Most Americans are well-versed in what happened on December 7, 1941 thanks to American History class, the History Chanel, books such as "At Dawn We Slept", and movies like "Tora, Tora, Tora" and "Pearl Harbor."  There are many great stories of bravery and sorrow from that day, some like Dorrie Miller are well known.  Others, like the USS Ward, the US Navy destroyer that attacked and sunk a Japanese midget sub prior to the attack, are not.

In the end, the toll in human life and military equipment at Pearl Harbor was staggering: 
2,403 killed (1177 on USS Arizona alone) and 1,178 wounded
2 battleships totally lost (Arizona and Oklahoma)
2 battleships sunk and recovered (West Virginia and California)
3 battleships damaged (Tennessee, Maryland and Pennsylvania)
1 battleship grounded (Nevada)
2 other ships sunk
3 cruisers damaged
3 destroyers damaged
3 other ships damaged
188 aircraft destroyed
159 aircraft damaged

Despite the damage inflicted in the two waves of attacks, the Imperial Japanese Navy failed in two critical areas. First they failed to destroy the shipyards, munitions facilities, and oil and fuel storage facilities on Oahu. This proves the saying that "amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics."  Within months of the attack, most of the ships damaged or sunk at Pearl Harbor returned to service.  Some of the battleships helped the US Navy win a huge victory at the Battle of Leyte Gulf three years later. And the USS Nevada, whose crew managed to get her underway but was forced to ground the ship clear of the harbor channel, was part of the largest armada assembled for the D-Day landings at Normandy.  Second, and most importantly, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor failed to achieve its primary objective: destroy the will of the American people to fight in the Pacific.  This miscalculation speaks to another important aspect of warfare: "Never underestimate a pissed off and highly motivated enemy with enormous industrial capacity."

As a Naval Officer I have visited the USS Arizona Memorial twice, and it's difficult for me to convey my feelings about the men and women who lost their lives in the attack on Pearl Harbor. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting three Pearl Harbor survivors at a Memorial Day service in 2009. It was a rare opportunity, one that few will ever get, and something that I cherish. They were great Americans who survived and subsequently gave a large portion of their youth in the ensuing four years.  One of the best books I've read about Pearl Harbor is an oral history in the survivors' own words, titled "This is No Drill."  I highly recommend it.

If you know a WWII veteran, and there are damn few left, please thank them for all they sacrificed.  Today is the day that changed the course of that generation, and every American, forever.