Infamy

PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII - 1941. This is my daughter, looking at a site that will ‘live in infamy’ to borrow a quote. Over 2 thousand servicemen and 68 civilians were killed – 1,104 from the Arizona alone. Americans were taken completely by surprise, and it left a scar on the hearts of everyone who were from that generation (and some of us in other generations, too). To this day, the areas that were most affected are regarded as sacred ground. There are sections that most civilians don’t get to see, but are incredibly poignant. The house that many wounded were taken for triage still stands in its original condition, frozen in time and history. You can stand on Ford Island and right there, at your feet, are holes from the bullets fired from Japanese aircraft. When I went to speak to medical staff at Pearl and talk about cancer, I was privileged to get a special tour. My daughter, though young, will never forget what we saw there, and what she was told about the events. It’s not often that teenagers cry when visiting historic sites that their parents drag them to see, but she did. I did. Really, back in 1941, so did the nation. God Bless America.