The short version of the attack on Pearl Harbor is the Empire of Japan was planning military actions on overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States located in Southeast Asia. Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor was a "preventative measure" because of U.S. military locations in Hawaii. Or at least that's how it's rationalized now.
The reason behind the attack isn't what comes to mind when I think of Pearl Harbor though. I wonder how many 18 year old young men were there that day who had no idea December 7, 1941 was going to be their last day on earth. I stop to think how frightening it must have been for everyone there, because the attack by over 300 Japanese fighter planes was completely unexpected, so there was no time to prepare.
I imagine how horrific it must have been to see the dead and wounded American soldiers that day. Some were injured by gunfire, torpedoes, and bombs; over 2400 were killed that day and nearly 1300 were wounded. Eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged and four sank. Some of the men on those ships were trapped on them and drowned. President Franklin Roosevelt called December 7, 1941 "a day which will live in infamy".
The next day, there were no protests because someone's child had been killed in combat. There was an enormous outpouring of support, both from all branches of the military and from civilians alike. The United States declared war on Japan, and four days later, we were fully involved in WWII. The rest, as they say, is history.
There aren't many WWII veterans left to share their experiences with us, so if you have the opportunity to spend time with a WWII veteran or someone who lived in that era, glean all you can from them. I've been fortunate to have met a few of these fine folks. I could listen to them for hours.
I hope when I see my dad and his oldest brother, my "Uncle Buck" in heaven, they will tell me about their experiences in the Army. We have a lot to talk about, but we'll have a lot of time to talk too :)
I hope on this anniversary of the beginning of WWII for our country, you have the peace of Christmas in your heart and your home. If you know a veteran or someone serving in the military, thank them. You may never know what kind of sacrifices they are making to protect all of us so that we can continue to have our freedom. And tell them Merry Christmas.
Luke 2
New Living Translation (NLT)
The Birth of Jesus
2 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.
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