7 December 1941

[floydragsdale]

Sixty-nine years ago on this day the U.S.A. received a wake up call. It spread like a prairie fire from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The call came from a place named Pearl Harbor.

In the next four and one-half years many sacrifices would be expected from Americas’ citizens. Emerging the from great depression years, a determined Mr. & Mrs. America rolled up their sleeves and in a vow that was unanimous between the general public from coast to coast set their hearts and minds on winning two wars at opposite ends of the world.


The United States of America sent her suns and daughters to the four corners of the world to defeat enemies who were attempting to destroy a way of life for freedom loving people.

Finally, our nation held high, the torch of victory. The lights came on all over the world again and Americas’ sons and daughters returned home to pursue a life of peace once more.

When I was in Belgium in September this year, wearing a WWII Veteran cap, numerous citizens of Belgium would shake my hand and say, “Thank you for giving our country and freedom back to us.”

Indeed, that in itself, made my journey to Belgium worth while.

Floyd,
424th Regiment

[connie]

Floyd,
Thank you for your heart-felt reminder of the events remembered on this date. The 106th Infantry Division did not yet exist when bombs were dropped on Pearl Harbor, but as you point out this was the final straw that drew our nation into conflict on both fronts and helped lead to the sacrifices made by Americans in both the Pacific and the ETO.

I am sure that no one alive that day forgot where they were when the news of the bombing of Pearl Harbor reached them.

I have attached a link to a site that has both audio and written copy of the speech made by Roosevelt on December 8th.
historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5166/

Connie
PS I think the people who thanked you in Belgium had it right. We need to remember the sacrifices that followed this event and the people who made them. Thank you.

[floydragsdale]

Hi Connie:

Monday, the 8th of December 1941, I listened to the President of our country ask a joint meeting of both houses (Senate & Congress) to declare that a state of war exisits between the U.S.A. and the Japanese Empire.

We (students) were in a High School study hall when that speech was broadcast (by radio) to our nation. At the conclusion the presidents' speech several patriotic songs were sung; then students returned to their classes.

For a number of months following, the war news was bad. Our armed forces were taking a beating all over the pacific theater of war.

German and Japanese submarines were sinking allied ships faster than they could be built.

Those were the days when everyone, from the young to our elders, put their shoulders to the wheel, grit their teeth, and put all that they had into the war effort.

The early days, weeks and months of the U.S.A. in WWII were dark ones. However, you know the rest of the story.

Had it turned out anyother way, I would not be sending this message to you.

Floyd

P.S. I remember Pearl Harbr Day very well; where I was, the weather, what I was doing. Yet, when the word was broadcast that "the Japs have bombed Pearl Harbor", my thoughts were, "Were's Pearl Harbor?". All of us had many geography lessons in those days.

[connie]

Floyd,
Funny... I came after the war. I was definitely not around for Pearl Harbor and do not have those "where I was" memories for that event. But I can hear Roosevelt's voice saying. "December 7, a date that will live in infamy..." The sound of his voice saying those words is clearly etched in my brain. There must have been some commemorations of that date and speech as I was growing up.

Connie

[connie]

On this, the 79th Anniversary of the dropping of the bombs at Pearl Harbor, we remember that infamous day as we deal with a global pandemic.

Those who were present on earth and remember that day first hand are rapidly departing.

I have been reading and updating the links to a post made by a board participant eight years ago in which she told of watching a news video about a book entitled "WWII Remembered."
It was written by 56 members of a retirement home in New Hampshire who were working to preserve their memories of WWII at home and away at war.

The photo on the cover of that book is of Pearl Harbor.
106thdivision.proboards.com/post/4776/thread



And I think of the efforts of others to preserve bits of history that will be lost without their efforts.

Thank you to those of that generation and those to follow who are still working to collect and preserve information.
Your notes here, your posts on the Indiana Military Site and your writings all are valuable.