The Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge in New Haven illuminated in red, white, and blue lights. (Photo courtesy of the Connecticut Department of Transportation)
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(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is directing U.S. and State of Connecticut flags lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Thursday, December 7, 2023, in recognition of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. The observance honors the more than 2,400 lives lost in the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Accordingly, since no flag should fly higher than the U.S. flag, all other flags – including state, municipal, corporate, or otherwise – should also be lowered during this same duration of time.
In addition, Governor Lamont announced that the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge in New Haven – informally known by many residents as the Q Bridge – will be illuminated in red, white, and blue lights on the evenings of Wednesday, December 6, and Thursday, December 7, to honor the anniversary. Beacons will project light upward from the bridge towers from sunset through the early morning hours. The bridge, which carries I-95 over the Quinnipiac River and is maintained by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, is named in honor of those who served during the attack.
“The attack on Pearl Harbor is one of the darkest days in our nation’s history, and we will never forget the thousands of servicemembers and civilians who lost their lives on that day in 1941,” Governor Lamont said. “There’s a debt that we all owe to our World War II veterans for selflessly defending the United States and saving hundreds of millions from oppression. I urge all Connecticut residents to reflect on the sacrifices made by the Greatest Generation during World War II – especially those who were killed in the line of duty – and everything they have provided to our country and the world.”
“Today, we honor the brave women and men who, in the face of adversity, sacrificed everything for our freedom during World War II,” Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz said. “May we solemnly reflect on the profound sacrifice of more than 2,400 lives during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Let their legacy serve as a timeless reminder of resilience and the enduring strength of our nation.”
There are 18 servicemembers from Connecticut who were killed in the attack. Their names are listed on a stone memorial located at the base of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge near the intersection of East Street and Forbes Avenue. They include:
- Eric Allen of Darien (Navy, lieutenant junior grade, USS Enterprise)
- Henry Ludwig Carlson of Norwich (Navy, storekeeper 3c, USS Arizona)
- Edward W. Gosselin of Hamden (Naval Reserve, ensign, USS Arizona)
- Vincent M. Horan of Stamford (Army Air Force, corporal, Wheeler Field)
- Henry John Lanquette of Wallingford (Navy, coxswain, USS Arizona)
- John Kallervo Luntta of Collinsville (Navy, seaman 1c, USS Nevada)
- W.T. O’Neill Jr. of Glenbrook (Naval Reserve, ensign, USS Arizona)
- Stanislaus Joseph Orzech of Meriden (Navy, seaman 2c, USS Arizona)
- Richard Patterson Jr. of Berlin (Navy, shipfitter 3c, USS Arizona)
- Stephen Pepe of Bridgeport (U.S. Navy Water Tender 1st Class, USS Oklahoma)
- George Povesko of Bridgeport (Navy, seaman 1c, USS Arizona)
- Mike George Quarto of Norwich (Navy, seaman 1c, USS Arizona)
- Thomas James Reeves of Thomaston (Navy, chief radioman, USS California)
- William Eugene Seeley of New London (Navy, seaman 1c, USS Arizona)
- George Smith of New Haven (Army Air Force, private, Hickam Field)
- Gordon H. Sterling Jr. of Hartford (Army Air Force, 2nd lieutenant, Wheeler Field)
- Felix S. Wegrzyn of Bridgeport (Army Air Force, private, Hickam Field)
- Ulmont Irving Whitehead Jr. of Hartford (Navy, ensign, USS Arizona)