Groton – A date that will live in infamy was marked in Groton today with a moment of silence for the thousands of Americans who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor 68 years ago.The moment of silence at the U.S. Submarine Veterans WWII National Submarine Memorial East was followed by a miniature cannon salute. Members of the Subvets Club in Groton shot off the small, but loud cannon in a gun salute of mourning.

The moment of silence at the U.S. Submarine Veterans WWII National Submarine Memorial East was followed by a miniature cannon salute. Members of the Subvets Club in Groton shot off the small, but loud cannon in a gun salute of mourning.

Wilbert "Tex" Dettmann of Plainfield was the first to fire off the cannon. Dettmann was inside his barracks at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked by Japanese planes.

Japanese planes destroyed the USS Arizona and capsized the USS Oklahoma at the Naval Base in Hawaii. More than 2,300 Americans were killed. It was the deadliest attack on U.S. soil until the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

"This is a day that we should all remember and not just because President Roosevelt said so in his famous speech," said Tom Russell, the base chaplain from the Subvets Club. "It is a date that every American should be familiar with because of the significant loss of American lives."