No Survivors Able to Attend as Pearl Harbor Marks Its 84th Anniversary

Only 12 Pearl Harbor survivors are still alive, and for the first time, none are able to attend the 84th anniversary ceremony in Hawaii.

sarah

Dec 7, 2025 - 19:07

No Survivors Able to Attend as Pearl Harbor Marks Its 84th Anniversary

Survivors of the 1941 Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor have long been the focus of an annual remembrance ceremony held on the military base's waterfront.

But only 12 survivors are alive today—all over 100 years old—and this year none are able to make the pilgrimage to Hawaii to commemorate Sunday's event.

This means that no one attending will have direct memories of serving during the attack, which killed more than 2,300 soldiers and plunged the US into World War II. This is not surprising and is the result of an ongoing trend. As survivors dwindle, their descendants and the general public are increasingly turning to other ways to learn about the bombing.

Kimberly Henriques, whose 105-year-old father, Ira “Ike” Shaub, had to cancel plans to visit from Oregon after falling ill, said, “The thought of not having any survivors there for the first time—I just, I don’t know—it broke my heart so much I can’t even describe it.” Survivors have been present every year in recent times, except for 2020, when the Navy and National Park Service closed the event to the public due to the health risks of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I can still see what was happening.”

The ceremony begins with a minute of silence at 7:55 a.m., the exact time the attack began on December 7, 1941. Special rituals follow.

Fighter jets fly overhead in a “missing man formation,” with one jet flying overhead to symbolize the lost lives. Survivors lay flowers to honor the dead, although in recent years active-duty service members have taken over this task. Survivors rise to salute active-duty sailors, who themselves salute as their ship passes the USS Arizona Memorial, which stands atop the sunken hull of the battleship that was attacked.

Around 2,000 survivors attended the 50th-anniversary event in 1991. In recent decades, a few dozen have attended. Last year, only two showed up. This is out of approximately 87,000 service members stationed on Oahu that day.

Despite the occasion, many survivors were happy, reuniting with old friends and posing for photographs. Still, the horrific memories were rarely far from their minds.

In 2023, Harry Chandler told an Associated Press reporter across the water how he was raising the flag at a mobile hospital in the hills above the base when he saw Japanese planes flying and dropping bombs. Chandler and his fellow Navy hospital corpsmen jumped into trucks to help the wounded.

He described seeing the Arizona explode and hearing sailors trapped on the capsized USS Oklahoma thrashing on their ship's hull in desperate attempts to rescue them. As the crew patched holes in the battleship, he helped care for the Oklahoma sailors.

Chandler said, "I can still see what was happening." He died the following year at a senior living center in Tequesta, Florida.

Lessons from the Past

Historian Emily S. Rosenberg wrote in her book "A Date Which Will Live: Pearl Harbor in American Memory" that the bombing has long held different meanings for different people.

Some say it demonstrates the need for a well-prepared military and a cautious foreign policy. For others, it recalls the "incompetence or deception" of then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration and the unfair scapegoating of the military. Others, he wrote, focus on Japan's "deception" or the heroic actions of individual soldiers.

When asked what he wanted to tell Americans about Pearl Harbor, Chandler said: "Be prepared."

He said, "We should have known this was going to happen. Intelligence should have been better."

Lou Conter, who died last year at age 102, was the last surviving survivor of the Arizona, told the AP in 2019 that he loved going to remember those who lost their lives. "It always feels good to come back and honor them and give them the top honors they deserve," Conter said.

Henriques' father has visited the site six times since 2016. The former tuba player from the USS Dobbin loves to visit not only to remember those who died, but also to remember his fellow bandmates who passed away; his three brothers who fought in World War II; and the now-deceased Pearl Harbor survivors he met.

Before the Survivors Leave

Retired National Park Service Pearl Harbor Historian Daniel Martinez said the situation is similar to the early 20th century, when Civil War veterans were dying in increasing numbers. He said it's understandable that they won't be able to share their stories of Gettysburg and other battles soon.

Martinez knew something similar could happen to Pearl Harbor survivors and recorded their stories. During a 1998 convention, he conducted interviews for 12 hours a day for three days. The Park Service today has nearly 800 interviews, most of which are on video.

"They remain part of the national memory of that day that changed America and the world," Martinez said.

David Kilton, the agency's Pearl Harbor Interpretation, Education, and Visitor Services lead, said the Park Service displays some in its Pearl Harbor Museum and aims to add more after renovations.

The Library of Congress has collections of 535 Pearl Harbor survivors, including interviews, letters, photos, and diaries. More than 80% are online. They are part of the library's Veterans History Project, which collects the memories of veterans who served since World War I. Many were recorded by relatives, Eagle Scouts, and other amateurs interested in documenting history.

The sons and daughters of Pearl Harbor survivors give presentations at schools and march in parades to share their families' stories. The California chapter added six new members this year, including two great-grandchildren of survivors.

"When they're all gone, we'll still be here," said Deidre Kelly, the group's president. "And our intention is to keep their memories alive as long as we live."