PEARL HARBOR - Service members, families and friends joined Mayors and city council members of Honolulu and Nagaoka, Japan, during the Honolulu-Nagaoka 70 Years of Peace anniversary ceremonies at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) on Aug. 14 and 15.
The ceremonies served to commemorate 70 years since the end of the war in the Pacific War and the enduring commitment to peace and trust between the U.S. and Japan, as well as Pearl Harbor and Nagaoka.
The two-day event began Friday with a wreath laying and white chrysanthemum presentation during which those in attendance paid respect to those lost during the duration of the war in the Pacific.
“The Pacific Ocean, once the source of fierce fighting, has become the lifeblood of our nations and the source of our shared peace, stability, and prosperity,” said Adm. Scott H. Swift, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet. “The chief of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, Adm. Tomohisa Takei, recently summed up the impact of the resolution of the war through the intervening 70 years of stability and prosperity as transitioning an ocean of war to an ocean of peace to an ocean of prosperity.”
Focused on the pursuit of peace, Pearl Harbor and Nagaoka united as sister cities in March of 2012.
“Our commitment to this truly significant and historic commemorative event is rooted in our hopes of ensuring a bright and peaceful future for the coming generations, our appreciation for 70 years of peace, and our message to the world about the importance of peace,” said Tamio Mori, Nagaoka mayor.
Rear Adm. John Fuller, commander, Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, said the ceremony served an important role in ensuring current and future generations remember the history of the war in the Pacific, so as to preserve the trust and friendship that has transpired from it.
“To me, it is important we remember our history and the foundation of our strong friendship here,” said Fuller. “I was honored to have my children here and have them watch the two mayors of the two cities work together. Most importantly, I believe this demonstrates that we are much stronger together than we ever were apart. And it’s so wonderful to have such honorable friends at our side.”
On Saturday Aug. 15, the city of Nagaoka hosted a fireworks display on Ford Island, JBPHH. The fireworks display served to express condolences to those lost during the war in the Pacific as well as the continued pursuit of peace between the U.S. and Japan, and Pearl Harbor and Nagaoka.
According to Kirk Caldwell, Honolulu mayor, the event went to show how strong the U.S.-Japan friendship is, as citizens from both countries gathered side-by-side to commemorate the past.
“I think the culmination of this event is that the relationship between the Japanese people and the American people are strong in friendship,” said Caldwell. “I saw that tonight in the crowd—people from both countries celebrating and enjoying the music. I think there was a lot of understanding without saying many words.
The attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 marked the beginning of the war in the Pacific, which lasted from 1941-1945, when the Japanese announced their intent to surrender Aug. 15, 1945.
| Date Taken: |
08.15.2015 |
| Date Posted: |
08.17.2015 04:41 |
| Story ID: |
173355 |
| Location: |
PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: |
70 |
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0 |
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This work, Fireworks over Pearl Harbor commemorate 70 years of peace, by PO2 Johans Chavarro, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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