Memorial service held at Patriots Point in honor of 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – A free memorial service will take place Tuesday aboard the USS Yorktown in honor of the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Patriots Point is partnering with a local VFW Post for the event that is open to the public beginning at 11:00 a.m.

There were 25 known South Carolinians who lost their lives during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The service will include a wreath laying, tolling of a bell and a traditional gun salute to honor the lives lost.

The event will be livestreamed on Patriots Point Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The attacks on Pearl Harbor happened 80 years ago on December 7, 1941 with more than 2,000 people killed in the attack and almost all of them US service members.

“It’s an important day for everyone to remember the day our country was attacked on home soil and just everything that came after that,” said Laura Jowdy, Congressional Medal of Honor Society. “How important that day was, because it was a surprise to the men on the ground and they stood up and they ran in and they did what they were trained to do which is protect their ship, protect the assets of the United States.”

Patriots Point will also be hosting a blood drive to honor the legacy of those who died in the attacks.