Thursday, December 07, 2006

Last Post

No, not for The Old New Englander, for Pearl Harbor veterans.

Today marks the 65th anniversary of the Day of Infamy, and it will be the last reunion for Pearl Harbor survivors, now in their 80's and 90's. It's a reminder that time wears on, and memory ceases to be personal and becomes historical.
It is also a time to take a moment to think of the men and women who were caught unawares that Sunday in December, suddenly thrust into the middle of a war that had engulfed most of the rest of the world for years. They did not win a victory that day, but their courage inspired the nation and set the stage for the effort that won the war.
"Many years have passed, yet still I wonder why
The worst of men must fight, and the best of men must die"
Ballad of the Reuben James, Woody Guthrie and Fred Hellerman
(If you get a chance, get a copy of FDR's speech to Congress the day after the Pearl Harbor attack, in which he coined the phrase "Day of Infamy." Amazing that that speech was written literally overnight. Even better, try to listen to a recording of the speech; the man's delivery was amazing.)

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