Remembering Pearl Harbor

The Advocate ^ | 12/7/2005 | 2theAdvocate

[saveliberty]

 

 

Remembering Pearl Harbor
While the sacrifices of many young people in Aghanistan and Iraq continue to be on the front pages, it's important to remember the generation of Americans who also sacrificed themselves for their country in World War II.

America was forced into that war on Dec. 7, 1941 -- the "date which will live in infamy," as President Roosevelt said -- when Hawaii was attacked by the aircraft of Imperial Japan. The surprise attack killed approximately 2,400 Americans, and worse casualties were to come in a conflict that raged across the entire world.

Almost four years of hard fighting were ahead before America and her allies defeated Germany and Japan. The nation ought to remember their sacrifices on Pearl Harbor Day.

At the same time, as President Bush said recently, the larger lessons of the war also should be remembered. "In the years since those victories, the power of freedom and democracy has transformed America's enemies in World War II into close friends," the president said. "Today, our goal is to continue to spread freedom and democracy and to secure a more peaceful world for our children and grandchildren."

That is the work of years. The extraordinary accomplishments of the people of Germany, Italy and Japan in the postwar years depended on much American aid and a willingness of American taxpayers to pay a large price for the preservation of freedom against the machinations of the late Soviet Union.

Goals of that historic nature don't come cheaply and take longer than we might like. And as the dwindling numbers of the World War II generation know, the obligations don't go away even when the main fighting dies down

[saveliberty]

Remembering Pearl Harbor today

[saveliberty]

Remembering Pearl Harbor ping

[LonePalm]

Thank you G-d for sending my aunts and uncles home to me from WWII safe and sound.

Je vous salue, Marie, pleine de grâces, le Seigneur est avec vous,
Vous êtes bénie entre toutes les femmes, et Jésus le fruit de vos entrailles est béni.
Sainte Marie, Mère de Dieu, priez pour nous pauvres pécheurs,
maintenant, et à l'heure de notre mort.
Ainsi-soit-il.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[mathluv]

I was born 4 days after Pearl Harbor. Whenever my students wanted to know my age, that is what I would tell them. I don't know how many did the research to find out.

Today is my grandson's birthday. He was born 51 years after the attack.

[saveliberty]

God Bless you, your aunts and your uncles.

[saveliberty]

What a great story.

Happy 13th Birthday to your grandson!

[tiredoflaundry]

BTTT

[saveliberty]

:-)

[mathluv]

I will tell him. He will be my second teenager. His older brother is 14 - and a trial to his parents. (but in a good way)

[Always Right]

America was forced into that war on Dec. 7, 1941 -- the "date which will live in infamy," as President Roosevelt said -- when Hawaii was attacked by the aircraft of Imperial Japan. The surprise attack killed approximately 2,400 Americans

Part of history that is no longer taught in Japan. To Japanese children, the war started with the dropping of atomic bombs.

[saveliberty]

:-)

[gaspar]

Let's be honest. The same cut-and-run crowd that exists today existed in December 1941. The only reason they supported the war, despite the Pearl Harbor attack, was that the Soviet Union was an ally.

[saveliberty]

I was creeped out when I visited the Pearl Harbor memorial and there were Japanese tourists on it who appeared proud. Br-r-r-r-r!

[texianyankee]

Remember Pearl Harbor!


My Father was not at Pearl Harbor during the attack but he served in the Coast Guard to fight the Japs in the Pacific Theatre.
Amchitka...Tarawa...Kwajalein...Eniwetok...
To this day, he wont buy a Japanese vehicle.

[saveliberty]

My father served in Okinawa. He was 17 when he went into the Army

[texianyankee]

Only 17? God bless your father!

[saveliberty]

:-) Thank you.

[cynicom]

"America was forced into that war on Dec. 7, 1941"

America was not forced into the war by Japan, rather dragged by FDR would be more honest. Only the young and the naive believe otherwise.

[saveliberty]

Forced nonetheless.

I am no fan or defender of FDR in any way shape or form.

If I lived in England in the thirties and had to choose between Churchill and Chamberlain, I would have chosen Churchill if only for his comprehension of the need for the preemptive strike against Hitler. He argued that it was necessary to take him out while England still could win.

He was right.

"We had your peace. Now we will fight your war."

[cynicom]

The word "forced" should have never been used. By using it the author gives the impression that the US had no alternative or any influence on the chain of events.

FDR had given the Japanese an ultimatum knowing full well the consequence, therefore the term forced is totally disingenuous.