Pearl Harbor is a name that still resonates deeply in the
hearts of Americans. Looking across the
water here, we can see the
ships, submarines, structures, and infrastructure of what is still a powerful
Navy Base. But if you look closer, the scars
from that day, 85 years ago, are still there.
Holes from strafing fire in the hangers and some buildings. The concrete ramp on the southeast part of
Ford Island has long stretches of bullet-riddled concrete. In a parking lot, a
bomb crater with shrapnel scars lancing out across the asphalt On the west side of Ford Island are the
rusted remains of the Battleship USS Utah, sunk at her moorings.
And here in front of us, the Battleship Arizona, the symbol
of that day, still lies where she was struck by bombs and blown in half by the
resulting blast. The remains of 1,178 of
her brave crew are entombed within, many of them barely older than these
students when their lives ended.
We learned much that day, mainly about readiness and not
taking any potential foe for granted. We
also learned how quickly American sailors, soldiers, and marines responded, despite the sudden shift from peace to war.
Japanese aviators were astonished at how quickly the bursts of
anti-aircraft fire darkened the sky.
Despite this harsh lesson, it would not be the last time we
were surprised. Twice in Korea, Tet in
Vietnam, and of course, that terrible day that was 9/11. Vigilance has been a tough thing for us to
remember.
War is terrible, destructive, and costly. Author John Ball wrote that the only reason a
sane government engages in one is that the alternative is even less
acceptable. America was thrust into
leadership by two nations, Germany and Japan, that lusted after power and
domination. We learned a hard lesson:
that if we try to hide from the world, the world will come looking for us. And the world learned an even more important
lesson. That America, thus armed,
united, and engaged, is unassailable.
People come here to Pearl Harbor by the millions from all
over the world. They reverently touch
the history, remember that day, and pay their respects to the fallen. In that way, the memory and meaning of that
day is passed on to the next generations.
USS Missouri is moored just three hundred yards away,
symbolically standing watch over her gallant sister ship and her brave
crew. But the distance is really
measured better by the thousands of miles between Pearl Harbor and Tokyo Bay,
Japan, a path lined by tens of thousands of dead warriors, and civilians caught
in the crossfire. It is also the
distance in time between a world consumed by the horrific violence of war and
a world that on September 2, 1945 finally laid down their arms and declared,
“We will not kill today.”
Peace has proven to be a fleeting, ephemeral thing, so it is
so very important to embrace and honor those places and times that it was
achieved. This is why USS Missouri is
here. That place on the 01 level,
starboard side forward is what we call the Surrender Deck. But it can also be known as The Peace Deck.
When a rock is thrown into the water, there is a splash,
then ripples spread out rapidly in all directions. Oceanographers say that even when the ripples
are no longer visible, the energy of those waves still travels through the
water. From this ship, anchored in Tokyo
Bay on that day, ripples of peace spread rapidly throughout the world. Untold millions came out of hiding. They felt the sun on their faces. They could now walk freely, without fear. For many, the future became happier, a place
to dream, to plan for a better life.
This was also the rebirth of hope.
“A better world…”
This is what General MacArthur called this "cherished hope." It is the same hope that lies within the
hearts of every human on this planet.
For we know instinctively that a world where freedom, prosperity,
safety, understanding, and opportunity exist for all is a world that will never
need to wage war.
But peace is incredibly challenging, far more difficult than
war. Waging peace requires resisting the impulses of hate, anger, and violence. It demands that we summon the noblest parts
of ourselves, our better angels. It
compels us to seek reasons to talk, to negotiate, to find common ground rather
than fight. The toughest part is recognizing that peace requires the full
participation of both sides of a conflict.
We usually characterize the end of war as a state of
peace. But it is not merely an
ending. Peace is a powerful new
beginning; a bold and hopeful step forward.
This profound idea is vividly reflected in everything that transpired
here on September 2, 1945, and in the decades that followed. Bitter enemies became the closest of friends. Two vastly different cultures charted a
shared journey of honor, dignity, and mutual respect which has stood the test
of time.
81 years ago, the world celebrated the end of humanity’s
costliest and bloodiest war. Today, we
honor it as a day of peace, proof that friendships can thrive despite a bitter
past. Together, Japan and the United
States proved that peace is not only possible but can endure.
Today, we honor the memory of December 7th,
1941. But let us also today honor the
memory of September 2nd, 1945.
On June 10, 1963, President John Kennedy said these words:
"For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link
is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all
cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.”
The hard lessons of human history demand that we remain
strong and ever vigilant. But that same
history has proven that it is possible to wage peace. And win.
May God bless you; may God bless these children. And may God bless the United States of
America.
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