A Day To Remember

 

      52 years ago today one of the most memorable events in history occurred - the surprise attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor.  It was an event which changed not only this country, but the entire world.  I wish I had thought to ask my parents what they were doing when they first heard the stunning report of the attack.  I was probably rolling over in my crib because I was eight months and one day old at that time.  All that I remember in the years that followed were the blackouts and going downtown in Wilmington, Delaware, with my father, to watch the celebration when the peace treaty was signed.  
        When war was declared my father was hired to teach math and physics to the air force cadets at Susquehanna University.  Then, with his physics background, he was hired to work on the Manhattan Project, a research and development project that produced the first atomic bombs.  That is what took us to Delaware.
        The generation that served our country during that time must have been one of the most exceptional generations in history.  Unfortunately, most of them have now passed away, and I often wonder what would happen today if we faced a similar attack.  Four of my uncles served, all in the European theater.  Three of them have now passed away.  
          My Uncle John who will be 95 in two weeks has an amazing handwritten, 20 page story of his experiences during those years.  I am astonished as I read of the sacrifices that he made, including his part in D Day, to protect our country and preserve the freedom of others.  I can't even imagine what it must have been like to endure those hardships and dangers that they went through.  Some of his experiences were much like those shared in the excellent video series, Band of Brothers.  If you haven't watched that, you should.  Twice we were with him on the anniversary of D Day and he was very distracted as he vividly remembered and shared, hour by hour, what happened on that unbelievable day. He actually quoted "The Charge of the Light Brigade" before they left for the shore. What powerful memories.
       An interesting story from the Pearl Harbor attack concerns Mitsuo Fuchida, a Japanese captain in the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service and a bomber aviator in the Japanese navy. He is known for leading the first air wave attacks on Pearl Harbor.  Fuchida was responsible for the coordination of the entire aerial attack. After the war ended, Fuchida became a Christian evangelist and traveled through the United States and Europe to tell his story. I actually heard him speak at a Lancaster CBMC banquet and actually have his autograph. He settled permanently in the United States but never became a U.S. citizen.
         And while others have gone through, and are even today going through, similar dangers and wars, this particular generation stands out in my mind.  It wasn't only the men who served on the front lines, but all of the citizens who sacrificed for the war effort.  Never, in my lifetime, have we had a similar experience which required the mobilization and sacrifice of all of our citizens.  Hopefully that may never be required again because I don't think the same response could ever happen today, especially with a society which is used to lives of luxury without serious demands and sacrifices.  Thankfully, today some, especially our young men and women, still volunteer and put their lives on the line to serve and protect us.  May God keep them safe.
          So today I just want to express my thanks to all of those who gave so much so that I could live with the freedoms that I enjoy.  I just pray that the liberal left, the atheists, the media, the "politically correct", and especially our courts, don't take away those precious freedoms from us.  Together they could create a more crushing blow than a Pearl Harbor attack could ever have done.  And if you know somebody who is still alive and served in World War II, sit down with them and listen to what they endured.  Better yet, record it.  It will be a special time for you and chances to do that will not last much longer.  And please thank them for putting their lives on the line for our generations.