All Hands Alert!... Oh Lovers of Liberty...

26 Oct 06 | VSAW

[VSAW]

Subject: An Urgent Juncture: Remember Pearl Harbor on Their Sentimental Journey

I am writing as an American, a Desert Storm combat veteran, an Honorary Member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Carnation Chapter 3, San Diego, and as the Chapter’s “Official Photographer”.

As you may know, this December 7th will mark the 65th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. And with this memorial anniversary comes the sad reality that few, if any, Pearl Harbor Survivors will ever again attend these ceremonies in Hawaii. As noted in this past Sunday’s Honolulu Star Bulletin:

Since 1966, the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association has been meeting here every five years on the anniversary of the Japanese attack on the Pacific Fleet. U.S. Park Service historian Daniel Martinez believes this year's reunion may be the last, since too few of the survivors may be able to travel to Pearl Harbor for the next one in 2011... Martinez, historian of Pearl Harbor's USS Arizona Memorial, said the park service estimates that about 900 survivors will attend the 65th anniversary ceremonies. Martinez's article, "The Final Reunion," compares the 65th reunion to the 1938 meeting of the Civil War veterans of the battle at Gettysburg, Pa. The Gettysburg reunion occurred amid the looming threat of war, Martinez said. Developments in Germany and Japan were already beginning to endanger the stability of peace in Europe and Asia. A few years later, on Dec. 7, 1941, the Pearl Harbor raid would sweep America into the seething global conflict that became World War II. Like that 1938 reunion at Gettysburg, says Martinez, the final reunion at Pearl Harbor comes as the United States is "facing an uncertain future in a world gripped by conflict." And there are other parallels, too. "Even the numbers of survivors and participants at this year's ceremonies will be similar to those of the Gettysburg commemoration," Martinez writes. (Source: http://starbulletin.com/2006/10/22/news/military.html)

As the Chapter’s Official Photographer in 2001, I was again invited to attend the ceremonies in Hawaii this December; to photograph the entire week’s events. But many of the Survivors in San Diego who were hoping to attend may not be able to since the donations to the “Pearl Harbor 65” Non-Profit Foundation have not reached their initial expectations.

I am humbly and respectfully asking any reader of this request, to visit the non-profit Foundation’s website, at: www.rememberingpearlharbor.org and provide any financial support that you feel proper at this urgent juncture.

Any amount will help… even a dollar.

For 65 years, the Pearl Harbor Survivors have been asking America to “Remember Pearl Harbor, and to Keep America Alert”; not just in remembrance of the more than 2,400 souls lost that day; but for the more than 400,000 Americans who gave their last full measure of devotion to this nation during World War II; providing the blanket of Liberty we have loved so dear for 65 years.

They have carried out this duty with the honor, dignity and steadfast devotion; and now our duty is at hand… that of Remembrance!

Thank you for your time and prompt attention

[Rte66]

Oh, this makes me cry. Prayers going up for the Foundation to raise the money needed and for as many Pearl Harbor survivors as possible to be able to attend the ceremony.

Perhaps a webcam hook-up of some kind could take it to the homes of those who can't travel? I hope so. This is so sad ... the passing of an era.

[VSAW]

Thank you so much for the kind words.

I've been honored beyond measure to work with these guys since 1999... many of whom have passed away since then. Their dwindling ranks make me ever-so-eager to take as many pictures as humanly possible of them.

Many Americans only know of the Survivors via documentaries and/or news clips of them during the annual memorial services. But I've had the incredible opportunity to photograph them in parades, at myriad memorial services, political gathers, and on their personal time.

They live for their duty... that being, "Remember Pearl Harbor and Keep America Alert"

(I'm new to this forum... is there any way to post photos?... I've got thousands of digital images of these guys.)

[Rte66]

Hi and welcome. The photos need to be on a server where they can be linked - in other words, you can't just paste from your own stock. Some people use photobucket as a free photo storage space that can be linked.

Wherever the photo is that you want to post, copy the URL properties (such as something like "http: // www . pearl . jpg" without the spaces in between) and then make sure you post in html mode.

What that means is using < p > between paragraphs and inserting an image this way:

< img src="URL.properties.jpg" >

Take out the spaces except in the notation code "img src" - that stays the same. It stands for "image source."

If that's too much to absorb, please send me a FReepmail by clicking "private reply" on this post, just below here, and I'll see if I can explain it better! Good luck!

[Twinkie]

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