Friends and neighbors,

Seventy-seven years ago this morning, more than 350 Japanese planes thundered toward Hawaii to launch a devastating, unprovoked surprise attack that killed more than 2,400 Americans.

As the legend goes, Yamamoto said after the attack that he feared all Japan had done is “awaken a sleeping giant.” While historians doubt Yamamoto ever uttered those words, the spirit is certainly accurate. It rocked us, but it ended up lighting a fire within us that we didn’t know we had.

You might not know that Minnesota has a special connection to the events of that tragic day.

Early in the morning of December 7, 1941, the U.S.S. Ward was patrolling near the entrance of Pearl Harbor. During its patrol, the Ward came across a Japanese Midget Submarine. The Ward fired upon the sub and sank it.

These were the first shots fired by Americans in World War II, hours before the attack on Pearl.

The gun that fired the shots? It was manned by St. Paul reservists.

If you are interested in history, you can see the gun that fired these shots in person. It sits near the Veterans Service Building near the capitol. Next time you are in St. Paul, I hope you will take a moment to visit it.

On Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day we pay tribute to the 2,335 military members and the 68 civilians who were killed 77 years ago, and we proudly celebrate the heroes who, in the wake of unspeakable tragedy, raised their hands and said “I will go.” Their resolve defeated tyrannical enemies in Europe and the Pacific. Their resolve saved the world.

I thank God every day that we live in a country that continues to produce such brave men and women.

Bruce

Photo caption: PHOTO CAPTION: SS Ward (DD-139), 1942. Office of War Information Photograph, 9-11 May 1942. With the four-inch gun with which they are shown here, they sank a Japanese midget submarine in the first hours of fighting and played a major part in the heroic defenses of the islands by U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine forces who drove the Japanese away before their objective had been achieved. Note, Ward was later sunk by a Japanese kamikaze off Ormoc Bay, Leyte, on December 7, 1944, three years following her action off Pearl Harbor. Photo credit: National Museum of the U.S. Navy