A Day of infamy

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s speech on December 8, 71 years ago included the memorable line, "Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." The day before Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. An audio recording of Roosevelt’s speech can be heard by clicking on the following link, http://www.hark.com/clips/ctfymbtwxs-december-7-1941-a-date-which-will-live-in-infamy. The attack, preceded by months of negotiations and political maneuvering, was the trigger pulled propelling the United States into World War Two.

The rhythmic splash of ocean water against the hulls interrupted men sleeping or showering in preparation for church on that Sunday morning in 1941. Nearly twelve hundred sailors, soldiers and Marines were killed when Japanese pilots flew as low as 100' above the ground while dropping huge bombs on U. S. ships. One soldier relates how while showering he heard loud blasts and ran onto the deck wrapped in a towel and exchanged waves with a grinning Japanese pilot as he released his deadly payload.

Several years ago Pat and I visited Pearl Harbor Memorial while vacationing. The memorial straddles the USS Arizona, the burial site for most of those who were killed. While we had read about the Japanese attack in history textbooks and heard stories told by parents and friends who were alive that day, we were not prepared for the solemn experience the day of our visit. Visitors to the memorial stand immediately above the watery tombs of men who gave their lives in service to our nation. Minutes before we were conversing about the gorgeous scenery, the warm sun, the perfect sea breeze and where we would eat lunch. And then . . . well, we just weren’t prepared for the deeply moving moment.

Surviving eye witnesses to the attack are few. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported this morning’s edition, "Sailor Ralph Jeffers was eating eggs, bacon, and sausage in the mess hall on the Curtiss about 8:00 a.m. when he was startled by a loud explosion. He looked through a hatch, saw the battleship Utah listing, then ran topside to man a .50-caliber gun." Survivors went on to marry, rear families and work industriously, but "the day of infamy" remains the pivotal moment of their lives. Today’s Inquirer quotes the leader of a Pearly Harbor group, "If the United States is vigilant, ‘it won’t have to go through that again,’ said Large, of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors. ‘If the government remembered the survivors’ motto, ‘Remember Pearl Harbor, Keep America Alert,’ I don’t think 9/11 would have happened."

The Apostle Paul’s Holy Spirit inspired words are appropriate on this Pearl Harbor Day. "Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

"But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self–controlled." – 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6