Day of Remembrance

[Ciryaher]

Today is the 60th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Let us all take a moment of time to remember the brave men and women around the world who fought freedom and justice then, and for those that are doing it now.

[Mr. Underhill]

Excellent suggestion! However today is the 60th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor (I'm a WWII history buff).

[ReadWryt]

Geez, yeah...It's hard to believe how long ago that was. Tomorrow is the aniversary of my Father finally getting into the Navy after being turned away twice before, the first time for being too young (He thought they wouldn't push him for proof of being 18!) and the second time for some really picky physical thing (The Navy was particulary particular in Peace time). Of course after Pearl Harbor they were taking anyone who fogged up a mirror held under their nose and showing an interest. That means my father would have been 78 years old...Gawd I feel ancient.

[Grond]

ReadWryt, my father joined the Army/Air Corps on this day in 1941. He spent the next 28 years serving his country in a number of capacities. His two favorites were as Staff Meteorologist on the Bikini Atoll Atomic Bomb test in 1946 and as a Senior Meteorologist on the U-2 spy plane project in 1955-1956 when the unit was based in Gebalstadt, Germany. This day always reminds of how proud I am to be my father's son. He is 85 and I am typing now from his house where I stay with him every day and run our family real estate enterprises from his home.

I am so glad I was born an American. "...The Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave!"

[ReadWryt]

Grond,

My Dad served 35 years in the Navy..in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. 30 years active duty and 5 inactive reserve. Right after WWII he went to the US Navy diving school in Bayone New Jersey where he became a demolitions and salvage diver, but his ears betrayed him and he got re-assigned. While in New Jersey he met my mom and got stationed in Brooklyn Ship Yard overseeing the refitting of many ships, then he got pulled into Korea.

Returning from Korea, where he served as a boiler tech, he got stationed in Key West Florida for 2 years helping to set up a Diving School there and then it was back to New York for 2 years, and then across the country to the Long Beach Shipyards to oversee development and refitting of several vessels while siring me.

Finally he got a nice comfy job here in San Diego at the ship yard running the Welding School where, as a Chief Petty Officer he helped turn out nearly 5000 Navy Welders in the last years of his activity and retired as a Hull Maintainence Technician Senior, but continued working in the civilian ship yards until he was diagnosed with Asbestosis and Oat Cel Carcinoma, which eventually lead to his demise.

He was a member of one of the last generations who remember when Honor was more then just some admirable character trait in others but something that one strove for in ones self and others and Good Citizenship was more then a concept taught in Grade School while the whole time knowing the depths of the evil that could test whether a nation of individuals of diverse cultures and beliefs could find these traits so much in common that their personal sacrifice were less important then the continued freedom to persue Honor and Good Citizenship as well as Life, Liberty and Happiness.

Men like your father and mine are people who I am thankfull for...men who heeded a call to serve the greater good, to toil for the sake of freedom and to aspire to a day when none would ever need to be called to serve in that capacity again....Thank your father for me, if you would.

[Grond]

Amen.... I just said a prayer for your father. As you so admirably state, "honor" had a meaning that most of my generation and my children's generation don't really understand... but I hope we may still learn.

[LOTRF]

thankyou RW for sharing that is was soooo cool. It was really touching. I hold people who fought in war very high. You have yo have alot of courage to do that and love for your country. Well that at least what I think. You may disagree.

[Ciryaher]

Oops! Well, I was tired that morning. I got home and said, "Oh shiz, I put 50th Anniversary on the forum" and proceeded to slap myself profusely.

My mom is stationed in Pearl Harbor right now. I hope she sends me some pictures of the Utah and Arizona Memorials (as well as anything else :) )

[Orin]

Find the cost of freedom
burried in the ground.
Mother earth will swallow you
lay your body down.

CSN and Y, I believe.

Also, leave us not forget what freedom is. It is often exchanged in wartime for a bit of hollow security.

"Those who exchange freedom for security deserve neither."
B. Franklin, I believe, paraphrased.

"Nor shall they have either."
My addendum

"A barking dog gathers no moss."
Levity