Remember Pearl Harbor!

[JB]

On 12/7/1941 I sat with my family and listened to the news reports of the attack on Pearl Harbor. I was barely old enough to understand what was happening.<br /><br />On 12/7/1954 I stood on a small platform built over the bridge of USS Arizona and peered into the slightly silty water at the "tub" where a forward turret had been. I watched droplets of oil rise from the hull and burst into little rainbow colored pools on the surface. My companion was an Air Controller who had been in the Ford Island NAS tower that fateful morning. As he narrated for me the events of that day, tears rolled down his cheeks.<br /><br />Today, we honor those who died that day, and in the next 4 years, and remember that we must always be vigilant and prepared to fight if fight we must.<br /><br />We must not forget 9/11/2001, the day of unthinkable evil, but let us not forget the Day of Infamy.<br /><br />Red sky at night. . .<br />JB

 

[Backlash]

Re: Remember Pearl Harbor!

Well said Sir! <br />Semper Fi!<br />Backlash<br />SgtMaj, USMC (Ret)

 

[12Footer]

Re: Remember Pearl Harbor!

What a rare and honored privlage that was, JB!!!! I have never been there, and hope to before I slip away,to salute those souls.<br />

<br />The strongest nation on the planet is the one that is based on Freedom, fairness and resolve.

 

[Trailbum]

Re: Remember Pearl Harbor!

Thanks for sharing that with us JB. I hope to someday visit the Arizona Memorial and pay tribute to the men who made the ultimate sacrifice...<br /> Bill USN 1982-1988

 

[JB]

Re: Remember Pearl Harbor!

Time to bump this.

 

[Carphunter]

Re: Remember Pearl Harbor!

Amen to that!<br /><br />Very well said, like always JB.

 

[NYMINUTE]

Re: Remember Pearl Harbor!

Our younger generation now can understand the horror of Pearl harbor, after being blind sided on 9-11. The picture my dad painted of that day is still vivid. Never Forget where our freedom comes from.

 

[KaGee]

Re: Remember Pearl Harbor!

I have been to the Arizona grave sight. A very solemn experience. <br /><br />A friend of mine's father is a veteran of the Pacific war... he's ailing in health. We are losing our WWII veterans at a large rate. I for one will continue to observe the sacrifice our men and women made not only at Pearl Harbor, but throughout the whole world. God bless their souls.<br /><br />

 

[tcube]

Re: Remember Pearl Harbor!

I was privileged to be at Pearl Harbor and Hickam AFB, Dec 7, 1981 – the 40th anniversary of the attack. During the weekend several survivors took my wife and I around showing us where they had been that fateful day. They showed us the pockmarked walls of their barracks on Hickam – now HQ Pacific Air Forces. They took us to the Arizona Memorial. They scanned the horizons to show us how the attackers came in. <br />It was a most memorable day filled with tears – theirs and ours.<br />I think often of those brave vets we met that day – I guess not many are alive today.

 

[tylerin]

Re: Remember Pearl Harbor!

I've been to the Memorial on more than one occasion. What always surprised me (I was a kid both times) was the amount of Japenese people taking the tour

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Remember Pearl Harbor!

I will go to Pearl Harbor before I expire.<br /><br />Thanks for the post JB.<br /><br />Ken

 

[tcube]

Re: Remember Pearl Harbor!

DoD Memorial Page: http://www.defenselink.mil/home/features/Pearl_Harbor/index.html

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Remember Pearl Harbor!

Originally posted by NYMINUTE:<br /> Our younger generation now can understand the horror of Pearl harbor, after being blind sided on 9-11. The picture my dad painted of that day is still vivid. Never Forget where our freedom comes from.

so true

 

[ob]

Re: Remember Pearl Harbor!

Pearl Harbor will indeed be remembered.I was home ported at Pearl Harbor aboard the USS Beaufort ATS-2.While in port ,we conducted a ceremony of retirement adjacent to the USS Arizona Memorial,for Master Chief Belk,whose last duty station was aboard the Beaufort.He retired as a Master Chief Hull Tech but in his earlier years of inlistment he was a gunners mate.This ceremony was attended by several of his ex-shipmates as well as some high ranking brass , to include the present base commander as well as the entire crew of Beaufort.Some of his ex-shipmates gave speaches of rememberence ,one of which was how gunner Belk single handedly manned a gun turret and attempted to defend his ship which was finally sunk as it exited the Harbor.He was one of several survivors.Some of his shipmates were not as fortunate.While these short speaches were being conducted there was not a dry eye on deck,including Master Chief Belk,which by the way ,had never told us (Beaufort shipmates) any of these events while he served aboard Beaufort for the last two years of his 36 year career.His wife and son were also in attendance of this ceremony,flown in from stateside.Thereafter,any time any of us guys exited the base gate near the Memorial,we always gave a heartfelt hand salute.

 

[62_Kiwi]

Re: Remember Pearl Harbor!

Here is a link to the story of my grandfather's cousin, Les Coe who served on the USS Nevada and survived Pearl Harbour. After the war he had a distinguished career in the Los Angeles Fire Dept. An action packed life by all accounts. He passed away in 1995, R.I.P.<br /><br /> http://www.pearlharborsurvivors.homestead.com/CoeLes.html

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Remember Pearl Harbor!

God Bless those men and women who lost their lives that day. War is not nice or pleasant whether you agree or disagree with it. Allies and enemys have every right to pay respect for their lost loves. <br /><br />I have spent time watching the movies on the history channel of the events of the pacific. It is truely sad to know what occured to keep our freedom.<br /><br />Thanks for bringing this to my attention JB...

 

[DJ]

Re: Remember Pearl Harbor!

Heard a story today. I believe it to be true.<br /><br />A young soldier, in the late eighties, visits the Arizona Memorial. He sees an ederly Asian man there, who turns out to be Japanese. He asks the daughter, who is bi-lingual, why the old man seems distraught? She asks the old man why and he replies, through her as an interpretor, "this was not honorable".<br /><br />We must NEVER forget. Nor, shall we forget 9/11.<br /><br />I pray, daily, that we as a society do not become hardened and we remember how awful those events were. We need to remember what we are.<br /><br />I cannot see how spreading freedom is evil. I will take that belief to my grave.<br /><br />Thanks JB.