Pearl Harbor Survivors Association facts for kids

The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association (PHSA) was a special group for military members who were at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, during the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. This included anyone on the island of Oahu or within three miles offshore. The group was started in 1958 and was officially recognized by the United States Congress in 1985. Its main goal was to help members remember the attack and keep America safe. The PHSA officially closed at the end of 2011, with about 2,700 members across the country.

The PHSA was set up as a non-profit group in Missouri. It had a special permission from the U.S. government called a Federal Charter. The group's symbol, which included its name, was officially registered. The PHSA had an important motto:

History of the PHSA

PHSA members prepare to lay a special wreath at NAS Whidbey Island, December 7, 2006

PHSA members start building a memorial for the USS Oklahoma, December 7, 2006

PHSA member Steve Sawzin from Lorain, Ohio, in a photo taken 2001.

Stuart Hedley in April 2016

The first meeting that led to the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association happened on December 7, 1954. Eleven survivors met in Gardena, California. They gathered to remember their friends who died during the attack. At this meeting, they promised to meet every year to honor the day.

The group officially started at a dinner in 1958. Thirteen survivors were there. The eleven people from the 1954 meeting were called the "Founding Fathers." After 1958, members began looking for other military survivors of the attack.

A dinner on December 7, 1960, led to the first big national meeting. This meeting, called the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association National Reunion, took place at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California. Over 300 survivors came together on December 7, 1961. Even President John F. Kennedy sent his own representative to this event.

More than 1,000 survivors attended the next national meeting. It was held in Long Beach, California, on December 7–8, 1962. At this meeting, the group's rules, called a constitution, were approved. Mark Ferris, who started the first meeting in 1954, became the first national president. The group also decided on an official prayer to say at their meetings. In October 1964, the PHSA started sending out a newsletter called the Pearl Harbor-Gram. After a large meeting in Hawaii in 1966, national reunions were held every two years.

The organization was officially set up under Missouri law. The PHSA's national symbol was also registered in Washington D.C. An official PHSA flag was created in April 1966. It showed an American bald eagle flying with a bomb in its claws.

On February 24, 1996, 73 PHSA members attended a special event. They saw the new ship, the USS Pearl Harbor (LSD-52), being named and launched. This happened at a shipyard near New Orleans, Louisiana. Many important naval officers greeted the members. The PHSA also started a scholarship program in 1998. This scholarship helped U.S. citizens who were direct descendants of PHSA members.

On December 7, 2011, during the 70th anniversary of the attack, the PHSA announced its closing. The president, William Muehleib, said that because of the members' age and health, the group would officially end on December 31, 2011. The Pearl Harbor-Gram newsletter stopped in February 2012. However, local gatherings for survivors could still continue. At its largest, the association had 18,000 members nationally and over 70,000 worldwide.

Who could join the PHSA?

To become a member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, a person had to meet certain requirements:

• They had to be a member of the U.S. military on December 7, 1941.
• They needed to be in Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu, or within three miles offshore during the Japanese attack.
• They must have left the military honorably.
• They could not be a member of any group that tries to harm the U.S. government.

Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors

In 1965, a plan was suggested to create a group for the children and grandchildren of Pearl Harbor survivors. This idea was approved in 1970. The first chapter of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors (SDPHS) was started in St. Petersburg, Florida, on December 6, 1972. By October 20, 1973, the SDPHS became its own national organization. This non-profit group now has over 3,500 members in all 50 states and other countries. They also allow associate members.

PHSA Memorials

• USS Arizona Memorial - A special plaque was placed here in December 1966. This happened during the PHSA's first national meeting in Hawaii, which marked 25 years since the attack.
• U.S. Naval Academy - At the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, there is a wall memorial. The PHSA set aside this wall to remember those who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Notable Members

Ray Chavez, the oldest surviving Pearl Harbor veteran, at age 104 (December 2016)

• Ray Chavez — He was the oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor association member. He passed away in November 2018 at 106 years old.
• Elvis Presley — The famous singer became an honorary member of the PHSA's Nevada chapter on December 15, 1965. He received a special plaque for helping to start the USS Arizona Memorial in 1961.

Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal

The Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal is a bronze medal that was created by the United States Congress on November 5, 1990. It was made to remember the 50th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack in 1991. The medal was given out from February 1, 1991, to December 6, 1993. This round medal was not meant to be worn on military uniforms.

To get the medal, a person had to be a member of the U.S. military. They also had to be in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, and have fought against the Japanese forces attacking Hawaii that day. If a person was killed or hurt in the attack, they were also considered to have fought. The medals were given out around the 50th anniversary of the attack.

Later, on September 23, 1996, Congress allowed civilians to receive the medal too. This was for civilians who were in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, and helped fight during the attack, even if they weren't killed or injured. For both military and civilians, there was a limited time to apply for the medal, so it is no longer given out. Family members of those who qualified but had passed away could also apply for the medal.

The front side of the medal shows a battleship and says: REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR - DECEMBER 7, 1941 - ACT OF CONGRESS 1990 The back side shows an eagle and says: FOR THOSE WHO SERVED - "A DATE WHICH WILL LIVE IN INFAMY"