Pearl Harbor Remembrance

[Greg Jones]

This obviously has nothing to do with recteq grill cooking, but it troubles me that the national media has little or nothing to say today on the history of 12.7 anymore. I visited my daughter and SIL in Hawaii two months ago and visited Pearl Harbor. My SLI, a former Marine, is a contractor with the Army and while I wasn't born yet in 1941, my dad and his 4 brothers all fought in WW2. One of them, pilot in the Army Air Force, never returned from their duty in the South Pacific. My gosh, please, don’t let the events of what happened on 12.07.1941 be forgotten!

 

[Jim6820]

Thanks for posting the photos of the USS Arizona Memorial, @Greg Jones; they are an impressive reminder of the cost of our freedom. I have a bit of a different perspective on December 7, however; and, no offense intended.

Pearl Harbor Day (Dec.7) remembers the surprise attack by the Japanese and the entry of the US into the war in the Pacific. It also remembers those lost in that attack, but I don’t think it should be considered equivalent to Memorial Day or Veteran’s Day. Those two remembrances honor all who lost their lives in service to the nation, or who served the nation.

Pearl Harbor Day, in my mind, is more equivalent to the significant historical dates in the wars in the Pacific and Europe; VE Day, VJ Day, etc. With the emerging roles of Japan and Germany over the years as both friendly nations and international economic partners, it may be more appropriate to focus more on Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day to publicly honor those who have served, and especially those who have given their lives in service to the nation.

That in no way lessens my respect for all the families who lost loved ones in those wars.

 

[chadinsc]

My grand pa was in the navy, i don’t know exactly what his role was but he shot a machine gun from the side of the ship at planes and maybe other targets. He was actually able to see smoke or something from the mushroom cloud from one of the atomic bombs i was told. He died when i was about 5 years old, i sure wish i could ask him a million questions about the war now days. I actually got to see one of the attomic bomb shells in florida at the air force museum. 11ft long and 6ft high the way it was sitting. It was quite interesting to look at the shells you could tell they were built in a hurry, the welds were rough but good enough for the purpose. I call it a shell because it was empty.

 

[Greg Jones]

I made no comparison to the dates to honor Memorial Day or Veterans’s Day, and do not apologize for that. Pearl Harbor was a viscous, pre-planed, unprovoked attack. Not unlike what we have seen happen in the world recently. However, my post was to point out that we, as a nation, appear to be conveniently forgetting about that, then and now.

 

[Jim6820]

I made no comparison to the dates to honor Memorial Day or Veterans’s Day, and do not apologize for that. Pearl Harbor was a viscous, pre-planed, unprovoked attack. Not unlike what we have seen happen in the world recently. However, my post was to point out that we, as a nation, appear to be conveniently forgetting about that, then and now.

Understood,@Greg Jones, and I didn’t mean to imply that you did, nor were apologies desired or expected.

Rather, my comments were in respect to your question regarding why “the national media has little or nothing to say today on the history of 12.7 anymore.”

 

[Greg Jones]

In addition to my father and uncles’ history, my daughter and my son pictured at in the Wright Patterson AF museum in 2007. She is married to a former Marine working as a contractor to the Army and my son is an officer in the US Air Force. I’ve got more than a passing interest in how the military, now and then, is treated.

i decided to be the generation to skip military service altogether!

 

[Greg Jones]

Live Dive Not to beat this topic into the ground, but the National Park Service offers a service to deceased USS Arizona vets that survived 12.07.1941. They are entitled to a free ‘burial’ of their cremains inside the USS Arizona, where divers place them inside the hull. My daughter just sent me this-they are having a ceremony this Saturday.

 

[Roaniecowpony]

My father served in WW2, first in the Army Air Corps, then was discharged and enlisted in the USAF. My mother was a young lady, born and raised in Japan during the war. My father and mother met after the war, during the "occupation". Both are gone now. My siblings were born all over in military bases. I was born at Wright-Patterson AB. My earliest memories of being on a base in Japan were in the early 60s, just 20 years after Pearl Harbor. 20 years seems so short now.
My father passed in 85 and my mother more recently in 2017.

My wife, also of Japanese descent, and I recently saw a movie about the internment of Japanese people in California. I think it was called Come See the Paradise. I'd almost forgotten about how much discrimination and hatred I saw years ago. I'm really proud to see both countries have come so far and are now close allies. My wife has never been to Japan, and we're considering a trip there within the next year.

Here's my first recteq cook in many months.

 

[Jim6820]

My wife has never been to Japan, and we're considering a trip there within the next year.

Yes, you should take her to Japan; a beautiful country filled with wonderful people and great food. My wife and I lived there for a couple of years (way back when) and still have fond memories.

Our son and grandson have also been to Japan, participating in a high school cultural exchange and both plan to return for another visit.

As to the WWII internment camps, one of my best high school friends spent the war years in the internment camp at Tulelake, CA, with his mother and sister…while his father served in the famed 442nd Infantry Division. Talk about irony!

 

[Pacman]

As to the WWII internment camps, one of my best high school friends spent the war years in the internment camp at Tulelake, CA, with his mother and sister…while his father served in the famed 442nd Infantry Division. Talk about irony!

It was a different time for sure. A co-worker of my dad's went from Manzanar to the 442nd. When I was old enough to ask stupid questions, I found out that all 5'3" of him carried the bazooka. <Insert callous stupid question here> (Asked at lunch over sushi a long time ago).

 

[Jim6820]

I’ve known several former members of the 442nd over the years and, to a man, they were special people. And, despite the hardships they, and their families experienced, I never heard a one of them mention it. They are all gone now, but certainly not forgotten.

 

[Motodad1776]

I made no comparison to the dates to honor Memorial Day or Veterans’s Day, and do not apologize for that. Pearl Harbor was a viscous, pre-planed, unprovoked attack. Not unlike what we have seen happen in the world recently. However, my post was to point out that we, as a nation, appear to be conveniently forgetting about that, then and now.

This administration "and the one from 08-16" has actively/aggressively been erasing American history, along with other nefarious dealings and situations. We are supposed to learn from history, but it very much appears that we keep repeating it and or told to forget such. Our military has been volunteer since except for the few drafts, now the recruiting is practically dead in the water due to much of what I mentioned. I am very thankful for ALL who have served and made the ultimate sacrifices and who are serving, otherwise we would've ceased to exist as America. The MSM only reports on what they are told to, otherwise they just continue to push narratives and brainwash people with lies and propaganda........do not allow them to divide us!!!!

 

[LarryCTN]

Thank you @Greg Jones for a timely reminder of the date which will live in infamy despite the not so subtle avoidance of the topic by the so-called mainstream media. For perspective, my dad's name is chiseled in the stone within the memorial as one of 12 Marine survivors of that fateful Sunday morning. I was privileged to visit the memorial in the summer of 1969 while on R&R. As a DD214 alumnus, my view of the media is no doubt skewed by personal experience and observation. They don't get it. Semper Fi

 

[DesertRat]

My in-laws were just teens and newly married when he joined the navy. They were both on Pearl when it was bombed. He ran down to his ship and it went to see immediately. She did not hear from him for three months I believe in was. He had some burns on his arms.
In 1983 my wife and daughter privileged to her at private viewing of the Arizona with the superintendent. It is a very sobering experience knowing that those men are in tuned underneath you.

 

[DD owner]

I sailed into Pearl Harbor on the fiftieth anniversary on my ship the USS Leahy. We spent over three hours manning the rails at parade rest as we sailed past the memorial and onto port. Surreal experience as we honored some of the most selfless men this nation has known!

 

[Greg Jones]

I sailed into Pearl Harbor on the fiftieth anniversary on my ship the USS Leahy. We spent over three hours manning the rails at parade rest as we sailed past the memorial and onto port. Surreal experience as we honored some of the most selfless men this nation has known!

I agree. I don’t know if I have ever been anywhere else at any time where I felt I was so undeserving to even be in the presence of the memories of the men and women who served and died there.

 

[Motodad1776]

I agree. I don’t know if I have ever been anywhere else at any time where I felt I was so undeserving to even be in the presence of the memories of the men and women who served and died there.

I felt that way when I visited Antietam, hoping to visit Gettysburg in 2024.

 

[Greg Jones]

I felt that way when I visited Antietam, hoping to visit Gettysburg in 2024.

I used to go to Gettysburg every 5 years or so when I was a younger man. It’s a wonderful experience.