Today is the 73rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor by the nation of Japan. It was to my parents' generation what the al-Qaeda attacks of 9/11 were to our generation. Looking back to that day I am amazed by the way that our relationship with Japan and Germany has evolved to where it is today. My hope is for a similar future reconciliation with the countries who supported the heinous acts of 9/11. I look to a day in which we are friends and not enemies.
... originally posted in 2012
I think I have told you before, if not I will share something again.
ReplyDeleteMy Father in Law was stationed in Hawaii at Scholfield. It is just off of Pearl Harbor.
A few days before the attack, Dad was told to take his rifle home and be prepared since trouble was expected.
Sunday morning dawned and a very pregnant Mother in Law was getting ready to go to church and teach Sunday School. Dad was called to go to the base for an emergency. MIL said to hurry back because she needed the car to go to church. FiL said this is war and went off.
Dad came back later safely (a lot of the details of what went on are missing. They really never wanted to talk about it) The church that Mom was to go to was bombed and destroyed. Fortunately no one was there yet.
The house that they were living in on base was straffed. They had to live in black out conditions and my Hubby was born 3 weeks later on Jan. 1 in King Kamaamah High School. All the schools were turned into hospitals for the wounded and ill.
Mom did talk about how hard it was to change the baby in the dark and how she got in trouble base police for turning on a light to find something. The light could be seen from a crack in the blackout shade.
A few weeks later Hubby and Mom sailed back to San Francisco on a Military transport. Dave's stroller/bed was a wicker laundry basket.
So grateful the entire family survived but there is so much sorrow for the men and women that were killed because of the lack of information and disbelief that this could happen to US.
Its just like 9/11.
What an amazing story. Thanks for sharing Sue!
ReplyDeleteMy dad was also stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. He left there a year or so before the attack. Fortunately he left the military before the war as his battalion was wiped out in North Africa a year later.
How interesting about your Dad too.
DeleteI reread my post and oh my, the words I didn't spell correctly and words left out. I'm glad you could understand it anyway.
I wish I had more info. on the bombing from the inlaws but they have been gone for many years. When we are young those incidents just sit on the back burner because we think there is always lots of time. Then it's too late.
I so resonate with your words Sue! There are many things that I wished I had asked my Dad and Mom. Glad we have Ann's mom who is 96 and has the greatest stories!
DeleteThat would be wonderful if we could all just get along!
ReplyDelete