70TH PEARL HARBOR COMMEMORATION

THE ENDURING LEGACY - 1941-2011

December 7th commemorates 70 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor. To many it will always be, “a date which will live in infamy” and to others, due to the passage of time or the political incorrectness of patriotism, it has become a meaningless date on the calendar.

On that Sunday morning in 1941, the American Army and Navy base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was attacked by the Imperial Japanese Navy. The attack came as a surprise and led to great losses of life and equipment. More than two thousand Americans were killed with more than a thousand injured. We also lost a large portion of our battle ships and nearly 200 aircraft that were stationed in the region.

The attack on Pearl plunged America into the maelstrom of World War II. It was a struggle that threatened the security of our republic and galvanized rival visions for the future of the planet. Japan and its allies were making a bid for dominance in their respective regions and beyond. If the Japanese had succeeded, there would have been a major shift in the global balance of power – an extreme detriment to the United States and world liberty. The maelstrom that did follow ripped over three years out of the lives of millions of peace-loving American citizens that were summoned to throw down their plowshares and take up the fight. My father was one of many that left his family behind to fight against fascist imperialism. His first assignment was the gruesome task to help pour concrete into the sunken hull of the U.S.S. Arizona, where 1,177 crewmen were entombed when their ship was bombed by the Japanese. The loss represented over half of the Americans killed during the worst naval disaster in American history.

Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was quoted to say, after the attack that he led on Pearl Harbor, “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.” It was a truly prophetic statement that foreshadowed the surrender of Japan almost four years later on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The surrender ceremony lasted twenty-three minutes and was broadcast throughout the world. It was first signed by the Japanese foreign minister Mamoru, then General Yoshijiro Umezu, Chief of the Army General Staff and afterwards, U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. Previously Emperor Hirohito was forced to broadcast on the radio his acceptance of the terms and his denouncement of himself as a descendant of their sun god. A huge formation of American planes flew over the U.S.S. Missouri and Tokyo Bay celebrating the signing. The United States did not worry about offending anyone, nor were they concerned about multiculturalism; it was, “do it or else,” and as you may have guessed, “or else” meant, “Say hello to my little friend.”

The men and women of that American era were very tough by today’s standards. They were coming out of the Great Depression only to enter into an unimaginable gristmill and holocaust where every day they were faced with extremely difficult and sometimes life-threatening decisions. Today, our metrosexual, chick-a-fication society where our biggest decisions revolve around getting to the store to buy the latest iPhone, or if we have enough hazelnut cream on hand for our coffee, seems downright silly by comparison.

All in all, it is best to be thankful for the gift of our freedom that our parents, grandparents, and in some cases, our great-grandparents, have bestowed upon us. God Bless America. SLV

The Enduring Legacy of Pearl Harbor
The 70th Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration is scheduled for the entire first week of December leading up to the anniversary date of December 7th, 2011, which marks 70 years in which history continues to be passed on to the next generation, with the hope and promise to remember the events that changed our nation and the course of history. A multitude of special events are planned for honoring the legacy of Pearl Harbor and for those interested in finding out more information or visiting the Hawaiian island of Oahu for the Commemoration, go to: PearlHarborEvents.com.

Issue 66 featuring: Eufrat, Jade Bryce & Jessamyne