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I hadn't been born yet, but came out to see what was going on six weeks later in Jan, 1942. My uncles, my father, my stepfather all served, some fought, some were aircraft mechanics(on the P47) and my step father was a guard for German POWs in the states.

Many people don't know it but the Japenese invaded American territory by landing in the Aleutian Islands shortly after Pearl Harbor. It took us a year, but by utilizing the Alaskan civilians( white, Eskimo and Indian)who were wise in the way of the Alaskan wilderness and the extreme weather conditions we were able to finally throw them off. Regular army troops that we sent in were woefully under equipped for that sort of weather and had a tough time of it, but the Alaskans won out. A special unit was formed and this unit became the Alaskan National Guard after the War. The same type of rugged individuals populate the Alaskan National Guard today and, no, I am not an Alaskan, but wish I had moved there when I was young.

Naval vessels rendor honors to the Arizona on entering port or leaving port. Admiral Kidd who was using the Arizona as his flagship is still on board. I was on the USS Renville APA 227 and remembering saluting the Arizona everytime we steamed past it.