Ceremony At Intrepid Museum Marks 71st Anniversary Of Pearl Harbor Attack
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Pearl Harbor survivors gathered at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Friday to mark the 71st anniversary of the Japanese attack that killed thousands of people and launched the United States into World War II.
Survivors from the New York metropolitan area and former USS Intrepid crew members placed a wreath in the Hudson River in remembrance of the 2,390 service members and 49 civilians killed in the attack.
WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reports
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The ceremony was followed by a 21-gun salute.
In Hawaii, about 50 survivors of the attack gathered for a ceremony at the Pacific National Monument in Pearl Harbor.
The USS Michael Murphy, named after a fallen Navy SEAL from Long Island, sounded its ship's whistle Friday to start a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m., marking the exact time the bombing began in 1941.
Crew members lined the edge of the Navy guided-missile destroyer as it passed the USS Arizona, a battleship that still lies in the harbor where it sank.
Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 fighter jets flew overhead in a special "missing man" formation to break the silence.
President Barack Obama marked the day on Thursday by issuing a presidential proclamation, calling for flags to fly at half-staff on Friday and asking all Americans to observe the day of remembrance and honor military service members and veterans.
"Today, we pay solemn tribute to America's sons and daughters who made the ultimate sacrifice at Oahu,'' Obama said in a statement. "As we do, let us also reaffirm that their legacy will always burn bright -- whether in the memory of those who knew them, the spirit of service that guides our men and women in uniform today, or the heart of the country they kept strong and free."
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