Musings: Lower our flag every Dec. 7
FILE -An American flag flies at half-staff outside the Supreme Court Nov. 5, 2025, in Washington. Credit: AP/Mark Schiefelbein
Dec. 7 is a solemn day of remembrance for our country, yet this year on Long Island, it seems to have passed with too little visible recognition. As I drove past schools, firehouses, and government buildings, I was struck by how many American flags were flying at full staff rather than at half-staff in honor of Pearl Harbor Day. This quiet oversight sends an unfortunate message about how easily our national memory can fade.
On Dec. 7, 1941, a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor killed 2,403 Americans and wounded more than another 1,000 people, drawing the United States into World War II the following day. This date is now observed as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, a time set aside to honor those who were killed, those who were wounded, and all who served and sacrificed in the aftermath of that attack. Lowering the flag to half-staff on this day, as designated by a 1994 congressional resolution, is a simple but powerful gesture of respect and gratitude.
This is a reminder to all public institutions, businesses, and private citizens: on Dec. 7 each year, please lower the flag to half-staff in remembrance of the lives lost and the generation that answered the call that followed.
It takes only a moment to adjust a flag, yet it signals that we have not forgotten the cost of our freedom. By faithfully observing this tradition, we teach our children, honor our veterans, and remember those who never came home.
James Hughes, Oyster Bay
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO JOIN OUR DAILY CONVERSATION. Just go to newsday.com/submitaletter and follow the prompts. Or email your opinion to letters@newsday.com. Submissions should be no more than 200 words. Please provide your full name, hometown, phone number and any relevant expertise or affiliation. Include the headline and date of the article you are responding to. Letters become the property of Newsday and are edited for all media. Due to volume, readers are limited to one letter in print every 45 days. Published letters reflect the ratio received on each topic.
