Patriots Point to remember Pearl Harbor victims today

MT. PLEASANT, SC (WCSC) - Patriots Point will host a Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony today in a hangar bay on the USS Yorktown.

The naval and maritime museum is partnering with Mount Pleasant VFW Post 10624 for the ceremony to commemorate the 71st anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

The program will feature keynote remarks by CAPT Thomas Bailey, Deputy Commander, Joint Base Charleston and special guest remarks by CAPT (Ret) Taylor Skardon, former Commanding Officer, Naval Station Pearl Harbor. The program will also include a wreath-laying ceremony to honor those who were killed in action.

Representatives from the South Carolina Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, including two Pearl Harbor survivors, are expected to attend.

The public is invited to attend this ceremony free of charge, parking is $5.

The ceremony will be held in Hangar Bay III from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

President Barack Obama marked the day on Thursday by issuing a presidential proclamation, calling for flags to fly at half-staff on Friday and asking all Americans to observe the day of remembrance and honor military service members and veterans.

"Today, we pay solemn tribute to America's sons and daughters who made the ultimate sacrifice at Oahu," Obama said in a statement. "As we do, let us also reaffirm that their legacy will always burn bright - whether in the memory of those who knew them, the spirit of service that guides our men and women in uniform today, or the heart of the country they kept strong and free."

Copyright 2012 WCSC.  All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.