A sad day (and before my time), but I've always been very proud of our response over the following years.
Floyd
Loc: Misplaced Texan in Florence, Alabama
As a Navy vet, way back ini he 50's, Pearl Harbor was still fresh in the minds of our instructors at Boot Camp, which I appreciated because I didn't remember anything about the war starting; the ending I remember well. In the early 80's we were fortunate to get to visit Hawaii and tour the Memorial. The friends we were traveling with had no military experience nor any immediate family that had served; they expressed the same unusual feeling myself and others have already mentioned.
SPECIAL NOTE: Unless things have changed, anyone planning to visit the memorial should be reminded the Navy's program is the only one that puts you on the Memorial. Several businesses advertise that they "Take You Out To The Memorial", and they do, their customers just cannot get out of their boat and walk around on the Memorial.
willaim
Loc: Sunny Southern California
I remember. I was 7 years old. The fire sirens were blasting, and we had no idea as to why. Heard the news on the radio (no TV, then). Pearl Harbor?
Anyway, us old timers remember, but unfortunately the younger generations have no idea.
Lived in Santa Monica, Ca. during some of the war years. It was different there than the inland states, I'm sure. I remember all the searchlights, blackouts, anchored blimps, etc. Never got out to Douglas Aircraft where my father worked...to my recollection. Otherwise in the daytime it was just another nice place to live. Close to the beach where we went on weekends, etc. Missed all that when we moved back to Nebr.
We should never forget!
God Bless The United States
Indi
Loc: L. I., NY, Palm Beach Cty when it's cold.
47greyfox wrote:
I was at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base for work in 1984 (?) and had some time, so I visited the memorial. At the area where the small boat out to the Arizona is launched, I noticed people collected around one of the โpark rangers.โ Facing a few minutes waiting for the boat, I wandered over. Fortunately, most of the group was on the next launch so when they disbursed, I and another visitor were left with the guide. He looked to be in his early 70s. The other guy who was there mentioned to the guide that he seemed to pretty popular. The guide replied that the little crowds are frequent when they find out somehow that he was stationed at Hickman during the attack and was one of the guys running around trying to save himself and the planes during the attack. I was actually disappointed when my launch was called. People of our generation cannot visit the memorial and walk away the same. That guideโs story made the experience even more profound.
I was at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base for work in 1... (
show quote)
Absolutely! We were there in the days before the Missouri was brought there. Easier to get there, guides were extremely helpful and dedicated.
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