December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor......

[nighthawk]

A Date Which Will Live In Infamy. A moment of silence for the over 2,402+ men and women of the greatest generation who on that day laid down their lives in the name of liberty. A show of honor, of deep gratitude for all who stood through the battle that day as well as many more battles to come. Without the incredible courage of our parents and grandparents we would not enjoy the liberties we have today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor

We are forever in their debt.

[Steven McGarthwaite]

December 7th, 1941 changed the United States forever, from a nation of pacifist to a nation of warriors! Since December 7th 1941 the USA military has never stood down! Since December 7th 1941 the USA has be the Arsenal of Democracy throughout the world. December 8th 1941 was the last time the United States has ever declared war on another nation (even though we fought in Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf and Afghanistan).

Currently our military is over stretched and the Reserve Federal Soldiers and National Guard Soldiers have be called up to multiple tours of duty in Combat Zones. While those at home have gone on with their daily lives...........

Deanna Travis wrote a article in her LadyFisher column, for Memorial Day in 2001, about what it was like in the United States when December 7th happened.

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/arti.../ldy052801.php

It was not until May 27th 2001, that the U.S. Government declared that a WWII National Memorial Monument (to be cared for by the U.S. Park Service) would be built on the Capital Mall in Washington D.C. The WWII National Memorial Monument, opened to the public April 27th 2004. 59 years after the end of WWII! My father who served in WWII died in 1996 at the age of 78, and never got to see the WWII National Memorial .

For some of us who have served our country in uniform, and have returned home to civilian life, our military service was to the Constitution, an we came home to a citizenry that scorned us.... or forgotten our service to Our Constitution....

Ask yourselves this question, what if the United States of America and all their allies, had lost WWII, to the Nazi Germans, Italians, and Japanese? Would you be enjoy the freedoms that you really never think about. What if....we had won War II but lost the Cold War to the Soviet Union? Would I even be allowed to blog this message? Those who have worn the uniform, gone in harms way, to return home whole/wounded/permanently crippled; have been forgotten. So too have those in WWII overseas, that are now resting in Military Cemeteries throughout the World, having been forgotten!

I Was, I Am, I Will Always Be A U.S. Soldier! Honoring all those who have served our Nation in times of need.

SFC Steven H. McGarthwaite
Vietnam Veteran
U.S. Army Retired, 1968-1995

[Uncle Jesse]

As I was leaving my doctor's office this morning I had a discussion with another patient about a 40 year old lady who did not know what Pearl Harbor day was about. I fear greatly our government schools do not emphasize the cost of freedom that the many generations have paid. The men and women who responded to the attack on Pearl Harbor, along with our Allies around the world, not only saved America but the entire world from tyranny.

I just heard on the radio that there were 3,000 survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor left and they voted not to end their association. I hope some young bureaucrat is not pestering these heroes of the greatest struggle in history. First they deserve to do pretty much as they please, second they whipped better men than most in Washington on their way to a fight.

Below are a few of the photos from the WWII Memorial


WWII10.jpgWWII 7.jpgWWII 9.jpgWWII 8.jpg

[Steve Molcsan]

We are forever in their debt..

[Steve Molcsan]

When the Music Stopped...
(For those who are unaware: At all military base theaters,the National Anthem is played before the movie begins.)

This is written from a Chaplain in Iraq :

I recently attended a showing of 'Superman 3' here at LSA Anaconda. We have a large auditorium we use for movies, as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom at all military bases, we stood to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going well until three-quarters of the way through The National Anthem, the music stopped.

Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments, and everyone would sit down and yell for the movie to begin. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place.

Here in Iraq , 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again and the Soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. But again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would you expect 1000 Soldiers standing at attention to do?? Frankly, I expected some laughter, and everyone would eventually sit down and wait for the movie to start.

But No!!... You could have heard a pin drop, while every Soldier continued to stand at attention.

Suddenly,there was a lone voice from the front of the auditorium, then a dozen voices, and soon the room was filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers, finishing where the recording left off:

"And the rockets' red glare,

the bombs bursting in air,

gave proof through the night

that our flag was still there.

Oh, say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave,

o'er the land of the free,

and the home of the brave."

It was the most inspiring moment I have had in Iraq and I wanted you to know what kind of Soldiers are serving you. Remember them as they fight for us!

Pass this along as a reminder to others to be ever in prayer for all our soldiers serving us here at home and abroad. Many have already paid the ultimate price.

Written by Chaplain Jim Higgins.
LSA Anaconda is at the Ballad Airport in Iraq , north of Baghdad .

Please share only if you are so inclined. God Bless America and all of our troops serving throughout the world.

[Uncle Jesse]

Steve, I had either heard that story before or maybe saw a video. America's young people have been our heroes for many years. It was guys mostly in their late teens and twenties that won WWII.

Here are a few more photos from the WWII Memorial in D.C. The first photo is a wall of 4,000 stars, each star indicates the death of 1,000 U.S. soldiers, sailor or air men in WWII. The second are the words of Harry Truman at the end of the war and Douglas McArthur also at the end of the war.

WWII 6.jpgWWII 4.jpgWWII 3.jpg

[Big Bad Wulff]

Didn't hear a thing about Pearl Harbor in the "news" yesterday. Shame.

[Uncle Jesse]

I'll bet you a RC and a Moon Pie you will hear about the anniversary of John Lennon death today.

[DaveP63]

I doesn't suprise me that there are 40 year olds out there that don't know what Pearl Harbor day is all about. Yesterday there were people that came in the main gate onto our installation that stopped to ask. I'm sure, that given revisionist history, that we probably engineered the attack ourselves or went out of our way to ask for it.

I better shut up before I explode.

[narcodog]

As was noted above There was just one small mention of the Day yesterday on the news. In past years you would here about the Day on every channel and radio. As time goes on we as a nation become softer to our history and for those that served. Yes there some that remember and those are the folks we here from but for the most part no one remembers or cares.

My Dad and two uncles served in WWII and of course I remember. One Uncle was killed on

Iwo

the other survived the battle of

Lehi

Straights. My Dad was a POW for 18 months in Germany. It was

tuff

times for the folks back home for all involved and the whole country, for the most part, stood behind the war effort. I have some of the letters that were exchanged between my Dad and Uncle with my Grandparents which I read from time to time. Many to my Dad where heavily

censored

by both the US and German war machine.