A Date in Infamy

December 7, 1941 dawned like any other average American Sunday: people got up, dressed, went to church, ate breakfast and read the morning paper. The military in Hawaii ran through their usual routine of reveille, raising the Flag and attending morning services. Suddenly airplanes filled the sky and bombs rained down from above. As the sailors looked on, the Japanese pressed home their surprise attack and to great advantage. When the smoke cleared, the Japanese had sunk eight US battleships, three cruisers, three destroyers, a minelayer and an anti-aircraft training vessel, destroyed 188 aircraft, killed 2,402 men and wounded 1282 more. All for the cost of a paltry 29 Japanese aircraft and five midget submarines destroyed and 65 servicemen killed. And yet, despite being surrounded by disaster and despair, our soldiers kept their heads and acted with remarkable bravery. Medics went about their duties, saving lives, gunners remained at their posts, and a few very brave American pilots mounted their steel horses and took the fight to the Japanese. Despite overwhelming opposition, these amazing men fought with everything they had and made a small, but important, difference. As we face an age where terrorism and surprise attacks are so common as to become unimportant, let us remember the "date which will live in infamy" and those real life heroes who gave their lives in that treacherous attack. Thank you to all American soldiers, past and present. And to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice I say this: it was not in vain. We are forever grateful.