Pearl Harbour remembrance faces historic shift as last survivors unable to attend

THIS year’s annual Pearl Harbor commemoration marks a historic and poignant moment: for the first time, no living survivors of the 1941 Japanese attack will be able to attend the ceremony on the military base’s waterfront.

AP reported on Sunday that with only twelve centenarians still alive, the pilgrimage to Hawaii, scheduled for Sunday, will proceed without anyone who experienced the attack firsthand, a sobering reminder of the passage of time.

“The idea of not having a survivor there for the first time — I just, I don’t know — it hurt my heart in a way I can’t describe,” said Kimberlee Heinrichs, whose 105-year-old father, Ira “Ike” Schab, had to cancel his travel from Oregon after falling ill.

Survivors have attended every year in recent memory, except in 2020, when the ceremony was closed to the public due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The observance traditionally begins with a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m., the exact time the first bombs fell on December 7, 1941.

 Following this, fighter jets perform a “missing man formation” flyover, and wreaths are laid in remembrance of those lost. In recent years, active-duty personnel have taken over some ceremonial duties, including presenting wreaths and saluting survivors at the USS Arizona Memorial, which rests above the sunken battleship’s submerged hull.

At its 50th anniversary in 1991, approximately 2,000 survivors attended the ceremony. In the decades since, only a few dozen have appeared, and last year, just two made the journey.

Out of an estimated 87,000 troops stationed on Oahu at the time of the attack, these numbers reflect both the inevitable passing of the generation that lived through it and the importance of preserving their testimonies.

Harry Chandler, who passed away in 2024, vividly recalled the attack in 2023, describing how he was raising a flag at a mobile hospital above the base when Japanese planes began dropping bombs.

“I can still see what was happening,” he told the Associated Press, recounting the horror of witnessing the USS Arizona explode and sailors trapped on the capsized USS Oklahoma desperately tapping on the hull for help. Chandler, a Navy hospital corpsman, spent hours assisting the injured.

Historians note that Pearl Harbor holds varied meanings: some view it as a lesson in military preparedness, others focus on failures of intelligence or leadership, and many remember the heroism of the troops, according to Emily S. Rosenberg in her book “A Date Which Will Live: Pearl Harbor in American Memory.”

Asked what message Americans should take from the attack, Chandler simply said, “Be prepared. We should have known that was going to happen. The intelligence has to be better.”

Recognising the importance of preserving the memories of those who witnessed the attack, retired National Park Service Pearl Harbor historian Daniel Martinez undertook extensive oral history interviews, recording nearly 800 accounts on video.

“They remain as a part of the national memory of a day that changed America and changed the world,” Martinez said.

These recordings, along with collections housed at the Library of Congress, including letters, diaries, and photographs from over 500 survivors, ensure that their experiences continue to educate future generations.

Groups such as the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors continue to keep the memory alive, presenting in schools and participating in parades.

“When they’re all gone, we’re still going to be here,” said Deidre Kelley, the group’s president. “And it’s our intent to keep the memory alive as long as we’re alive.”

With no survivors able to attend, this year’s ceremony underscores both the passage of time and the enduring responsibility to honour, remember, and learn from those who lived through one of America’s defining moments. - December 7, 2025