President Barack Obama signed a proclamation declaring December 7 as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, and urging federal agencies and others to fly American flags at half-staff on Wednesday. 

Here’s an excerpt from Obama’s proclamation about the attack on Honolulu that took place seven decades ago. 

“On a serene Sunday morning 70 years ago, the skies above Pearl Harbor were darkened by the bombs of Japanese forces in a surprise attack that tested the resilience of our Armed Forces and the will of our Nation.  As explosions sounded and battleships burned, brave service members fought back fiercely with everything they could find.  

Unbeknownst to these selfless individuals, the sacrifices endured on that infamous day would galvanize America and come to symbolize the mettle of a generation.

In the wake of the bombing of our harbor and the crippling of our Pacific Fleet, there were those who declared the United States had been reduced to a third-class power.

But rather than break the spirit of our Nation, the attack brought Americans together and fortified our resolve.”