Remember Pearl Harbor

Bob MH
We did that too but I don't remember getting paid for it. I was in the Cub Scouts and later the Boy Scouts and we went on scrap drives on weekends and collected paper, scrap metal and other items for the war effort. We had a large Victory Garden and a chicken coop in the backyard and part of the garage.
 
One of the best stories to come out of WW2 for me at least.
This guy was was right in the middle of the battle for Henderson field on Guadalcanal in October of 42.
The shooting had slowed down for the night and a few of the marines were able to catch a few winks in their fox holes while the rest kept watch.
My friend couldn't sleep so he was just laying on his back in the fox hole with a model 97 Winchester shotgun laying on his knees pointed up at a 45 angle. He was an MP so he got to carry a shotgun instead of a rifle.
A Jap appears looking down in the hole. There is a small amount of moonlight so he is easily identifiable.
My friend pulls the trigger. 9 5/16 lead balls (00 buck load)
bunched almost as a solid ball at the 3 foot range make the Jap's head dangle from a small amount of neckbone left.

My friend went on to drive our midget to several championships in the 50's.
 
My father was 18 when Pearl Harbor happened and wanted to be a pilot but he had lost a kidney when he was 12 years old, so the military turned him down for active duty. Determined to do his patriotic duty, he went to Detroit and got a job with Ford Motor Co. at the Willow Run B24 Liberator plant in nearby Ypsilanti, Michigan. He and his crew installed all the .50 caliber machine guns and the top-secret Norden bomb site. He was very proud of his contribution to our victory. I'm thankful he set an example of love for God and country.
 
I had a cousin on the USS Arizona who was never found. An uncle in Payton’s 3rd army and another uncle whose first “Army Air Corp” mission was over Normandy. We should never forget and should thank the “Greatest Generation” for what they did for us.

As a side note…I own a pickup bed for a ‘37 coupe which purportedly was in a building at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked.
 
Back in 1941, this great country had some of the best and smartest
armies and leaders in the world, and had some very good planes and
the best fighting equipment at that time.

That is what it took to win that war... along with our very great allies
that had equally brave soldiers and very good fighting equipment too.

God Bless the USA, Greatest Country Ever.





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I had just learned to walk a few months before, and my older brother was too young to enlist, so he joined the Merchant Marine. My earliest memory was of the VE Day Parade on Mission St in SF, then a P38 squadron flying into Alameda shortly before VJ Day. I could read by then, and had never seen such large newspaper print until: **** SURRENDER
 
All of my uncles served in WWII. My dad flunked his induction physical and wound up in Portland, OR as a millwright in a sawmill cutting shoring for the shipyard in Vancouver.
I entered high school 12 years after VJ Day. We had 2 Japanese kids as classmates, pretty rough time for both of them. Just recently I learned one of them was born in the internment camp in Idaho. Both of his uncles interned there fought in Europe.
 
Turner Classic Movies, TMC had Pearl Harbor related movies on during the day but at "prime time" 8:00 PM, what did they have on, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". They should have had Tora, Tora, Tora or some other Pearl Harbor related movie to keep the memory alive and honor all WWII vets. What a disgrace!
 
Truly sad that our news has failed to remember and pay honor to Dec. 7, 1941 and all those who served to save our country and the world.
When I was teaching high school shop, I always reminded my students
the historical significance of that day. Wonder if that is still done by today's history teachers.

My late dad (graduated from high school in 1931. Ten years later he was with the 3rd AD fighting in Europe. (He's opening the bottle of wine.)
 

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Unbelievable how today's press just gave the date a glancing view.

Watched this last night on Turner classic. It was done in 1943, by John Ford. The movie was originally confiscated by the military, and last night was supposed to be the first time the entire movie was released. Learned allot about how quickly many of the ships were repaired and put back into service, to include one from WW I.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035790/
 
Thank you to all who have served during WWII. We experience freedom daily because of those who served.
 
Darrell S said:
What is so dis-heartening, is that so many are just giving away what all these brave souls died for.
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When I was of draft age, i got my notice. I hated the draft. However, I was quick to notice during basic training the positive transformation among our group. Fat guys slimmed down, skinny guys bulked up and everyone developed a positive attitude and an obvious degree of patriotism, including me. It's almost as if today the term "young patriot" is an oxymoron. I believe eliminating the draft was a huge mistake and the r5ising crime and lack of direction in our younger set is the result of such.
 
19Fordy said:
Truly sad that our news has failed to remember and pay honor to Dec. 7, 1941 and all those who served to save our country and the world.
When I was teaching high school shop, I always reminded my students
the historical significance of that day. Wonder if that is still done by today's history teachers.

My late dad (graduated from high school in 1931. Ten years later he was with the 3rd AD fighting in Europe. (He's opening the bottle of wine.)
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Merc Cruzer said:
Unbelievable how today's press just gave the date a glancing view.

Watched this last night on Turner classic. It was done in 1943, by John Ford. The movie was originally confiscated by the military, and last night was supposed to be the first time the entire movie was released. Learned allot about how quickly many of the ships were repaired and put back into service, to include one from WW I.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035790/
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My Dad was on a Destroyer Escort DE 368 Cecil J Doyle - docked in Pearl one month after the attack for fuel before continuing battle support across the pacific. His ship was the first on scene to pick up survivors of the USS Indianapolis at wars end.
 

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PeterC said:
My Dad was on a Destroyer Escort DE 368 Cecil J Doyle - docked in Pearl one month after the attack for fuel before continuing battle support across the pacific. His ship was the first on scene to pick up survivors of the USS Indianapolis at wars end.
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Thank you Pete. My dad died in 2006 at 91. So many young folks don't have a clue as to what
the Greatest Generation really did. Yet, they still reap the benefits of their sacrifices.
 
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