Washington D.C.-  Congressman Paul Broun, a Marine and a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following statement thanking the men and women of our nation’s military, both past and present, in remembrance of the sneak attack on American forces at Pearl Harbor that occurred 66 years ago today.  The surprise attack by Japanese forces propelled America’s entry into World War II.  Once engaged, American forces in the European and Pacific theaters were instrumental in defeating the extreme fascist ideologies promoted by Nazi Germany, Mussolini’s Italy, and Imperial Japan.  Today, six years after a similar surprise attack launched against the United States, America’s fighting men and women find themselves engaged in a struggle against an extremist ideology promoted by Islamic radicals.

“Pearl Harbor reminds Americans of the need to be ever vigilant against the gathering threats we face from those who resent America’s fundamental freedoms and our dedication to individual liberty,” said Broun. “66 years ago, a nation rallied after a surprise attack, and the men and women who took up the call to vanquish the evil ideologies they faced earned the title of ‘Greatest Generation.’  Today, American forces are once again deployed, this time in a battle against an extremist Islamic ideology that is no less dedicated to our destruction than the forces that aligned against us 66 years ago. To all those who served America then, and to all those who protect America now, I say ‘thank you.’”