5 Pearl Harbor Day Facts That You May Not Have Known About

The day was Dec.7 and the year was 1941. Without notice, at 7:55 a.m. the Japanese attacked the U.S. The attack lasted 110 minutes on that infamous day.

Some historians believe the purpose of the attack on U.S. troops in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was to dishearten American people, in order to attempt to keep the United States out of World War II.

Here are 5 facts about Pearl Harbor Day that you may not have known about.

1. 2,335 U.S. Servicemen Were Killed - Many people were killed in the span of 110 minutes. However, there were those who survived. 1,143 men were wounded. 68 civilians were killed and 35 were wounded.
2. The Japanese Got Over - Considering all of the U.S. kills the Japanese received, only 65 Japanese were killed, with one being captured.
3. There Were Two Waves - The first wave of the Japanese attack happened at 7:55 am on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941 and the second wave came at 8:40 a.m.
4. "Meatballs" - As the Japanese planes were attacking, U.S. Servicemen described the red circles, also known as the rising sun, as meatballs because that is what they looked like from a distance.
5. Pearl Harbor Veterans Can Be Buried There - A little-known fact about the veterans who were serving and were attacked at Pearl Harbor can make the site their final resting place. Divers will take the ashes and bury them under the gun turrets of the U.S.S. Arizona, the ship that experienced the most devastating damage.

If you happen to meet a Pearl Harbor survivor, then you are a rarity. There are less than 355 still alive today. Remember to thank a vet today, in memory of those who served and lost their lives at Pearl Harbor.