Just after dawn on December 7, 1941, as Hawaiʻi began what seemed like an ordinary Sunday morning, the calm was shattered by war.

At 8:05 am, the alarm sounded at Honolulu Fire Department Engine 6. Without hesitation, firefighters climbed aboard and headed toward Hickam Field, where smoke was already rising into the sky. Engines 1 and 4 quickly followed, responding under a mutual aid agreement with the Federal Fire Department. These men did not yet know they were driving straight into history.

As the companies approached the airfield, word came that a bomb had destroyed the water main system. Hydrants were useless. Firefighters would have to battle raging fires with limited resources—just as the first wave of the attack gave way to the second. Above them, enemy aircraft roared overhead. Around them, explosions shook the ground. Still, they pressed on.

At 8:26 am, a Japanese aerial bomb was dropped directly on crews from Honolulu Fire Department Engine Companies 1, 4, and 6 as they stretched hose lines, positioned apparatus, and fought fires amid the chaos of the attack. Even under direct enemy fire, these firefighters continued their lifesaving work.

It was during these valiant efforts that three Honolulu firefighters gave their lives in the line of duty: Fire Captain John Carreira, Fire Captain Thomas Macy, and Hoseman Harry Tuck Lee Pang. They did not fall on a distant battlefield—they fell while protecting others, answering the call in the face of overwhelming danger, and standing their ground as war came to our shores.

Several of their fellow firefighters were wounded that morning—Lieutenant Frederick Kealoha; Hosemen George Correa, John A. Gilman, Moses Kalilikane, Patrick J. McCabe, and Solomon H. Naauao Jr. In 1944, each was awarded the Purple Heart, making them the only civilians ever to receive this medal. Their wounds—and the extraordinary recognition that followed—stand as powerful testimony to the courage and sacrifice shown by the fire service that day.

We honor the civilians and all who served in uniform whose lives were lost, and we remember, with profound respect, the Honolulu firefighters who ran toward danger when the world was falling apart—whose bravery, service, and sacrifice on that day of infamy continue to shine brightly in the history of our nation and the fire service.