December 7, 1941
 

Thanks to all that have served and are currently serving. Rest in peace all that made the ultimate sacrifice. You will not be forgotten.

Agreed........ I am really hoping we don't go to war with North Korea .

I was living in Hawaii when they were filming the movie Tora Tora Tora. Knowing that it was just a movie and no real danger for anyone (except the several pilots that died during the filming) it was just weird seeing explosions in Pearl Harbor. I can't imagine the real terror of knowing those were real, and the people causing them wanted to inflict death and destruction on us. I guess it was no different for the civilians and service men in WW2 with bombs falling all around.

I remember back a few decades when a new neighbor was a Vietnamese immigrant. They test the tornado sirens around here at noon on Saturdays unless it is stormy. Anyway, the sirens went off and he (the new neighbor) and he almost freaked out. He could not believe we were totally calm. He had lived through air raids and it was hard for him to know at a gut level, no one is bombing us.

May we never forget....

My grandfather was a Pearl Harbor Survivor on the USS West Virginia:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1512668860.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1512668860.jpg

I was able to go to the USS Arizona Memorial around 6:30 am one morning to raise flags over her for presentation to people that were retiring. This was in 2010 while I was stationed on Oahu.

At that hour it is eerily quite yet peaceful. Obviously not an opportunity open to everyone so I feel incredibly lucky.

On another occasion I did a Boy Scout sleep over on the USS Missouri. We were able to go to the bow and look at the Arizona at night. Simply incredible.

That entire place is a must see.

The USS Utah is located in around the corner of Ford Island from the Arizona. She was sank during the attack as well. There is a civilian baby in her hull. A Sailor had the remains of one of his twin daughters on board to scatter her ashes at sea when the attack occurred.
Funeral Held for Baby Entombed Within USS Utah

There are still 60 Sailors in the Utah hull. Because she is moored off Ford Island (a small island within Pearl Harbor) you typically need a DOD ID to get entrance and see the memorial.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1512671845.jpg

I went to the Arizona Memorial for the first time when I was in Honolulu earlier this year. It really is a must see. Two things that surprised me were the still leaking diesel fuel and the number of survivors who many years later had their ashes interred with their fellow seaman who lost their lives in the attack. Truly the greatest generation.

I visited the Memorial when we went to Hawaii some 30+ years ago (before we had kids, that's how I can date it). We only spent about half an hour there as my wife wanted to see the rest of the island. I could have spent a whole day there. Very moving experience just the same.

Very sad but so few pay tribute to Dec 7, 1941.

Thanks for the post!

Yes! may we never forget.
If you all ever have an opportunity to visit the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, La.
It's well worth the visit, plan on giving it the whole day.