Pearl Harbor sacrifice honored in Hawaii

HONOLULU, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- The United States marked the 40th anniversary of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor Wednesday with a ceremony at the battle site in Hawaii.

The ceremony included the blowing of conch shells, a Hawaiian blessing, a missing-man formation flown by F-22 raptor war planes, a Marine rifle salute and the playing of echo taps, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. A moment of silence scheduled for 7:55 a.m., the time the Japanese began the attack that pushed the United States into World War II, was held later because the program ran long.

"Today, our service men and women stationed in Hawaii continue the legacy of honor, courage and commitment of those who served before and witnessed that terrible morning of Dec. 7, 1941," Leslie Wilcox, the master of ceremonies, told the crowd.

Seven of the 17 remaining survivors of the USS Arizona -- one of the ships sunk in the attack -- were on hand at the ceremony, which marks one of the last official acts by the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, the Star-Advertiser said.

"They remind us that no challenge is too great when Americans stand as one," he said. "All of us owe these men and women a profound debt of gratitude for the freedoms and standard of living we enjoy today."