“A day that will live in infamy,” President Roosevelt said. And, indeed, it has and will. A sneak attack by Japanese aircraft against the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor triggered the United States’ entrance into World War II, December 7, 1941.
As I watch old film clips and read first-hand accounts, I can imagine the shock of these American sailors aboard the ships anchored in the harbor as Japanese planes appeared in the sky and they ran to their places to grab artillery and defend their ships. I read of their courage, the individual heroism of the men. Many of them will never leave their ships; they are still there, beneath the waters. Pearl Harbor has become their monument.
We have changed a lot since those days. Patriotism is often scoffed at. Wealthy athletes who have never worn the uniform of their country and never, ever faced death coming at them from the sky or the sea, disrespect the flag that represents the freedom they enjoy, freedom bought with the blood and shattered lives of men who stood between the enemy and the country which has afforded them a luxurious lifestyle.
The roar of aircraft, the pound of artillery, the shouts and screams are gone now. The water which once ran red with blood is peaceful again. The sky is clear of enemy planes. But, it was different eighty-three years ago. Many brave men fought and suffered and died. Let’s stop for a moment to remember and thank God for our country, for the lives of those sailors, and for those who, then and now, dare to face death for their families and the cherished ideals on which this Nation was built.
Yes, it was a day that will live in infamy, but also a day when deceit and trickery came up against indomitable spirit. The treacherous blow that was meant to bring us to our knees became, instead, a battle cry for freedom.
No truer words!
Thank you for writing, Morgan. It’s so important that we remember this time and those young men who died. And, it’s vital that we don’t take our freedom for granted.