75 years since Pearl Harbor attack

[retired nuke]

With so many of us being past or present military, I thought I'd post here, I don't post often anymore (almost retired  ). This is what I posted in my local paper website this morning, as they ran a story covering the Anniversary:

By the time the war ended, almost 10% of the population of the US was IN the military(12.8 M / 133M) - 40% of them as volunteers. 1million were minorities, in segregated units. 1/2 million were women (often serving very near front lines). 400,000 military died over 4 years.

In 1941, our nation was woefully unprepared for war. Europe was under total domination by Germany (except England and Switzerland). Our government was behaving in an isolationistic and not my problem mode.

After the attack, the American population stepped up, stood up, and pulled together. Sacrifice and hard work went beyond the soldiers, and included all levels of society.

There is a reason this is called the greatest generation - never before or after has America pulled together this much for the common good.

Yes, bad things were done in the name of security and wartime - Japanese - American internment was one of the most awful. Nothing and nobody is perfect.

I hope that if faced with a similar situation (and the American population came together very quickly after 9-11) we would pull together again.

Think about these heroes from the past as we consider our priorities after the recent election. We are still America. These people fought and died to keep us America.

So for today, let's BE America.

[Ksheed]

After I finished getting ready for the day this morning, I went out the front door at sunrise and lowered my flag to half-staff. As I came back in the door, my youngest daughter asked why I lowered the flag (she does this each time I lower it). I simply said, "It's Pearl Harbor Day." She then asked me what that was. I was a little taken a back that she had no clue. I'm sure it's been discussed in the home before. I explained to her what it was and why it was significant. I then reminded her that her paternal great grandfather and two of his brothers fought in that war (one didn't make it home), and her maternal great grandfather also fought in that war.


While I'm sure it has been discussed in our home on occasion, it's probably not near enough. I'm am fairly confident that it has not been a topic of discussion at school for her, she's in 5th grade. I asked that she go to school today and ask her social studies teacher to explain what today is and why it's significant. I am quite curious to find out, when I get home, what her teacher tells the class. It seems like topics like this are rarely covered in school these days. Each year I find that I must explain what the significance of 9-11 is as well. It is evident to me that some values can only be instilled in the home, it's sad that patriotism is one of them.

[rlbinc]

Don't judge 1942 America. They got it done.

1) We didn't initiate the war with Japan.
2) Some Japanese WERE spying for Japan - we didn't know which ones. (sound familiar?)
3) Rich and poor served. Kennedys and Bushs. Not that bad an dea for all of us to have a dog in the fight - the war ended in 3.5 years.

[Marlin]

My first job out of the Navy I worked with five Pearl Harbor survivors who had retired out of the Navy and then the civil service (several told me that their wives did not want them wandering around the house). They did not talk about it much and preferred to live in the present but I did get to talk to the Submarine Veteran about his war experiences, the subs were ignored by the Japanese but since they were all that was left much of the fight early in the war was carried out by them. My Submarine Veterans chapter had four WWII vets a couple of years ago we now only have one, been to more funerals than I care too have been to. These guys always had big smiles and humility about their experience.


 My heroes 

[Chimera]

Don't judge 1942 America. They got it done.

1) We didn't initiate the war with Japan.
2) Some Japanese WERE spying for Japan - we didn't know which ones. (sound familiar?)
3) Rich and poor served. Kennedys and Bushs. Not that bad an dea for all of us to have a dog in the fight - the war ended in 3.5 years.

3.5 years?  One could opine that WWII actually started in 1935 when Mussolini invaded Ethiopia or even 1937 when Japan invaded China.  America's part may have only lasted 3.5 years but the war started before December 1941.

[GLW]

3.5 years?  One could opine that WWII actually started in 1935 when Mussolini invaded Ethiopia or even 1937 when Japan invaded China.  America's part may have only lasted 3.5 years but the war started before December 1941.

One could opine that WW2 started in 1914, with a long cease-fire between 1918 and 1939 (1917 on the Eastern Front), aka an armistice until 1919, followed by (an) apathetic peace treaty(ies) signed by bitter, exhausted signatories with an eye to settling scores later (think Westphalia and Pyrenees, the BOP standards of which finds the world currently devolving from the bipolar BOP of our youth back to the multipower BOP of the Westphalia era - ref: Hans Morgenthau),...

as to PHD:

my great grandfather watched the attack on Pearl from Honolulu, both of my grandfathers and numerous granduncles were caught up in the violence following the day of infamy, and, regardless of the economic sanctions, the Empire of Japan drew first blood, the fallout which followed is on them, too bad, so sad, don't poke the bear moron, you might get mauled,...
 

[Ksheed]

After I finished getting ready for the day this morning, I went out the front door at sunrise and lowered my flag to half-staff. As I came back in the door, my youngest daughter asked why I lowered the flag (she does this each time I lower it). I simply said, "It's Pearl Harbor Day." She then asked me what that was. I was a little taken a back that she had no clue. I'm sure it's been discussed in the home before. I explained to her what it was and why it was significant. I then reminded her that her paternal great grandfather and two of his brothers fought in that war (one didn't make it home), and her maternal great grandfather also fought in that war.


While I'm sure it has been discussed in our home on occasion, it's probably not near enough. I'm am fairly confident that it has not been a topic of discussion at school for her, she's in 5th grade. I asked that she go to school today and ask her social studies teacher to explain what today is and why it's significant. I am quite curious to find out, when I get home, what her teacher tells the class. It seems like topics like this are rarely covered in school these days. Each year I find that I must explain what the significance of 9-11 is as well. It is evident to me that some values can only be instilled in the home, it's sad that patriotism is one of them.

Well, I thought I would update that I was somewhat surprised. My daughter told me that they watched a video about the attack at school. So I'm glad for that. They didn't go into great detail, but did explain the significance of the day.

[Chimera]

One could opine that WW2 started in 1914, with a long cease-fire between 1918 and 1939 (1917 on the Eastern Front), aka an armistice until 1919, followed by (an) apathetic peace treaty(ies) signed by bitter, exhausted signatories with an eye to settling scores later (think Westphalia and Pyrenees, the BOP standards of which finds the world currently devolving from the bipolar BOP of our youth back to the multipower BOP of the Westphalia era - ref: Hans Morgenthau),...

as to PHD:

my great grandfather watched the attack on Pearl from Honolulu, both of my grandfathers and numerous granduncles were caught up in the violence following the day of infamy, and, regardless of the economic sanctions, the Empire of Japan drew first blood, the fallout which followed is on them, too bad, so sad, don't poke the bear moron, you might get mauled,...
 

Good point - and one I've held for a long time . . . that WWII was just the end of WWI.