Only 12 Pearl Harbor survivors are still alive today, all centenarians, and none is able to attend this year’s remembrance ceremony scheduled for December 7, 2025. For the first time in decades, no one present at the ceremony will have firsthand memories of the 1941 attack that killed more than 2,300 troops and brought the United States into World War II.
The Last Survivors
The 12 remaining survivors are all over 100 years old. Their advanced age and health conditions make the pilgrimage to Hawaii impossible this year.
The development marks a significant shift in how Pearl Harbor is remembered. Survivors have long been the center of the annual ceremony held on the military base’s waterfront, sharing their experiences and keeping the memory of December 7, 1941 alive through firsthand testimony.
Recent Losses
The oldest known Pearl Harbor survivor, Vaughn Drake Jr., died at age 106 in April 2025 in Lexington, Kentucky. Drake was 23 years old and serving as an Army Corps of Engineers member at Pearl Harbor when Japanese aircraft attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Drake recalled in a 2016 interview that he was in the barracks getting ready for breakfast when the attack began. “We heard all these planes flying over and making a lot of noise,” he said. He initially thought U.S. military aircraft were conducting practice maneuvers until he saw a bomb hit a building.
The 84th Anniversary
The December 7, 2025 ceremony carries the theme “Building Pathways to Peace”. This year marks 80 years since the end of World War II—a conflict that began for the United States at Pearl Harbor.
According to Pacific Historic Parks, the milestone anniversary emphasizes reflection on the sacrifices made during the war while urging renewed commitment to the values needed to sustain lasting peace.
How Memory Will Continue
Without survivors present, families of Pearl Harbor veterans, historians, and military personnel will carry forward the remembrance. Descendants and the public are increasingly turning to other ways of learning about the attack, including museums, oral history archives, and educational programs.
The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, formed by those who lived through the attack, helped preserve their stories through memoirs, speaking engagements, and memorial appearances for decades. These recorded testimonies will become even more important as the last generation passes.
The Attack
On December 7, 1941, a large squadron of Japanese military aircraft attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack killed 2,403 people—2,008 navy personnel, 109 marines, 218 army, and 68 civilians. The majority of those killed came from the USS Arizona, which lost 1,177 crew members.
The attack prompted President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous “Day of Infamy” speech and led the United States to officially enter World War II, which had been ongoing in Europe since September 1, 1939.
