There are probably two historical dates that every American knows. One is July 4, 1776-the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The other is Sunday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy.

It started at 7:55 A.M. Before night fall, 2,400 Americans had been killed and another 1,200 wounded in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

The aftermath and lessons of the attack on Pearl Harbor have been recited countless times. So, SafetyXChange would like to focus not on the past but the future and use Pearl Harbor to present an important safety message. Keep on reading.

. . . And Today

On this 67th anniversary of one of the bloodiest days in American history, SafetyXChange would like to salute the U.S. Navy for turning Pearl Harbor into a site where lives are being saved. Every day.

Naval Command has started a program called "Operation Seatbelt" at the Oahu base. It started when base safety personnel discovered that 91 percent of motorists were wearing their seatbelts when exiting base gates. Not bad. But the Navy wanted to raise that number to 100 percent.

To accomplish that goal, base security set up electronic signs reading "Seatbelts save lives-buckle up" at strategic locations around the base. Observers have been designated to monitor compliance. Defensive driving training has also been stepped up, especially for base personnel under 26 years of age. (Nearly two-thirds of sailors killed in crashes of privately owned vehicles on bases were under 25).

The Navy hopes Operation Seatbelt will be a smashing-or rather, a non-smashing-success so it can be applied at other bases across the country and the world.

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