Time to reconcile: 2 cities overcome Pearl Harbor legacy

The governor proclaimed Wednesday as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in ME and ordered all flags to be lowered to half staff. Organizers plan to be a major influence in establishing the location as an outdoor education and nature center.

On Sunday, when the 75th anniversary of the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor was observed at the Legion, only 18 guests – without the presence of a Pearl Harbor survivor or a World War II veteran – were on hand to dine on a military mess hall “favorite” of chipped beef on toast.

Millions of Americans vividly remember the terror and fear of the moment; December 7 is a signal date for them. The bombing, on US soil, altered their lives, just as surely as it changed the lives of the heroes who served at Pearl Harbor and in World War II.

^PToday marks the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, that killed more than 2,000 USA service members and civilians, including five La Crosse-area servicemen. “A second air attack was made on Army and Navy bases in Manila”. More than 2,000 Americans were killed in that attack.

Amundson, the son of Alvin and Olga Amundson, died aboard the battleship USS Arizona, which sank. If we are to honor those who died 75 years ago, a part of that task is ensuring that their sacrifice continues to feed a determination to remain alert and aware.

For those who survived the attack, their accounts of the specific details of the day may vary based on assignment, but the emotions hit a strikingly similar note. The attack destroyed or damaged 19 ships.

The Japanese statesman has not commented on whether or not he will apologize for the surprise attacks that provoked the United States to join the war, The Daily Mail reports.

Pearl Harbor taught many hard and enduring lessons, not the least of which was that we can’t bury our heads in the sand and ignore what’s happening in the rest of the world. Because if we do not remember Pearl Harbor, we can not expect generations to come to remember 9/11.

These days, many people treat Chavez and other Pearl Harbor survivors like celebrities, asking them for autographs and photos. The first wave arrived over Pearl Harbor at 7:55 a.m., and the attack continued until 9:45 a.m. “There are a few of us left.”, Bishop commented.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced he’ll visit Pearl Harbor Dec. 26-27. In keeping with a time-honored tradition, the U.S. Navy has left the ship and her crew undisturbed. “We’re not heroes. We were volunteers”, he says.

We would add adversity also identifies character.

We would have lost the war without the character and resolve that lived within those who fought and won World War II.