Remember

[greatbear]

December 7, 1941. A day that will live in infamy.

Everyone knows (or SHOULD know) that this date marks when the Japanese invaded Pearl Harbor, resulting in 2,390 deaths and injuring 1,178, and, of course, the entry of the United States into World War II. Today was the 65th anniversary of the attack. Not as well known are the gatherings of the survivors, held every five years since that terrible day. Surviving servicemen, women and civilians, bonded together by their ordeal and sacrifice, meet to pay respects to their fallen brothers, catch up on each others' lives, and to remind us of the human part of that tragedy. But today I read of yet another tragedy. The survivors, their numbers dwindling, their health and abilities failing, might mark this as their last gathering.

I really choked up on hearing that. With most of those people in their 80s and 90s, it's unclear how many will be able to make the trip from whereabouts they live, or if they may even be alive five years from now. While history will continue to recount the events of that day and how WWII changed the world, humanity will eventually lose their direct link to that event. There will be no one left who was there that day. No one left to tell their story. No one to remind us of the horrors. And no one who remembers their fallen comrades.

It will truly be one for the books.

It is now up to us to remember. And more importantly, to thank them for all they have done. Then, now, and in the future.

Comments

[ciddyguy.livejournal.com]

Reminder there are stil plenty who were young when it all began. And it came on her birthday too. She's still alive and kicking thankyouverymuch at 75. We celebrate her 75th birthday this weekend.

So the links will stil be there, but not quite as direct as those who actually were adults at the time, either as civilians here in the States or in the war itself.

[carytown.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this post. My father is a WWII navy vertan of the pacifc theatre. I understand the contribution he made to my life. Not just the obvious fathering duties, but for the eventual freedoms that enable me to live my life today.

[nyrimmer.livejournal.com]

My uncle was a tail gunner in a B 29 in the war. I shared a room with him thru my childhood and can still remember his stories about how he had to shoot down attacking planes and seeing his buddies going down in flames 500 miles from nowhere into the ocean.After that he would never fly in an airplane again,never married or had any kind of social life at all except for his family.He and countless others paid dearly for what we had in the years after.

Connected to this Date

[m-f-patterson.livejournal.com]

Dec 7th is always an important day for me. My Great Uncle was the renown big band leader "Harry Owens". The night of the 6th, he and his band were performing for a private party on one of the ships (I lost the name right now, shit). They did their gig and left. Obviously the next morning was disaster. It's always cool to tell this story.