Americans across the country, including in the Hudson Valley, will observe the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor today.

Students in Bronxville held a Pearl Harbor ceremony today in honor of the lives lost.                      

Students at St. Joseph's School will join veterans to mark the solemn anniversary.

It's a day that President Franklin Roosevelt said will live in infamy.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan attacked the U.S. Navy base in Hawaii, destroying more than half of the fleet of aircraft, and damaging all eight battleships.

Over 2,400 service members and civilians were killed. About half were on the USS Arizona where more than 1,100 people were injured.

One day later, Dec. 8, 1941, the U.S. declared war on Japan and officially entered World War II. 

"People should remember this day as a sign that America can be attacked and will be attacked in the future, but they will fight back and we'll fight back strong," says student Patrick Daros.

Bob Foster is a Vietnam veteran and the commander of VFW Post 2285. He and his fellow vets appreciate the reception from the students. "To have a kid or anybody come up to a veteran and they see the hat or the jacket on and they say thank you for your service, it means a lot to the veterans," says Foster.

School administrators say this is the first time they've ever held this ceremony, and they're hoping it becomes an annual event. "These are the stories that we're never supposed to forget. They sacrificed their lives, and some of them came home and some of them didn't, and we should always remember," says Assistant Principal Karen Valenti-Dececco.