MADISON – Governor Scott Walker ordered flags to half-staff on Friday, December 7, 2018, in honor of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and United States Navy Seaman 1st Class William Bruesewitz.
On December 7, 1941, “a date which will live in infamy," the Empire of Japan attacked American forces at Pearl Harbor in a surprise and unprovoked aerial assault, killing 2,335 American military personnel and 68 civilians. The following day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed Congress and requested it formally declare war against the Japanese Empire, effectively leading the United States into World War II.
One of the military casualties at Pearl Harbor was United States Navy Seaman 1st Class William Bruesewitz of Appleton, Wisconsin, who was assigned to the USS Oklahoma. During the attack, the USS Oklahoma capsized and sank after it was struck multiple times by Japanese torpedo bombers, leading to the deaths of 429 of its crewmen, including Bruesewitz.
Bruesewitz will be buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, December 7, 2018.
“Seaman 1st Class William Bruesewitz embodied the values our nation holds dear, and the people of Wisconsin are forever indebted for his service and sacrifice in defense of our country,” Governor Walker said. “I encourage citizens to take time on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day to reflect on the countless heroic Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice 77 years ago.”
Governor Walker’s executive orders can be viewed below.
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Last Update: Dec 08, 2018 12:01 am CST
