LIVERMORE FALLS — In Livermore Falls, George Bunten Post 10 American Legion is asking people to join them on December 7 at 12:53 in Union Park. “From 7:53 am to 9:55 am on December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor was attacked by Imperial Japanese Navy! The loss was staggering: four battleships sunk; one ex-battleship sunk; and one harbor tug was sunk. There was damage to three cruisers, three destroyers, three other ships, along with 188 aircraft destroyed and 159 aircraft damaged. The casualties left the Pearl Harbor base reeling with 2,335 killed and 1,143 wounded,” said Donald Simoneau.

The Japanese attack force—which included six aircraft carriers and 420 planes—sailed from Hitokappu Bay in the Kurile Islands, on a 3,500 mile voyage to a staging area 230 miles off the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The Japanese sailed without radar or reconnaissance planes overhead, in an effort to avoid detection.

Though caught off guard, U.S. service members fought back hard, and managed to fire more than 284,000 rounds of ammunition at the Japanese attackers. The Japanese losses included 29 aircraft, in addition to five midget submarines, and 129 attackers were killed and one taken prisoner. The Japanese opted not to launch a third wave of aircraft against Pearl Harbor, and instead turned around and headed back across the ocean, in part because their fuel was running low. To add insult to injury the attack on Pearl Harbor was followed the next day by Japanese air attacks on U.S. bases in the Philippines, Guam and Wake Island.

“We will gather for Wreath laying and to remember those lost on that day 78 years ago. We must never forget that day! As always it will be cold but I ask that everyone take time out of their busy lives and join us in Union Park. This will be a short service in the park, at the WWII Monument that lists the 726 men and women who served in Livermore Falls and Livermore in WWII. We must remember and honor those lost on that day and to remember those who took up arms following the attack to preserve our Nation,” he said.