Remembering Dec. 7, 1941.

Bill Martino

Bill Martino

Joined
Mar 5, 1999
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There's not a lot of us left who remember this date personally. I read somewhere that 1200 WWII vets are dying everyday. Soon, only the history books will recount this day that we were plunged into this long and bloody war. It's important to remember this era and to continue to give the proper credit to all those who contributed to our victory. Without them God only knows what shape this country would be in today.

And the war continues today -- different time and different enemy. Freedom is never free. It's costly in every way but worth it.

Live free or die.

Where have I read that before?
 
It's the Mallard strip. And although I don't remember the day of infamy I do remember a lot of the affects it had on people. I barely remember things like gas rationing, tire rationing, along with sugar and other food stuffs. Still remember Parkay oleo coming out with the nasty looking white stuff with a little yellow, more of a dark orange button in its side that when popped and then massaged well turned the whole package the color of butter that it never has tasted like or looked like for that matter. Real nice butter is almost the color of the cream it's made from.:)
More than that I can remember my uncles overseas, troop transport convoys going by in front of our house. And then the newsreels in the theatres that showed pix of the war. Not unlike and probably more graphic than those shown on TV today as the newsreels showed what it was like up close, down, dirty and bloody.
And then I remember my uncles coming home and how glad I was too see them and glad that I had uncles coming home. I remember some of them talking about what they had seen. I remember one uncle who could only barely get his story out and then get up and leave the room in tears and almost violent sobbing over buddies that had become even more than brothers killed in front of them or died in their arms.:( Oh yea. I remember.
The way todays wars are so up front and in our living rooms, all slicked up for decent people's viewing and so that we can eat while watching bombs blow buildings to smithereens.
I wonder if todays kids will remember like we did?????
I kinda suspect that only those who lost family to the war or those who lost family at the start of this war when the WTC was bombed by our own airplanes driven by bloody zealots so that they could have access to paradise and 77 virgins.
That's not many considering..........
The World Wars had a lot more casulties, both abraod and at home.

Our young men and women of today who still care about our country enough to enlist and fight are truly all the heros anyone needs IMO.
Most of them I suspect...... well that's enough from me.
I just want them to know that I care and that I Look up to them!!!!!!!
May God Bless!!!!!!!
 
Thanks for the reminder, Uncle, I hadn't yet thought about today's date until I saw this thread. My father barely remembers it-- he was 4 when it happened. He told me he remembers more of his parents reaction to it than the event itself. During the war he grew to realize the gravity of Dec. 7.

I believe everyone would agree that the actions taken by America and her Allies preserved out way of life, and through the hardship made America better for it. My hat is off to those who did what was necessary regardless of personal cost.

-Craig
 
Yes, everything just about was rationed.

Gasoline, tires, parts for the cars all in very short supply. And there was a national speed limit of 35 mph to conserve fuel and tires.

Cigarettes, booze, and most food items also rationed. Silk hose for the gals were worth 100 times their weight in gold. If you could find a Hershey bar once a year you were lucky.

I couldn't find any sports shoes for basketball or tires or handle bar grips for my bike -- rubber had gone to war along with Lucky green from the cigarette packs.

War bonds and stamps. Victory gardens. Hollywood Canteen. Detention and POW camps.

I remember it all.
 
It was my Dad's birthday. He was so angry he enlisted the next morning. He was a precision machinist at Consolidated Aircraft in SanDiego at the time, and this disqualified him from enlistment. He was one of two "non management" men on the west coast who had the installation specs for the Norden bombsight. He enlisted in every service, and was yanked back each time. Last time, with the aid of a cousin in the 1st Marines, he was given a Chief's rating in the Seabees before he was caught. Stayed drunk for two days after that, and went back to work. He died on July 4. Yeah, we all remember Pearl Harbor in our clan.
 
Critical civilian jobs are as important as pilots and combat infantrymen. But often those doing them don't see it that way and I can well understand Dad's position.
 
My Grandfather met my Grandmother while working a German POW camp in Chaleston NC. My Grandmother still has the flashcards of aircraft silhouettes, German and American, and she still knows them.

When I was younger I watched the History channel over at her place after church. One time she walked in and started naming WWII aircraft as the show flipped through pictures of them. She was identifying the planes faster than the speaker on the television could identify them.

Did I mention that she is a redhead? ;)
 
My dad was 14 when the Japanese attacked, and he remembers it well. He wouldve enlisted but was too young. Then once that war was over, and he got married at the age of 24, and no longer wanted any part of war---they drafted him to fight in Korea!

They're all hereos. Every single one IMO. By that I mean military personel no matter what they do. And americans like Wal's dad who fought like hell in spirit for the country even if he couldn't be there in person.
 
Keep the stories coming, I love reading them, and hope that we never forget the selflessness and sacrifices made.

My dad wasn't in Pearl Harbor, but he helped build the runways in Hawaii before the Pearl Harbor attack (combat engineer).

His story was in the Pacific theatre, he was one of the "lucky" ones who hit Omaha beach. Many battles under his belt, and some of the stories are unbelieveable. He's a tough old man, and he doesn't mist up telling them, but I do.

My mom (and her whole family) were very active in the Dutch underground during the war. She smuggled messages for the Allies right under the Nazi's noses. And did a whole lot more, but it probably isn't suitable for a bulletin board where minors might be reading.

I'm trying to document the stories as best as I can, as time is limited. I thank God every day for people such as these, for resolve and courage against utterly overwhelming odds.
 
"She smuggled messages for the Allies right under the Nazi's noses"

There were heroes of all sorts, not just the combat vets -- bless'em all.

In my mind the first heroes of the present war were the folks who fought to get the hijacked planes back. They went down fighting and I believe may have saved a lot of the Pentagon and perhaps the White House. Bless those, too!
 
My hat is off to all the brave men and women of WWII. Thank God for them and I pray that they are never forgotten and what they did is never forgotten or lost in time! God bless them!
 
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