Why are flags lowered?
The display remembers the military personnel and civilians who died in the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
The observance honors the service members and civilians killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The day in one line
Half-staff from sunrise to sunset on December 7
The annual display is requested by 36 U.S.C. 129.
Does the President issue an annual proclamation?
Yes. Federal law designates December 7 as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and requests an annual presidential proclamation calling for the half-staff display.
When are flags lowered?
From sunrise to sunset on December 7.
What happened on December 7, 1941
Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor killed 2,403 U.S. service members and civilians and injured 1,178. Two U.S. battleships were permanently sunk and 188 aircraft were destroyed. The attack brought the United States into World War II.
How the national observance began
Congress designated December 7 as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in 1994. The law requests an annual presidential proclamation calling for ceremonies and for the flag to be flown at half-staff in honor of those who died as a result of their service at Pearl Harbor.
How the day is commemorated
Survivors, veterans, families, and visitors gather each year at Pearl Harbor National Memorial. Ceremonies preserve the stories of those killed, those who survived, and the generation whose lives were changed by the war that followed.