December 7, 1941

[1937hd45]

One of my regrets in life is not asking my Dad more questions about his tour of duty during WWII. If you were here on Sunday December 7, 1941 what were your first hand memories of the day? To all the veterans, Thank you.

[another old car]

December 7 . 1941

yep today we drove the 41 around today - in honor of the few left, that were there - my dad was one of them - veteran of Pearl Harbor - he passed away many years ago - this month

That man is deeply missed

and when we get that smile from the older folks while we were out today

you know just seeing that car driving down road , puts them in a place & time long ago

God Bless Veterans that gave it all

[Peter J.Heizmann]

Nice thoughts, Bob and RJ...very meaningful and important.

Well...don't know if the following is proper, however, it is the wording on the Berks County, Reading, PA Vietnam Veterans Memorial. We Vietnam Vets built it in 1988, and, the wording, as well as fund raising took over 3 years to bring to fruition. The capital letters are engraved in 5 steps leading to the top and the meaning is in parenthesis. I firmly believe these words are applicable to all wars, and, especially, the WWII vets:

TO THOSE WHO LAUGHED

TO THOSE WHO CRIED

TO THOSE WHO FOUGHT

TO THOSE WHO TRIED

TO THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR VERY LIVES - WE REMEMBER

TO THOSE WHO LAUGHED (directed at those who joked how they deceived/avoided serving)

TO THOSE WHO CRIED (in honor of the mothers/fathers/aunts/friends of those who gave the ultimate. Also, meant to honor the relatives of the cowards to bring peace within themselves.)

TO THOSE WHO FOUGHT (in honor of those who served and survived.)

TO THOSE WHO TRIED (in honor of those who tried to serve, however, could not due to a physical disability, were ordered to remain stateside, or, at a base in a safe zone despite volunteering to serve.)

TO THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR VERY LIVES - WE REMEMBER

The main purpose of the above wording is to bring everyone together as war touches many no matter what their capacity or status at the time.

Peter J.

[John N. Packard]

My father did not own a car in 1941. We were invited on a Sunday afternoon drive by friends. The car radio was on and I believe the program was the Shadow. It was interrupted to announce the attack on Pearl Harbor. As a five-year-old I didn't fully understand what was happening; but I was certainly aware of the fact that the adults were very concerned by the announcement. Can't remember the make of auto; but would guess that it was a Chevy.

jnp

[DizzyDale]

Dear Peter,Thank You for reminding me what is important.diz

[Guest greg72monte]

Thank you to all the veterans who served and died for our freedom!

[48LCCOUPE]

..........All Gave Some

..........Some Gave All

[R W Burgess]

Thanks Pedro, A special Memorial your group put together. My father never said much about his time in service. A special Uncle of mine passed away a few years ago. At his funeral I learned he was among the special group of solders that fought at the Battle of the Bulge. He had never talked about it to his family while alive. Another one of those situations you try to forget, if you're ever involved in a serious conflict. God bless all of our military. Wayne

[Guest Hal Davis (MODEL A HAL)]

Way before my time, but my Daddy was 9 and remembers being at the movie theatre when it was announced. After the movie, my grandfather went to the news stand to get a paper to get more information.

[Ron Green]

I was out buying some tools Sunday the 7th and when talking to various people I reminded them that today was Pearl Harbor day and guess what, not one of them remembered.

My father also was in WWII and in fact received one of his two purple hearts as he was nailed by a kamikaze. They just finished watching a movie and him and his buddy were walking on the flight deck when he turned right to go see if he had gotten any mail. When the plane hit it killed his buddy and wounded him as he was far enough away. As each year passes so do many of these stories.

[Jack Harlin]

To ALL of You

I dont know quite how to say it, other than to thank all of you,

for your kind remarks. I dont know how many others in here may have

served in WWII & Korea, But thank I you for them also. Jack

[6219_Rules]

My Grandad McGrew served as a machine gunner in the trenches of France in WWI. He survived, which was a miracle in itself.

My Uncle Ayers, Grandad's adopted son, served honorably in the Army Aircorp, 7th Corp, out of Pearl Harbor as a Captain in MI. He saw action all the way up through the Phillipines. He told some stories but not many...it was too gruesome to remember.

My Father's cousin Tommy fought in France as a tank commando. He survived too.

I remember them now that they are gone, both for their service, and bravery, but mostly as members of my family who I knew and loved.

There are too many to tell from the past...but keeping them in mind keeps them alive.

[Guest BillP]

Over the mantle in the family room is a Civil war era trap-door Springfield rifle, carried by one of the boys way back on my Dad's side. Grandad was an officer in World War I, Dad drove a double-bottom fuel truck through France and Italy for the Ninth Air Force, Uncle Bob was a B-29 bombardier, Uncles Pete & Ted were WWII Navy, Mom's cousin died in a glider over Normandy on D-day; I joined the Navy after high school and went to Vietnam. Glad I went, glad it's over.

[novaman]

Wayne, Your special Uncle and my neighbor that passed away 3 yrs ago may have served together or at least were working together in the larger picture as he too fought at the Battle of the Bulge. He had still had shrapnel in his hands.

My dad was in the Air Force in the late 50's. Not sure what years exactly. His overseas duty was Alaska (wasn't a state then). I know a lot of other veterns and have a lot of respect for what they have endured, in thier service to our country. To keep this country free and protected.

To all veterns, Thank you.

[R W Burgess]

You're right, David. I'm not sure if my Uncle was wounded of not. He never spoke of it. My Aunt said he used to got to the reunions, but they took too much out of him, and he didn't want to endure the pain of the memory anymore. He eventually stopped. And, I learned this after he had died, sad! Wayne

[jrbartlett]

My father, Homer Bartlett, survived the Pearl Harbor attack while serving onboard the U.S.S. Phoenix, a light cruiser that was anchored off the end of Battleship Row, near where the museum is today. He served on the anti-aircraft gun crew, and said the sort of things you've heard many others say -- "We first thought it was a drill." He didn't like to talk about the attack, or the battles of the next four years. But he loved his time in the Navy, and his shipmates, and the stunts they pulled while on liberty. Those are the stories we did hear about. Later in life he became an antique car fan, serving as president of the Gulf Coast Region AACA and owning a '29 Packard 640 club sedan, 28 Dodge Victory 6, 30 LaSalle phaeton, 29 DeSoto roadster, 31 Reo Royale coupe, 38 Chrysler convertible coupe, 40 LaSalle convertible coupe, 49 Jeepster and 65 Mustang. He died years ago, but the family still has the Chrysler and LaSalle.

[John N. Packard]

I carpooled for 16+ years with two WWII veterans. I've heard every one of their war stories many times during our two hour per day commute. They both served in the South Pacific, one as a Navy aviator and the other as a Seabee. The aviator flew mail in to the troops as well as other contraband (cigarettes & liquor) that he was able to get on board. At the end of the war he signed his own release orders, bought a '37 Packard convertible and drove home to Baltimore from the west coast. A buddy totaled his car when he got home; so sadly the Packard no longer exists.

jnp

[Guest]

The sign in front of the VA hospital here in Cheyenne also says a great deal about our servicemen from all wars.

<span style="font-weight: bold">THE PRICE OF FREEDOM IS VISIBLE HERE</span>

HVS

[Old Crabby]

A bit of family lore but perhaps appropriate.

My maternal grandfather,Henry Dewey enlisted in 1917 to "watch over" his brother,the eldest son,upon whom the family pinned all it's hopes.

A bit of favoratism was involved in keeping them in the same unit,as well as promoting them to officer status as their great uncle was Admiral George Dewey, hero of Manila Bay in the spanish-american war in 1898.

In 1918 as it has been related, there was the hellish battle of Belleau Wood,well known to students of the "great war".

My grandfather was within arm's length of his brother who precipitately led a charge up a slight incline only to be cut down by concentrated german machine gun fire.

His family never forgave him for "allowing his brother to die".

My father, on the other hand, spent the WWII years as a government inspector of aircraft engines and components since scoliosis and post-polio syndrome prevented him from assuming a more active role.

[novaman]

I like listening to the stories our veterans have about the wars. I have found some that are very willing to talk about their experiences and others that just won't. I can understand them not wanting to talk about certain events because of what happened. But should have been things that they could talk about, the funny things that happened or even, a short summary of where they served. Some just won't say anything. I personally can't see it doing them good to remain withdrawn. I can understand it in like ex98thdrill's case, having just been there, but not after some 20 or 30 years later.

My girlfriend's father served in the Pacific Theater. He was from a very, very small town in NC. The only thing she knows about her dad's service was he was a gunner and the first time he saw a Japanese Zero, he yelled and pointed his finger at it. He was then told to shoot it with the gun and <span style="font-weight: bold">NOT</span> his finger. He told her this about 1985 while in the hospital dying from cancer. It was the first time he had said anything about the war.

My neighbor told me about the Battle of the Bulge. He didn't get into the gory details. Just the basic, first hand version. Also told me about maneuvers he group and some others were doing in the English Channel when attacked by a German submarine. Told me about one of the things he was required to learn was to shoot a single shot from a fully automatic (think it was the M1) gun. He told me the trick to squeezing off that one shot.

I know several POWs, one of, which was mere skin and bone after being held in a German camp. The things that man went through would make your skin crawl.

The personal stories fill in where the schools stopped teaching. And the schools leave you with faceless facts about the wars, not tell the whole story. About the hardships of survival in the other country's climate, interacting with civilians there, dealing with language barriers among the locals, other friendly troops from another country, etc.

With what I have learned in the 17 yrs I've been in NC and interacting with more Veterans, and learning some of the local history (planes were built at Fairchild in Burlington, NC. 10 miles from here) the WWII has taken on a whole new importance in history to me. I know people who were there. WWII now has faces and names to go with the facts.

[Dave@Moon]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Some just won't say anything. I personally can't see it doing them good to remain withdrawn. </div></div>

It doesn't do the families much good as well. My father-in-law was an ethnic Russian living in Latvia. Turning 16 in 1943, he had to make a choice, did he fight for Hitler or Stalin?

He emigrated here in 1950, so you know he didn't fight for Stalin. He was the reason they were in Latvia to begin with. All we ever knew about his service was that for a portion of it he tended to wounded Germans on a transport ship in the Baltic. That's it. How he and his parents made it to the same displaced persons camp in 1946 (minus what must've been a pretty decent family fortune, judging from 4 or 5 old photos that survived) will never be known.

He's gone now as well. Why he came here is obvious. However, I think my wife would've benefitted greatly from the knowledge of exactly <span style="font-style: italic">how</span> he insured her life would be in the U.S. He had years of her adulthood to give her the benefit of that knowledge.

Silence helps no one.

[Peter J.Heizmann]

Hi, David...

Your observations are well appreciated.

To get into how one can speak of war experiences and compare it to another that takes it to the grave will, and, cannot be answered. Too complex a question.

So many horrible situations to sum-up and categorize into a general answer. The humorous stories are, in many cases of which I know personally, were the human mind exerting pleasant/humoruous thoughts to superficially cover up nightmares in some folks, of which, will last forever.

Visit a VA Hospital. Take a tour. If you see someone you are comfortable with smile, start up a conversation, ask if he/she needs something as simple as a drink of water, take them for a walk in the hallway, etc. You would be surprised with the experience.

One thing for certain, it is the "real world" in that Veterans remaining life, ignored by many, but, the "real world to that Vet you visited.

Dave Hugo and Pat Thorpe can chime in here. It simply is not a pretty picture.

Too much media (TV, Rambo's, John Waynes) have clouded over reality.

[48LCCOUPE]

If you start to tell the humorus story, then a damn name or face jumps into it that you didn't care to remember then you feel guilty that you didn't.

An anticdote falls to a place that falls to a face that causes a tear to fall.

Never said or even thought that out loud before. oh well.

God Bless this United States of America,and God Bless the rest of the world too.

[CharlieF]

For several years I have been reading posts on this form without registering, but this discussion has gotten me off my butt as I decided I wanted to login on it. For those that have an interest in WWII history, I encourage you to make a visit to the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans. Among many other things, there are a number of first person recordings of war time experiences. It seems like the building of the museum made a number of veterans realize that it was now or never to record their memories of the war. They are very interesting, ranging from the humorous to the tragic.

The museum was initially conceived to honor the events of June 1943 and the New Orleans designed and built landing craft that made the invasion practical. With the museum?s success it was decided to recognize all of the D-Days of the war, the Pacific islands, Italy etc. So the museum was expanded.

The expanded museum was opened on December 7, 2001. I had the great honor to be able to drive a pre-war vehicle (?37 Ford pickup) in the opening day celebration parade. There were about 25 of us from various local car clubs involved. There were 15 or 20 WWII Medal of Honor winners present. I got to shake many of their hands, including Tibbets. There were truckloads of WII veterans in the parade. We heard many first person accounts in our visits. Never have I seen such an outpouring of patriotism. Remember this was two months after the tragedy of 9-11. The people on the parade route were fantastic in their support of the veterans.

At any rate, visit the museum when you can. Everyone that I have ever taken or sent there has commented it was worthwhile. My 40 year old daughter did not want to go, but went because her military minded 16 year old stepson was interested. Four hours later they kicked us out at closing time and she wasn?t ready to leave.

If you can?t visit New Orleans now, make it a side trip when the LA Region hosts the 2005 Central Division Tour in South Louisiana.

[6219_Rules]

One of my high school teachers, a marvelous quiet man and artist by the name of George Duras, hid a history of sheer horror behind that gentle facade and life teaching young people to sculpt and throw clay pots. He was a Ranger in the trenches of Germany and served as a silent killer, going out on forays into the night to kill Germans with his bare hands, knife, garotte or what have you. I was one of his students who got inside his fences...he took me to his home town in Greece on a working class in art with the University of Pennsylvania...and I will never forget the deadness in his eyes when he told me late at night over Ouzo what he did. There was no real detail to it, and it was the last time he spoke of it, but I could tell he would take those memories to his grave without ever being free of them.

So no matter how I might feel about the current administration or our cause, I support our fighting men and women whole heartedly. I never, ever want to be party of treating them as we as a nation treated our vets from Viet Nam. No one deserves to suffer as our fighting men and women do, and they certainly do not deserve to have it compounded by hatred and silence at home. Men like George deserve to be honored and remembered for the sacrifices they made...in some ways, as he said, it was a whole lot easier to die for your country and survive it.

So I echo your sentiments...God Bless our men and women in the service. They deserve all we can give them and a whole lot more.

[Guest]

Blow out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!

There's none of these so lonely and poor of old,

But, dying, has made us rarer gifts than gold

These laid the world away; poured out the red

Sweet wine of youth; gave up the years to be

Of work and joy, and that unhoped serene,

That men call age; and those who would have been,

Their sons, they gave, their immortality

Rupert Brooke

[ex98thdrill]

Yes I can Peter. December 7th holds a very special place in my heart as well. I find it unique that on December 7, 1941 we were attacked by the Japanese. On that same day, 61 years later, I survived the elements to be able to come home and see my family after doing service from the results of September 11, 2001 (the first time since 12/7/41 that we had been attacked).

Although I will never be a part of what Tom Brokaw refers to as the greatest generation, I can say that I too served at a time when we were attacked on our own soil, and not to fight for someone else. I can also say that I was a part of serving at a time where it was all volunteer and the draft didn't exist. Times and cars may change, but war is war, and that'll never change.

[Mrbuick714]

Remember Pearl Harbor, BUY AMERICAN !