12/10/2025
Friends, fellow Legionnaires, honored guests,
Today, we gather as Americans, as veterans, as guardians of liberty, to remember a day that lives in infamy: December 7, 1941. A Sunday morning, shattered by surprise, that brought unimaginable loss and irrevocably changed the course of history.
We remember the 2,403 American lives lost, the wounded, the families torn apart, and the ships of the Pacific Fleet silenced. We remember the sailors, soldiers, airmen, and Marines who, in the face of devastation, showed the world what it means to be an American. They were ordinary people who became extraordinary, an awakening of a 'sleeping giant' that would rise to defend freedom against tyranny.
The rallying cry, 'Remember Pearl Harbor,' wasn't just about vengeance; it was a promise to never forget, to learn from that terrible day, and to ensure our nation remained strong enough to protect its people.
