Why are American flags flying at half-staff in Wisconsin on Dec. 7?

American flags across Wisconsin and the U.S. will fly at half-staff Thursday, Dec. 7, to honor National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and the lives lost in the attack 82 years ago in Hawaii.

In 1994, Congress designated Dec. 7 as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Each year, flags fly at half-staff and remembrance events are held at Hawaii's Pearl Harbor National Memorial and across the country.

What happened at Pearl Harbor in 1941?

On Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The Japanese wanted to destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet so the Americans would not be able to fight back when Japanese forces moved across the South Pacific. The Japanese also disliked the economic sanctions and trade embargoes the Americans had imposed on them in response to Japanese aggression against U.S. ally China.

The Pearl Harbor attack came as a surprise to American military leaders.

Just after 8 a.m., Japanese planes filled the skies over Pearl Harbor and rained bombs and bullets into the American ships below.

The surprise attack significantly damaged every battleship in Pearl Harbor ― the USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California, USS West Virginia, USS Utah, USS Maryland, USS Pennsylvania, USS Tennessee and USS Nevada.

The attack lasted about two hours. More than 300 American planes and nearly 20 ships were damaged or destroyed. More than 2,000 people, both service members and civilians, died.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously called the Pearl Harbor attack "a date which will live in infamy." The day following the attack, per Roosevelt's request, the U.S. Congress declared war on Japan, entering the U.S. into World War II.

How many people died in the Pearl Harbor attack?

The attack on Pearl Harbor took the lives of 2,403 Americans, including 68 civilians.

Members of the Navy made up the majority of service member deaths; 2,008 died in the attack. Additionally, 218 Army service members and 109 Marines lost their lives.

Another 1,178 Americans were injured in the attack.

Why do flags fly at half-staff on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day?

Public Law 103-308 states that, to mark National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, the President of the United States is "authorized and requested" to:

• Issue annually a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities; and
• Urge all federal agencies, and interested organizations, groups, and individuals, to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff" each Dec. 7 in honor of the those who died as a result of their service at Pearl Harbor.

Public Law 103-308 was approved by Congress on Aug. 23, 1994, and designated Dec. 7 of each year as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

When and where do flags fly at half-staff on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day?

Across the country, flags will fly at half-staff in honor of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day from sunrise to sunset on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023.

Flags will fly at half-staff at the White House and "upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the federal government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its territories and possessions."

Flags should also be flown at half-staff at all U.S. embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

USA TODAY reporter Clare Mulroy and USA TODAY Network-Florida reporter Cheryl McCloud contributed to this report.