Pearl Harbor was a tragedy that shook our nation to its core. Eighty-one years ago, the events at Hawaii’s naval station caused the deaths of 2,403 servicemen and women, along with individual citizens. For many it was a reminder of the tyranny that was occurring around the world. For our ‘Greatest Generation,’ it was also a call to action.

These brave men and women heard the call from the fire and destruction at Pearl Harbor and ran toward the pain and violence that World War II brought. These warriors kept in their hearts all the lives that were forever changed by the attacks on our home soil. The soldiers who volunteered to sacrifice their lives in exchange for peace embody the American spirit and the dream of worldwide democracy. They thought not only of their friends and family stateside, but of those in the countries that saw bomb-filled skies, empty ammunition shells and friends on the streets every day since World War II began.

Today, we remember more than just one of the largest disasters to ever strike the United States. We remember all the troops who sacrificed to make sure that events like this may never happen again. We remain the home of the free, because of the brave.