December 7, 1941 – A Day Which Will Live in Infamy
It was 70 years ago today, December 7, 1941. The United States was dismayed over what happened in Hawaii on that fateful day. The American Naval Base situated at Pearl Harbor was brutally and savagely attacked beginning at 7:55 local time when Japanese aviators flew in, bombing and strafing battleships and military installations. They left behind a wide area of destruction and mayhem, resulting in 2402 lives being lost and another 1282 were wounded on that infamous day. Later that day President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared war on Japan, describing it as “A day which will live in infamy”!
In shock, America enters World War II
The United States of America had been reluctant to enter into the many conflicts in Europe prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor but now joined in with both the European and Pacific theaters of war. Soon after (on December 11, 1941) both Italy and Germany declared they were at war with the U.S. and we were allied with Great Britain, France, and Poland primarily against Germany, Italy, and also Japan. The United Kingdom had been at war with Germany since 1939.
Each year on December 7th we remember the losses
The U.S. will never forget the attack on Pearl Harbor, or the devastation of lives and property, and especially never forget how our innocence was somehow taken away, leaving behind a nation of people who can never quite trust again. Today we are involved in war and it seems as if we have always been, in some form or another. We have values and high ideals that must be defended and hopefully shared with the world. Modern movies depict the events that occurred on that infamous day and it helps younger generations to watch the reenactments of a dark time for this country but they also learn how resilient and proud the American people are.
Go to the movies to learn more about the attack on December 7th
There have been several noteworthy films produced involving the events that occurred on December 7th back in 1941. Among them, and well worth seeing are:
Ø From Here to Eternity (1953) starring Frank Sinatra and Donna Reed. Somewhat overly romantic and overacted but early accounting of how America adapted during a major war.
Ø Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) is a movie that shows both perspectives of the infamous day and how many mistakes occurred during the confrontation. Stars Martin Balsam, Jason Robards, and James Whitmore and some truly realistic air raid sequences.
Ø The Winds of War (1983 TV mini-series) details the events that occurred leading up to our entry into World War II.
Ø Pearl (1978 TV Mini-Series) Depicts how we lived before and then after the attack on Pearl Harbor. How war changed a trusting nation starring Adam Arkin, Robert Wagner, and Angie Dickinson.
Each of the above films are well worth watching if you are at all unfamiliar with the events of that infamous day. There are still lessons to be learned about how to get along with each other on this planet and we evidently haven’t learned much just yet. Now there are only a small number of WWII survivors left and so the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, which was founded in 1958, will be dissolved. Let us never forget!
