December 7, 2017 (Thursday)
Today is known as “Pearl Harbor Day,” because on this date in 1941, Japan declared war on the United States by bombing Pearl Harbor.
A beautiful, meaningful memorial has now been built atop the U.S.S. Arizona, sunk on that fateful day, and memorializing the 2,403 Americans killed at Pearl Harbor on that fateful day. A total of 1,178 were wounded. Eighteen ships were sunk or run aground, including five battleships. All of the Americans killed or wounded during the attack were non-combatants, given the fact there was no state of war when the attack occurred. As of one year ago, only 18 of the 355 USS Arizona crewmen who survived were still living.
The Arizona Memorial is one of many war memorials in our country. Washington, D.C., is now the home of memorials for World Wars 1 and 2, Korea, Vietnam and others. America has paid a huge price for the freedom we all enjoy.
I have not visited the memorials, but I have been told that you should prepare yourself for a deeply moving and emotional experience when you visit them. This is especially true of the Vietnam wall memorial, where each individual name is listed.
We long for a world of peace, without hostilities, in which people learn to listen to each other and strive to help one another to replace hate with love. Alas, however, such a world is not now in sight. Even as a write this, the world is being taunted by North Korea’s dictator, who brandishes nuclear weapons and now threatens the U.S. mainland. Let us all pray that this threat to world peace is resolved without catastrophic events.
Pearl Harbor is symbolic of all the battles of all our wars. We dare not forget those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedoms.