Today, there will be a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m. — marking the start of Japan’s aerial attack on ships and military bases on Oahu that propelled the United States into World War II.

This annual remembrance ceremony stands at the poignant center of scores of events unfolding as part of the 75th Pearl Harbor Commemoration.

Among those assembled at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam’s Kilo Pier will be hundreds of survivors of the Dec. 7, 1941 raid that changed our nation. On the mainland, countless others will pause to watch the ceremony’s live-stream broadcast at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., Times Square in New York City and World War II Museum in New Orleans.

Later this month, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Pearl Harbor with President Barack Obama.

Abe, who will become the first sitting Japanese leader to visit Pearl Harbor, is in effect reciprocating a historic trip Obama made in May to Hiroshima, where the U.S. dropped a nuclear bomb in 1945. No sitting U.S. president had previously visited the city. The prospect of the two leaders standing side by side at the harbor underscores the sense of optimism guiding reconciliation efforts and the continued pursuit of a peaceful future as staunch allies.

Seventy-five years ago, a different mindset was in place. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was focused on Germany and potential wartime threats along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. Hawaii, meanwhile, had been built up with Pacific Fleet ships and air power due to Japan’s increasing aggression in Asia. Oahu was touted as the strongest military fortress in the world — too far removed from Japan and too powerful to be the target of an attack.

That’s why U.S. forces were caught flat-footed when Japan staged the daring attack that lasted just over two hours. Twenty-one vessels of the Pacific Fleet, including eight battleships, were sunk or damaged, 164 aircraft were destroyed, and a total of 2,390 American service members and Oahu civilians were killed.

The youngest of Pearl Harbor’s surviving defenders are in their ’90s now, and with their passing, the nation is losing its most compelling touchstone. For them, this year’s commemoration may be the last large-scale opportunity to pay tribute to the bravery exhibited that day and see shipmates and others from that era. Our debt of gratitude can be paid, in part, by continuing to record, preserve and learn from the stories of the greatest generation.

Most of today’s surviving civilians were carefree children on that sleepy Sunday morning preceding the attack. In its aftermath, the Territory of Hawaii contended with the dictates for martial law, which ranged from blackout curfews to internment camps.

The National Park Service, which has collected more than 1,000 oral histories from military and civilian survivors, is among the organizations leading the legacy effort. Also keeping history’s lessons engaging are Pearl Harbor-based educational programs through which schoolchildren communicate with survivors.

The nation and the international community continue to be mindful of the dedication to country, principles of freedom and personal sacrifice witnessed. The World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, home of the USS Arizona Memorial, is the state’s top visitor draw.

Every day, visitors fall into silent reflection at the battleship memorial, which marks the site of the greatest loss of life at sea in U.S. Navy history.

Five years ago, Obama visited the memorial — as every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt has done. On the morning of that anniversary, he said: “We salute the veterans and survivors of Pearl Harbor who inspire us still. Despite overwhelming odds, they fought back heroically, inspiring our nation and putting us on the path to victory. … All of us owe these men and women a profound debt of gratitude.”

While slated to take place after this year’s formal anniversary, Obama’s upcoming visit to the site with Abe harmonizes perfectly with its commemorative theme, “Honoring the past and inspiring the future” — words that should guide us today and on every Dec. 7 to come.