HOULTON, Maine — With a steady rain pouring down Wednesday morning, members of the Chester L. Briggs American Legion Post No. 47 gathered in Riverfront Park to honor those veterans who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor.
It marked the first time Legion officials commemorated the event in the Houlton area.
“Pearl Harbor was a huge loss to our country,” said Chris Johanson, commander of Legion Post No. 47. “It was just a huge event and a tidal change in our thinking.”
HOULTON, Maine — December 7, 2022 — Jerry Riley (second from left) plays Taps after members of the American Legion Post No. 47 Honor Guard fired a gun salute on the Gateway Crossing Bridge in Houlton Thursday morning. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
Johanson used the comparison that, at the time it happened, the attack on Pearl Harbor had the same impact nationwide as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“It is important for us to not only remember, but to keep remembering these events, so they don’t happen again,” he said. “We have to remain vigilant to keep their memories alive.”
On Aug. 23, 1994, the United States Congress designated Dec. 7 as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Flags are flown at half staff across the nation to commemorate the event.
A total of 2,403 service members and civilians were killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec.7, 1941. Another 1,178 people were injured in the attack, which permanently sank two U.S. Navy battleships — the USS Arizona and the USS Utah — and destroyed 188 aircraft, according to the National Park Services website commemorating the event.
Legion Chaplain Jack Mitchell offered a brief prayer prior to the tossing of a wreath off the Gateway Crossing Bridge into the Meduxnekeag River. The Legion’s Honor Guard fired a gun salute, followed by the playing of taps by Legion member Jerry Riley.
HOULTON, Maine — December 7, 2022 — A wreath, attached to a string, floats in the water of the Meduxnekeag River in Houlton Thursday serving as a solemn reminder for Pearl Harbor Day. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
