Pearl Harbor - 71 Years Later

[Tinman507]

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/68662_378210922271385_1032997741_n.jpg

[jocko]

thanks for reminding me Tinman..

[muggsy]

Shortly after Dec 7th my Uncle John got to visit the Japanese on Okinawa and Iwo Jima courtesy of the Marine Corp.

[ripley16]

My dad spent most of his war on Oahu, in Hawaii. He was a MP in the army assigned to a prisoner escort company. He and my mother, they married during the war, returned to Hawaii in the 1970s. He couldn't believe the change.

12/7/41 and 9/11/2001 We need to be very vigilant. "It's a very dangerous world out there."

[getsome]

Thanks Tinman for posting this...It's important to remember this day 71 years ago that awakened the Greatest Generation to Stand up, Unite and Save the world....I'm pretty sure that todays Obama generation couldn't be bothered...:confused:.

When I was 13 years old my Grandmother who lived through the Depression and WWII found out she had cancer and she decided to take a trip to Hawaii while she still could...My parents were dead and I lived with her at the time and when asked if I wanted to go to Hawaii you can guess what I said....

It was the greatest adventure I have ever been on and it was almost like visiting another planet it's so beautiful and different and if you ever get the opportunity to go to Hawaii, DO IT!!!...

While there we visited the Arizona Memorial and to this day I remember feeling chills while on the arch...I swear you could feel a presence there
that I can't describe...I to the day I die will never forget looking over the side and seeing the huge circle where the forward gun turrent once was and seeing bubbles of oil coming to the surface from far below....It is a very somber and awe inspiring experience and it's hard to understand with the modern beauty of the place all the he!! and bloodshed that took place there that fateful day...

One funny thing happened while I was there, If you have ever been to Hawaii you might as well be in Japan with all the Japanese tourists there....I was watching two 9-10 year old Japanese boys looking over the side and spitting into the water over the Arizona hull...There was an older gentleman Honor Guard in uniform there who also saw what was going on, in just a flash he was right there and in a very un P.C. manner grabbed up both of those little punks by the scruff of the neck and set them over the enterence gate and said to them in a very loud and clear voice, "Remember where you are and get your sorry azzes off this memorial and don't ever come back"...They ran to the boat back to the island and their parents slinked after them with their heads down...I will never forget that as long as I live....

[jocko]

I have an ol firend who was a tank driver on Iwo, He refused for 40 years to ever discuss Iwo but in the lastr 10 years he has really opened up. I understand why this man wants no more of war to. He crys about every time he talks about it to.Not sure he ever got over the atrocities at Iwo either. I like him alot, even though he calls me d!ckweed..

[Tinman507]

I like him alot, even though he calls me d!ckweed..

Now I like him a lot too. Even though I've never met him.
Encourage your friend to tell his story before it's too late. He or you can contact the National WWII Museum (http://www.ddaymuseum.org/) and they'll take it from there. Too many of the Greatest Generation have passed on and their stories are gone forever.

[GROTMAN]

When I was growing up there was always some kind of special recognition in the news etc regarding today. Now it's barely talked about. I've talked with several younger people at work today who had no idea what happened on this date. Guess in today's age of political correctness don't want to offend the Japanese by bringing it up. :( My hats off to all you vets who served and may God Bless :yo:

[jocko]

Now I like him a lot too. Even though I've never met him.
Encourage your friend to tell his story before it's too late. He or you can contact the National WWII Museum (http://www.ddaymuseum.org/) and they'll take it from there. Too many of the Greatest Generation have passed on and their stories are gone forever.

don't call me d!ckweed!! Just sayin

[jocko]

I feel today we are being attacked again but from inside Wasington D.C.. Just pisses me off to

[Tinman507]

Thank God the heroes who got us here are nearly gone. What an insult to their legacy and sacrifice.

[AJBert]

My first time going to the AZ Memorial was rather impressive. I was in my Dress Whites with my wife beside me. We rode the boat out before the memorial was open to the public in the morning. I had the priveledge of re-enlisting one of my Sailors and her husband, my first time doing so.

My wife and I had goose bumps the whole time, along with the others who were swearing in others who were re-enlisting. Talk about a moment in time with the Naval history all around us. Just knowing the Sailors who were entombed below us and all who lost their lives that day.

Not a time or day I will ever forget.

[TheTman]

I can understand people not wanting to talk about their wartime adventures. Many have pr had horrible memories of the good friends that were lost. I have some Nam vet friends, that open up now and then, and I just can't imagine the horrors they went through. Walking on patrol, and talking to a buddy, then hearing a pop, and your buddy is dead. I'm very lucky I was born a couple years too late for Nam, and nothing major came up during my younger years. It's hard to believe what these people went through, and then came back and lead "normal" lives. I may not agree with the wars, but I have the utmost respect for our soldiers that go through the hell of fighting them. I'm still ashamed of our nation at the way they treated our homecoming vets during the Nam years, totally disgusting the way some people treated our soldiers that were just doing their duty. Now some of those same people are in congress and other high offices. Disgusting. I'd bet money that some of them like Feinstein and Pelosi were right there at the front spitting on them and calling them names. My belief is we should never have got involved in Nam, but once we were there, we should have kicked their ass instead of letting the press dictate how we ran the war. I blame the press for our withdrawal from the war, we had the NV on the ropes, but the press kept interfering and ultimately caused us to leave before the job was done. Over 50,000 good Americans died in vain due to their antiwar sentiments and influence on the public. And Hanoi Jane should still be taken out and shot as a traitor.

[johnatw]

Well said Thetmanski, well said

[muggsy]

I have an ol firend who was a tank driver on Iwo, He refused for 40 years to ever discuss Iwo but in the lastr 10 years he has really opened up. I understand why this man wants no more of war to. He crys about every time he talks about it to.Not sure he ever got over the atrocities at Iwo either. I like him alot, even though he calls me d!ckweed..

I have to agree with you Jocko. It isn't right to call a man by his middle name. My best friend calls me a whimp.

[muggsy]

I can understand people not wanting to talk about their wartime adventures. Many have pr had horrible memories of the good friends that were lost. I have some Nam vet friends, that open up now and then, and I just can't imagine the horrors they went through. Walking on patrol, and talking to a buddy, then hearing a pop, and your buddy is dead. I'm very lucky I was born a couple years too late for Nam, and nothing major came up during my younger years. It's hard to believe what these people went through, and then came back and lead "normal" lives. I may not agree with the wars, but I have the utmost respect for our soldiers that go through the hell of fighting them. I'm still ashamed of our nation at the way they treated our homecoming vets during the Nam years, totally disgusting the way some people treated our soldiers that were just doing their duty. Now some of those same people are in congress and other high offices. Disgusting. I'd bet money that some of them like Feinstein and Pelosi were right there at the front spitting on them and calling them names. My belief is we should never have got involved in Nam, but once we were there, we should have kicked their ass instead of letting the press dictate how we ran the war. I blame the press for our withdrawal from the war, we had the NV on the ropes, but the press kept interfering and ultimately caused us to leave before the job was done. Over 50,000 good Americans died in vain due to their antiwar sentiments and influence on the public. And Hanoi Jane should still be taken out and shot as a traitor.

I was told that we we in Vietnam to stop the spread of communism. I still believe that to this day. I don't buy the BS that our fighting men died for nothing. Most sacrificed their lives for the freedom that they believed in. Unfortunately the spread of communism has now reached the White House.

[Ikeo74]

The war memorial in Hawaii has two stories to tell. One is the US suffering huge losses caused by the Japanese Air Force, and the "other story" which none of us want to hear, is a victory for people from Japan. When I was there in around 1991, the 50th anniversary. I visited the museam which had a theater to show films of the actual attack on Pearl Harbar. There was a tour group of people from Japan watching the film at the same time I was and they were talking in Japanese, which I didn't understand, but I could tell by their actions some of "their relatives" were involved in the bombing and to them it was a huge victory to show to their sons and grandsons. It brought home the fact that there are two sides to every war story. Both sides suffered losses and both sides had victory stories to tell. I will never forget that either.

[Armybrat]

I wonder how Japanese schools teach the history of WWII - whether or not they mention their treatmment of the Pacific Rim civilian populations overrun by Tojo's military or the allied POWs? If they do, how do the current generations feel about the actions of their grandfathers & great grandfathers?

From reading over the years, I understand that the Japanese are still not very popular in the lands they once had occupied.

Personally, I feel very bad for the immense suffering the individual Japanese families endured in the firebombings & nuclear attacks, but do think as a nation it all was richly deserved.

[Armybrat]

double post

[jocko]

I wonder how Japanese schools teach the history of WWII - whether or not they mention their treatmment of the Pacific Rim civilian populations overrun by Tojo's military or the allied POWs? If they do, how do the current generations feel about the actions of their grandfathers & great grandfathers?

From reading over the years, I understand that the Japanese are still not very popular in the lands they once had occupied.

Personally, I feel very bad for the immense suffering the individual Japanese families endured in the firebombings & nuclear attacks, but do think as a nation it all was richly deserved.

wonder that to. Hell look at our school history books. They skirt the atrocities of ww11. I think alot of kinds (students) have no idea what WAR really means. You know there are stil many in germany, who thought Hitler was a great guy. I know back 50 years ago, I didn't understand what the wars was all about, and at the time I guess I didn't care. but today I am not sure I want my son over there fightining FOR FOKKING WHAT???? Every cuntry we go over and fight to help today hates us. I might have missed it but did we receive even one fokking dollar from any damn sh!tface cuntry when SANDY came ashore.??? Wow when a tragedy happens over seas, the red Cross, Blue Cross, Yellow cross, No cross are all there pouring out OUR MONEY to them people over there, and what do we get for it. THE CRY FOR "MORE MORE MORE". The bastard mvie stars alal foy over there and pat poorkids on the ass for photo ops and guys like Michael Moore get tv time to say we need to do more for these poor cuntry's. Fokk um:mad:

[AJBert]

I also wondered how the Germans taught WWII to their kids and had the opportunity to ask a couple of folks born and raised in West Germany.

Short story, they were entirely embarrassed by Hitler and what he caused. One of the folks I talked to was born right around the start of WWII. Being as he was the oldest son his parents had to use Adolf has his middle name, as decreed by law. After he was old enough and had immagrated to this country, he changed his name by removing Adolf.

Another was a young lady a few years back. She was so ashamed when I asked the question she almost came to tears.

Yes, there seems to be some younger folks today in Germany that hold that individual in high esteem, but I do not belive the majority of the country feels the same.

Can't say the same for Japan as I've never met anyone from there that would be willing to talk about it.

[Tinman507]

Just to bring this post full circle:

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