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“A Date Which will Live in Infamy”
By Charlie
From December 7th 1941 to August 14, 1945, the US fought a long and brutal campaign in the pacific. This bloody campaign included the Normandy-size invasion of Okinawa, naval sparring in the Coral Sea, and gave us names like Iwo Jima, Midway, and Guadalcanal. The fighting culminated with the employment of two of the most devastating weapons in the history of mankind.
All of this started on December 7th, this day in history. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a monumental event, a 9/11, but with a militarized empire backing it up rather than a shadowy terrorist network. The importance of this date cannot be understated, and has ties to the global war we are now engaged in. Facing a global threat after Pearl Harbor, the US invaded…North Africa with Operation Torch.
My grandfather fought in the Island hopping campaign in the Pacific as a Marine paratrooper, and doesn’t talk much about his experience to this day. We anguish over our casualties in Iraq, and I have lost friends there, but imagining casualties of over 100,000 killed and 250,000 wounded or missing is difficult for any of us to conceptualize.
So this day will be remembered, not only because of its significance to the country, but because it was a moment in time that harkened back to the Revolution- in 1941 the minutemen shouldered their rifles and went to war when called, just as they did in 1776, just as they did in 2001, and as they will do in the future in time of great peril.
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Sir,
Was your grandfather with the 1st Parachute Battalion by any chance?
Sir,
Was your grandfather with the 1st Parachute Battalion by any chance? I had a Great Uncle who was with them who was killed on Gavutu.
"....harkened back to the Revolution- in 1941 the minutemen shouldered their rifles and went to war when called, just as they did in 1776, just as they did in 2001, and as they will do in the future in time of great peril."
Bump.
Nice post.
Doug Santo
Pasadena, CA
My grandfather, MoMM2(SS), lied about his age to enlist in the US Navy. He joined the Submarine Force and qualified onboard USS R-14 (SS91), and then served on USS CABEZON (SS334) during its only war patrol. While he does not talk much about the war, he is very proud of his service.
Likewise, my father-in-law lied about his age to serve in the Navy, and served as aircrew on PBY's.
Amazing the dedication the youth of the day had for the country...
All who served, or serve should be proud. Thanks.
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Watching the Ken Burns series "The War" really shows how pampered and spoiled we are today.
When I hear people complain that the war today has lasted longer than our participation in WW2, I remind them that we had over 460,000 killed in those 4 years, we had a draft and the economy was totally imersed into the war effort, rationing etc. The only people today who are sacrificing in todays war are the military and some civilian agencys and their familys, the rest of America goes on with their lives,their biggest decision is" would you like to super size that meal?"