NAS Pensacola Hosts Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony

December 8, 2023

More than 150 service members, civilian employees and retirees participated in a Pearl Harbor Remembrance ceremony Thursday onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola designed to acknowledge and pay respect to the men and women killed and injured during the attack at Pearl Harbor.

Pensacola-area Chief Petty Officer Association (PACPOA) along with members from the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) and American Legion, led attendees in acknowledging the more than 2,400 Sailors, Soldiers and civilians killed and the estimated 1,000 wounded during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941.

The ambush also damaged or destroyed 20 American ships and more than 300 airplanes while also destroying dry docks and airfields.

“Less and less survivors are alive today from the attack 82 years ago,” said Chief Navy Counselor (ret.) Gordon Daly, the guest speaker at the event. “Our goal for these annual Pearl Harbor Remembrance ceremonies is now to teach our currently serving men and women our history. The legacy of those who came before us is what needs to propel our traditions and keep those men and women in our hearts and minds.”

The ceremony, held immediately following morning colors, included a prayer and two-bell ceremony, as well as a poem describing the National Ensign, ‘A Toast to the Flag,’ penned by journalist John Jay Daly, was read by a PACPOA representative.

NAS Pensacola, referred to as the “Cradle of Naval Aviation,” is designed to support operational and training missions of tenant commands, including the Naval Aviation Technical Training Center (NATTC), Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC), the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT), Marine Aviation Training Support Groups (MATSG) 21 and 23 and is the headquarters for Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).

Comments

Comments are closed.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News