As Pearl Harbor’s Last Survivors Fade, Remembrance Shifts to Archives and Descendants

HONOLULU — Each year the Pearl Harbor waterfront ceremony has centered on veterans who survived the Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941. This year, however, only 12 survivors remain alive — all centenarians — and none were able to travel to Hawaii to attend the observance.

No Firsthand Witnesses in Attendance

The absence of survivors with direct memories of the attack — which killed more than 2,300 service members and propelled the United States into World War II — marks a turning point in public remembrance. About 87,000 troops were stationed on Oahu on that day; the quieting of firsthand voices has prompted families, historians and institutions to preserve those accounts for posterity.

“The idea of not having a survivor there for the first time — I just, I don’t know — it hurt my heart in a way I can’t describe,” said Kimberlee Heinrichs, whose 105‑year‑old father, Ira 'Ike' Schab, had planned to fly in from Oregon but canceled after falling ill.

Survivors attended nearly every annual ceremony in living memory except 2020, when public access was restricted because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year the event opened with a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m. local time — the moment the first bombs fell — followed by traditional military rituals, including a missing‑man formation flyover and wreath presentations at the USS Arizona Memorial.

From Thousands to Dozens

Attendance by survivors has declined sharply over decades. Some 2,000 survivors were present for the 50th‑anniversary observance in 1991; a few dozen returned in later years. Last year only two survivors attended. Many who did return combined camaraderie with painful recollections of the attack: treating the wounded, watching the USS Arizona explode, and hearing sailors trapped aboard the capsized USS Oklahoma tapping for help.

Harry Chandler, who in 2023 recalled raising a flag at a mobile hospital above the base and rushing to aid the wounded, died the following year. Lou Conter, who had been the last living USS Arizona survivor, died last year at 102. Their stories emphasize both personal loss and broader lessons about preparedness and intelligence.

Preserving Memory Through Records and Outreach

Anticipating the inevitable loss of living memory, the National Park Service, the Library of Congress and volunteer groups have worked to preserve survivor testimonies. The Park Service now holds nearly 800 survivor interviews, most on video, and plans to expand exhibits after museum renovations. The Library of Congress maintains collections from 535 survivors — interviews, letters, photographs and diaries — with more than 80% available online through its Veterans History Project.

Retired Park Service historian Daniel Martinez likened the moment to the early 20th century, when the nation confronted the fading firsthand memories of Civil War veterans. Martinez organized extensive oral history efforts, conducting long days of interviews to ensure those voices were recorded.

Family groups and descendant organizations also play a growing role. The Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors give school presentations, march in parades and add younger generations to membership rolls — including great‑grandchildren who are now stepping forward to carry the stories.

“When they’re all gone, we’re still going to be here,” said Deidre Kelley, the organization’s president. “And it’s our intent to keep the memory alive as long as we’re alive.”

As living witnesses disappear, archives, oral histories and active outreach will increasingly shape how future generations understand Pearl Harbor and its place in American memory.