It's Pearl Harbor Day - Page 2

Krimpette · ‎03-09-2010

I've heard it mentioned on each station of watched or listened to this morning. Truly, "a day that will live in infamy". God bless.

Perkup · ‎03-09-2010

@Ptaz wrote:
One of the most moving events I ever experienced was our trip to Pearl Harbor. When we went over to the memorial the names of everyone killed on a wall made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Looking down into the water to see the wreckage of the Arizona below was hard to fathom, knowing the hundreds of souls that were lost and their bodies had to be left, but the most mind stopping event was to see the 'black tears' on the surface of the water, oil seeping out of the wreckage engine room. It is safe, according to the guide. But to still be seeping after 70+ years makes you stop. God Bless America and those that love our country enough to die for it. Cannot replace people like that.

My precious husband who passed last year was about 19 when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He and most of his friends signed up immediately - he with the Marines. He spent four years in the Pacific Theater, on small islands, fighting with the Japanese. He has told me many times of the friends he lost there, as well as the youth of the Japanese they were fighting - many he felt as young as 12 or 13. Even at his young age, he found it sickening to either kill or be killed by what he considered children. Will we ever be able to understand these tragic wastes of humanity and why they must happen? I feel blessed (in an inexplanable way) to have listened to FDR's radio speech in front of a big old Crosley radio as he called it "a day which shall live in infamy". How sad that we fail to teach these true historical facts to our children today, and how soon will we see this type of tragedy again because of our failure?

JML · ‎03-16-2010

I remember this day well. I was 5 years old. I had no clue where Pearl Harbor was. On a trip to Hawaii in 1986 we did get to Pearl Harbor.

OKPrincess · ‎03-10-2013

I went to the memorial with my husband and my mom's senior adult church group in May 2008. She talked to a survivor at a book signing at the memorial. That meeting meant the world to her because she lived through it as well as the depression. My first reaction to the site was how small an area for such a horrific act. How could anyone survive such an attack? Yes God Bless America and all in uniform.

Plaid Pants2 · ‎03-14-2015

Is today's date a "day that will live in infamy"?

The attack happened 76 years ago.

If someone was 18 at the time of the attack, that puts them at about 94 years old.

The remaining survivors are grandfathers and great-grandfathers now.

Every day we are loosing our WW2 vets.

One day, they will be all gone.

Ask anybody under the age of 30, what happened 76 years ago today, and most likely, you'll get a blank stare.

Yes, you can teach history, and what happened on what date, but it'll be remembered just long enough to pass a test.

You can't make someone appreciate history.

Right now, all the young people might know is that their grandfather or great-grandfather was there.

They don't have an emotional connection to it like the boomers did.

And in 50 years time, there will be even less of an emotional connection to the date.

So, will the date really "live in infamy"?

Yes, no doubt that they made a great sacrifice for us, which is extremely appreciated, don't think that I'm not.

But I am also realistic about how people tend to view things the further away they get from it.

It's sad that the younger generations doesn't feel the same poignancy about the date, and what happened, but the fact is, most younger people don't.

I don't fault them for that. I think that it is just human nature to not hold certain things as closely, as previous generations might have.

Afterall, for those who had ancestors who fought at Bunker Hill in 1775, do they feel the same exact way, as those who has husbands, brothers, sons, fathers who actually fought there?

No, most likely people don't.

And why is that?

It's because there has been so much time (242 years ago) has passed between then and now.

You appreciate what they did, but you don't have the same emotional connection as those who were only one generation removed from the battle.

Same holds true for the day that will live in "infamy".

Bless our soldiers, and bless the U.S.A.

Cakers3 · ‎06-17-2015

@Plaid Pants2 wrote:
Is today's date a "day that will live in infamy"?

The attack happened 76 years ago.

If someone was 18 at the time of the attack, that puts them at about 94 years old.

The remaining survivors are grandfathers and great-grandfathers now.

Every day we are loosing our WW2 vets.

One day, they will be all gone.

Ask anybody under the age of 30, what happened 76 years ago today, and most likely, you'll get a blank stare.

Yes, you can teach history, and what happened on what date, but it'll be remembered just long enough to pass a test.

You can't make someone appreciate history.

Right now, all the young people might know is that their grandfather or great-grandfather was there.

They don't have an emotional connection to it like the boomers did.

And in 50 years time, there will be even less of an emotional connection to the date.

So, will the date really "live in infamy"?

Yes, no doubt that they made a great sacrifice for us, which is extremely appreciated, don't think that I'm not.

But I am also realistic about how people tend to view things the further away they get from it.

It's sad that the younger generations doesn't feel the same poignancy about the date, and what happened, but the fact is, most younger people don't.

I don't fault them for that. I think that it is just human nature to not hold certain things as closely, as previous generations might have.

Afterall, for those who had ancestors who fought at Bunker Hill in 1775, do they feel the same exact way, as those who has husbands, brothers, sons, fathers who actually fought there?

No, most likely people don't.

And why is that?

It's because there has been so much time (242 years ago) has passed between then and now.

You appreciate what they did, but you don't have the same emotional connection as those who were only one generation removed from the battle.

Same holds true for the day that will live in "infamy".

Bless our soldiers, and bless the U.S.A.

@Plaid Pants2 It's a "DATE that will live in infamy", not day.

I'm not sure what the point of all of this is-Roosevelt was obviously addressing a current time and if you are aware of the comparison to the speech given by Pres. Wilson at the start of WWI you would understand the reasoning.

It isn't the date by itself; it symbolized the entrance of the USA, neutral, into WWII.

If a student is studying American History then the student will not only know about WWII but the DATE that set off our declaration of war.

I'm not sure what your point is; you are making it sound as though no young person knows what the DATE is all about and our subsequent involvement in WWII.

Our young people are smarter than you give credit.

"" Compassion is a verb."-Thich Nhat Hanh

viva923 · ‎03-12-2010

I lived there for about 4 years.

I never was able to get over to the Arizona memorial. one of these days i would like to go back and see all the sights i didn't see way back when.

HiLo · ‎03-10-2010

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts. I don't remember much about this event or even WW2 so am watching every commentary I can see to further educate myself and family. Grandchildren are now of college age and older and learned little in school about what the"greatest generation" and others who followed experienced during those horrific times of conflict.. Understanding more about what the great Americans of the past and present have sacrificed should help us all to more appreciate and want to preserve the freedoms for which they have spilled their blood.

Fiero Woman · ‎10-02-2017

My father was a Pearl Harbor survivor. He shared many memories before and after the attack. He said he could see the pilot smiling as he was trying to shoot my father. As Dad grew older, he didn't speak of it a lot and when he did it was painful for him. I always think of him and his army buddies on this monumental day in the lives of so many. Love you Dad.