REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR

[crazyphil]

December 7, 1941 - December 7, 2021 If my arithmetic is
correct that was 80 years ago. I was only six at the time, but
I do remember it. My Mom was crying because her younger
brother Davy was on the U.S.S. West Virginia, one of our battle
ships that was bombed. But she found out later he was half way
to San Francisco, coming home for a Christmas furlough.
I was in love with my first grade teacher, Helen Thomas, but she
joined the Women's Army Corp. and became a WAC.
We lived so far out in the boondocks that a little plane flew over
the small town we lived in dropping leaflets to tell us we were at
war. But we listened to our battery powered radio Sunday evening
and heard all of the news.

 

[twodog max]

I came along after the war so no personal memories of it. Both parents lived through those times and I remember them talking about and how they knew exactly where and what they were doing when they heard.

 

[Old_Cop]

When I was a boy the bombing of Pearl Harbor would get a play on the news each anniversary, now not so much.

 

[growr]

At the National VA Cemetary in Laurel there will be a ceremony honoring all that perished that day and thereafter. One of the deceased in the cemetary is Ed Chiplowski.

Ed was the radio operator that sounded the alarm "Battle stations, This is NOT a drill"

I will be playing TAPS and standing right next to the bench in his honor....always a bit on the chilling side for me.

Randy

 

[crazyphil]

Those who forget history are likely to have it repeated. How about 9/11?

 

[old bear]

"Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval ..."

On that date the world as we knew it changed forever. As a society we are still dealing with and trying to understand these changes. God help us all.

Now let's each and everyone of us take a minuet to remember and thank those who gave everything to save the world.

 

[bushmaster1313]

The free world was united against tyranny

 

[Krogen]

Outside the house, my flag is flying proudly. Inside the house, there are misty eyes.

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

Visited the U.S.S. Arizona several times while stationed my last two
years in Hawaii. It's a different feeling that comes over someone, especially when seeing drops of oil bubble to the surface and think about
all those many years ago what it must have been like.
Also to feel the bullet holes in the walls at Scholfield Barracks left by the
Zeros on their way to Pearl.

 

[PALADIN85020]

I'm flying the flag today.

We should never forget this day of infamy in 1941.

This was the price paid that day.



I was about a month shy of 3 years old, living in Tucson AZ with my parents.

I don't specifically remember it, but my parents told me that one of the neighboring women came pounding on their door to tell us that she heard on the radio that Pearl Harbor had been bombed in a sneak attack by the Japanese. Dad said mom had no idea where that was.

Dad immediately turned on the radio as reports came in. I still have and treasure that old Sears Silvertone console. Here is a picture of me next to it in Tucson about a year after that time.



The families of thousands of our service men began to get telegrams that week, informing them that their sons had been killed.

The next day, President Roosevelt convened Congress and asked that they declare war on Japan, which they did.

Today, Pearl Harbor is peaceful, and the remains of the USS Arizona are still underwater there, next to the USS Missouri, where the Japanese signed surrender documents in Tokyo Harbor in 1945.



Kids may ask me why I'm flying Old Glory today, and I will tell them. Always remember and never forget.

John

 

[CLASSIC12]

I was just reading and seeing the pictures in this article

Attack on Pearl Harbor in rare pictures, 1941 - Rare Historical Photos

 

[jimmyj]

My Father was waiting outside the Military Recruiting Office Monday December 8, 1941 for it to open. They told Him He was too old (Dad was a former Horse Soldier). So Dad joined the Merchant Marine.

 

[Chubbo]

I remember Pearl Harbor

I remember Pearl Harbor; I was about 10rs old. I was sitting in our town's small theater, watching an evening movie, when a handwritten message flashed on the screen; "The Japs have bombed Pearl Harbor". The heater closed and its occupants all went home, to listen to the bombing news being reported on their radios. I still have that small table model radio, that we listened to that night.

The next day, in my 3rd grade class, we listened to our president, FDR, declare war on the Japanese.

I've never forgotten the treacherous bombing of Perl Harbor, nor ever will. I was encouraged by our leaders of that era, to hate those people, with all of my heart and soul. Old habits, teachings, and laws are hard to disregard, disobey, or forget.

I've sincerely tried, for many years to forgive those people, that were guilty, of those heinous crimes, with poor results. I became 90yrs old, the day before this year's 80th anniversary of those bombings. Perhaps as I further mature, I may be able to forgive the Japanese.

Chubbo

 

[MG34/bar]

My father was there on Ford Island dodging bombs. He was the "old man" in his outfit at 30 years of age. As he was married and already had two kids he was transferred in early 1942 to Alameda Naval Air Station in San Francisco area so I was born there the next year. I remember all the relatives and friends who fought that war; miss them as they aren't making anymore people like that.

 

[growr]

Side note,

At the Pearl Harbor ceremony where I played TAPS, there 2 airplanes circling to land at Laurel Airport as the rifle volley was fired and I played....chilling as can be!!

had to really play into the bugle to be heard over the airplanes....

Randy

 

[THE PILGRIM]

My FIL who had already been called up was stationed in Mobile.
He and one of his Bros who was stationed in Gulfport were at a Movie.
They stopped the movie, turned on the lights and the manager told them about Pearl Harbor.
He didn't see the rest of that movie until after the War.
The Movie?
Sgt. York!
In early 1942 he was sent to West Africa.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

A lot has happened since then, don't recall much interest in the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 or the Centennial of WWI. The end of WWII, the end of the Grand Alliance and the Soviets quickly going from brave allies to archenemy caused a rapid change in attitudes. There are those pictures from the Berlin Blockade showing Berlin kiddies-standing on piles of rubble caused by US and Brtitish bombers-looking up anxiously as US and British transport planes brought their meals in.At the Inchon landings in September 1950 the LSTs that MacArthur relied on were manned by Japanese crews-they had been sold to the Japanese as fishing boats.

 

[biku324]

And remember the senseless slaughter from tiny places around the world...like the Palawan Massacre, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines, 14 and 15 Dec, 1944.

 

[pasound]

We put up an exhibit of the USS West Virginia for today. Will be there for at least two weeks. Web link has no pictures, sorry.

West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History Observes 80th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor at Culture Center, Dec. 7 - West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture & History : West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture & History

The USS West Virginia crew and ship were heroes. The crew made sure the ship sank straight down - they flooded the ship opposite the damage. Three years later, raised, towed, repaired, and rebuilt, it was flagship in the Pacific war. It was an artillery platform for several island invasions, and fought in at least one ship-to-ship battle, which it won. The Missouri was chosen as the surrender ship by Harry Truman, as it was his home state.