III 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 638 

Recognizing the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the 

lasting significance of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 10 (legislative day, DECEMBER 9), 2016 

Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Mr. SCHATZ, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BROWN, Ms. 

COLLINS, Mrs. FISCHER, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. HATCH, Ms. HEITKAMP, 

Mr. KING, Mr. KIRK, Mr. MANCHIN, Mrs. MCCASKILL, Mr. MERKLEY, 

Mr. MORAN, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. NELSON, Mr. RUBIO, Mrs. SHAHEEN, 

Mr. SULLIVAN, Mr. TILLIS, Ms. WARREN, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. BENNET, 

Mr. PETERS, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. KAINE, Mr. MURPHY, 

Mr. MARKEY, Mr. WARNER, Mr. GARDNER, and Mr. THUNE) submitted 

the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl 

Harbor and the lasting significance of National Pearl 

Harbor Remembrance Day. 

Whereas, on December 7, 1941, without warning and minutes before 8:00 a.m., aircraft of the Imperial Japanese 

Navy attacked military installations of the United States 

at Pearl Harbor and elsewhere on the island of Oahu, 

Hawaii; 

Whereas the attack at Pearl Harbor lasted for approximately 

5 hours, during which 2,403 members of the Armed 

Forces of the United States were killed or mortally 


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•SRES 638 ATS 

wounded, 1,247 members of the Armed Forces of the 

United States were wounded, and 57 civilians lost their 

lives; 

Whereas Japanese aircraft mercilessly attacked facilities, 

naval vessels, and aircraft of the United States in 2 

waves, destroying or severely damaging numerous vessels 

of the United States Pacific Fleet and 188 aircraft of the 

United States, while Japanese submarines torpedoed several vessels of the United States between San Francisco 

and Honolulu; 

Whereas President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared the 

day of the attack on Pearl Harbor ‘‘a date which will live 

in infamy’’, and the people of the United States became 

united in remembrance of their fallen countrymen and 

committed to defending the United States against all aggressors; 

Whereas, on the day following the attack on Pearl Harbor, 

December 8, 1941, Congress declared war against Japan, 

and 3 days later against Germany, thus beginning the involvement of the United States in a global conflict that 

would define a generation; 

Whereas more than 400,000 men and women of the United 

States sacrificed their lives to preserve the sacred freedoms of the United States and to cease forever the 

spread of Nazism through Europe and imperialism by 

Japan; 

Whereas, after nearly 4 years of warfare, and following victory on the European front, World War II ended on September 2, 1945, when the Japanese surrendered aboard 

the USS Missouri; 


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•SRES 638 ATS 

Whereas, in 1950, Admiral Arthur Radford ordered that a 

flagpole be erected over the remains of the USS Arizona, 

one of the battleships of the United States sunk at Pearl 

Harbor; 

Whereas the USS Arizona serves as the final resting place for 

many of the 1,177 crew members of that battleship who 

lost their lives on December 7, 1941; 

Whereas the USS Arizona also serves as an educational site 

for people of the United States and international visitors 

alike, raising awareness about the attack on Pearl Harbor and the perils of war; 

Whereas the terms of the Japanese surrender fostered significant democratic reform in Japan, including ensuring the 

individual liberty and rights of the people of Japan; 

Whereas the United States has moved beyond the tragedy of 

Pearl Harbor and war against Japan and, in the years 

since the conclusion of World War II, has formed a 

strong and valuable alliance with Japan, including military cooperation and bilateral trade; and 

Whereas, on August 23, 1994, Congress enacted Public Law 

103–308 (later codified as section 129 of title 36, United 

States Code), which designates December 7th of each 

year as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and 

requests that the President— 

(1) issue each year a proclamation calling on the 

people of the United States to observe National Pearl 

Harbor Remembrance Day with appropriate ceremonies 

and activities; and 

(2) urge all departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the Federal Government, and interested organizations, groups, and individuals, to fly the flag of the 


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United States at half-staff each December 7th in honor 

of the individuals who died as a result of their service at 

Pearl Harbor: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate, on the occasion of the 

2 75th anniversary of the December 7, 1941, attack on 

3 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii— 

4 (1) pays tribute to the members of the Armed 

5 Forces of the United States and civilians who died 

6 in the attack; 

7 (2) honors the thousands of men and women of 

8 the Armed Forces of the United States who paid the 

9 ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives in defense of 

10 freedom and liberty during World War II; 

11 (3) acknowledges the continued peaceful and 

12 mutually beneficial relationship between the United 

13 States and Japan; and 

14 (4) appreciates the efforts of Japan as one of 

15 the most reliable security partners of the United 

16 States. 

Æ 


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