#FountainHillsFriday: Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

For many Americans, December 7 is a solemn day. It was on that day in 1941 that Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was attacked, and over 2,000 American service men lost their lives, and ultimately marked the beginning of WWII for the United States. 2016 marked the 75th anniversary of this historic day in history, and right here in Fountain Hills people were paying their respects to those who were lost and remembering what happened at Pearl Harbor.

The Veterans of Foreign War Post 7507 hosted a ceremony at the Veteran’s Memorial in the Fountain Park to honor Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. The event was kicked off by the VFW color guard, with the Posting of the Colors. Followed by that, a fly-over was scheduled right at 10:56 to mark the exact time that Pearl Harbor was attacked (in Hawaii). Carl Krawczyk, the VFW’s Commander, was the keynote speaker and delivered a beautiful tribute to those who were lost. AmVets Post 7 Commander Dave Pappas and American Legion Post 58 Commanander John Schwab also addressed the crowd of 100 people who came to remember Pearl Harbor.

All service men and women were encouraged to wear their organizational clothing, and spectators wore patriotic clothes. American flags were also given to each attendee. A touching rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” was sang by Debbie Fisher, and Barbara Swanberg sang “America the Beautiful”, according the Fountain Hills Times.

The Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the VFW Post 7507, as well as the AmVets Post 7 and American Legion Post 58 for continuing to honor our fallen service men and women, 75 years later and in the future.