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My Dad was only 16 when he joined the U.S. Navy in 1943. He remembered passing through Pearl Harbor less than 2 years after the attack, on his way to the south pacific.

My Mother was also in her teens on Dec.7, 1941. She was visiting a sick uncle with her parents, somewhere in the boonies near Los Angeles. She said that they never turned the radio on during their visit, so they didn't know about the attack right away. When they left for home, on the 8th or 9th, they were stopped by a policeman, who began to ask them all sorts of questions, like where have you been, where are you going, how come you're travelling at night...they couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about, until the policeman finally realized they hadn't heard about Pearl Harbor, and told them. They were absolutely shocked. Everybody in the L.A. area was pretty nervous, since there was nothing between them and the Japanese at that point.

My Grandfather, Dean Hiatt, had just signed up prior to the bombing.. He was Station in New Guinea (sp). He was a Navigator of B-24, the Jolly Rodgers. That is a 4 engine plane with the dual tail wings. 5Th Air Force, 405th, 90th Heavy.. I use to Love hearing stories bout him in the war. I wasn't really able to put a grasp on what he did until i was older. It was only then that i became so much more aware of his generation. And how grateful we all are to be here today. He use to tell the funniest jokes.. Hell, he could tell you the same joke 3x's in a row and you'd STILL laugh your a$$ off!

A few years before his passing ( R.I.P. Col Dean R. Hiatt April 5, 2004) we went and saw a war movie. I think it might have been Saving Private Ryan, The movie starts out with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. ( this was the first war movie i can remember him going to see.. he lost ALOT of friends and the scars were always fresh..He was old then and didn't really talk in a whisper. While we were watching the movie, Grandpa Dean turned to my dad and said.. "Johnny.. i was there just after it happened.. and it looked just like that!" he was proud of it.. and so was the theater.. the whole movie theater heard him.. stood up and started clapping.. it still brings tears to my eyes today.
~D