Pearl Harbor: "A Date Which Will Live in Infamy"

On December 7, 1941, Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor killing over 2,000 U.S. military personnel, most of whom were Navy. This was the reason my father enlisted and served in the Navy.

On July 18, 1941, my father and mother were married while my father was home on a two-day pass. His PT1213 Navy ship left shortly thereafter to serve in the South Pacific.

I had heard most of my father's wartime stories about Pearl Harbor. How his family was gathered together when the news broke about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. How his family was sitting together in their apartment downtown, listening to my grandfather's radio. Since very few neighbors had a radio in those days, Grampa brought the radio outside to the main street and turned the volume up loud. Neighbors gathered in the street and wept openly at the tragic announcement of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and our significant loss of life.

When the terrorists attacked the World Trade Center, I drove over to my parent's home and found my dad sitting in the darkened garage, listening to his radio. I turned the light on and asked him what he was doing.

"I'm sitting here listening to the radio and thinking about all of the lives lost in the bombing of Pearl Harbor."

The shock, surprise and utter astonishment that something this tragic could happen on our own soil. Thousands slaughtered in a senseless act. The similarities were overwhelming for my dad who had lived through two brutal attacks upon his beloved country.

"I thought I'd never see another day again like Pearl Harbor where thousands of Americans are killed for no apparent reason."

It has been sixty-eight years since the bombing of Pearl Harbor. My parent's celebrated their sixty-eighth wedding anniversary this year. Every passing year, more veterans and citizens of the WWII era pass from our midst.

May we never forget their sacrifices.