on Pearl Harbor killed 2,403 American citizens, but today the U.S. is seeing more deaths than that every day on average due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Americans could not reckon with Pearl Harbor day without keeping those figures in mind.

Pearl Harbor Day got tweets from many public figures, including President-elect Joe Biden and Republican lawmakers who have not yet accepted his victory in the 2020 presidential election. As such, the commentary and discussion of these public statements took a decidedly political tone this year.

However, in other realms of social media, the national day of remembrance went on as usual. Here is a look at how social media honored the 2,403 Americans killed at Pearl Harbor on Monday.