The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, still remains fresh in the minds of those Americans who survived it. Servicemen who lived through the assault gathered in Hawaii Wednesday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the devastating attack that killed 2,390 Americans.

Although these brave veterans can tell tales of that fateful day, a glimpse at the pictures can advance our understanding of what happened 70 years ago.

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Pearl Harbor
The forward magazines of USS Arizona explode after it was hit by a Japanese bomb in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii REUTERS/Handout
Pearl Harbor
USS California is seen ablaze after an attack by Japanese carrier based strike aircraft on Pearl Harbor. REUTERS/Handout
Pearl Harbor
Sailors in a motor launch rush to rescue a survivor in the water alongside USS West Virginia after an attack on Pearl Harbor. REUTERS/Handout
Pearl Harbor
The USS SHAW explodes during the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. REUTERS/Handout
Pearl Harbor
A view of the USS ARIZONA burning after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. REUTERS/Handout
Pearl Harbor
A burnt B-17C aircraft rests near Hangar Number Five, Hickam Field, following the attack by Japanese aircraft on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. REUTERS/Handout
Pearl Harbor
An aerial view of "Battleship Row" at Pearl Harbor, photographed from a Japanese aircraft, beside Ford Island. REUTERS/Handout