( CNN ) -- Survivors of the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor gathered Wednesday to remember the 2,400 people who lost their lives exactly 70 years ago . `` Just as every day and unlike any other day , we stop and stand fast in memory of our heroes of Pearl Harbor and the Second World War , '' Rear Adm. Frank Ponds , commander for Navy region Hawaii , told the gathering . U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus took note of the devastating legacy of the two-hour attack on Pearl Harbor 70 years ago . `` The history of December 7 , 1941 , is indelibly imprinted on the memory of every American who was alive that day . But it bears repeating on every anniversary , so that every subsequent generation will know what happened here today and never forget , '' Mabus said . At the Pearl Harbor visitor center in Hawaii , about 5,000 guests witnessed a rifle salute , wreath presentations and recognition of those who died . The National Park Service operates the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument , and the venue overlooks the USS Arizona memorial . At 7:55 a.m. , the exact moment the attack began , F-22s flew over the ceremony in a `` missing man '' formation , and a moment of silence was observed . A U.S. Navy ship rendered honors to the Arizona . Remains of Vernon Olsen , 91 , of Port Charlotte , Florida , were to be interred later Wednesday in the USS Arizona , the battleship on which he served and where 1,117 sailors and Marines died in the attack . In a statement , President Barack Obama said the veterans and survivors of Pearl Harbor are an inspiration . `` Despite overwhelming odds , they fought back heroically , inspiring our nation and putting us on the path to victory , '' Obama said . `` They are members of that Greatest Generation who overcame the Depression , crossed oceans and stormed the beaches to defeat fascism , and turned adversaries into our closest allies . When the guns fell silent , they came home , went to school on the G.I . Bill , and built the largest middle class in history and the strongest economy in the world . They remind us that no challenge is too great when Americans stand as one . '' LIFE 's photos of Pearl Harbor attack . Flying from aircraft carriers on December 7 , 1941 , Japanese aviators attacked eight battleships in the harbor , destroying two , and left a trail of death and destruction across the verdant landscape . They also struck other military installations on Oahu . The attack shook America 's confidence and pulled the country into World War II . About 120 Pearl Harbor survivors attended Wednesday 's ceremony . The gradual loss of the World War II generation has accelerated , and this year , perhaps more than any before , evidence of a tide change is inescapable . The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association , founded in 1958 , is dissolving December 31 . The passage of time , the difficulty in finding chapter officers , and the health of its 2,700 members have taken their toll . In recent years , interpretation of the attack has shifted its focus `` from engagement to peace , '' with recognition that both sides fought a `` savage war , '' said Daniel A. Martinez , chief historian at the national monument . Martinez and other staff members have recorded video interviews with many veterans , preserving their memories . `` They tell me stories they have n't told their families , '' he said . CNN Radio 's Matt Cherry and CNN 's Phil Gast and Michael Martinez contributed to this report .
NEW : `` We stop and stand fast in memory of our heroes , '' Navy regional commander says . This year 's commemoration marks 70 years since the attacks on Oahu . The attack was a turning point for America as it began to confront its own racial tensions. The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association is disbanding this month .