Sunday, December 5, 2010

December 7th, 1941...

a simple brownie camera held these photos for many years...
to be discovered in a foot locker not long ago...
Pearl Harbor was attacked...
President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaiming December 7, 1941 "a date which will live in infamy"... 
188 US Aircraft were destroyed...
1282 personel were injured...
2402 personel were killed...
these photos need no words...
can you imagine getting ready for Christmas and this being the headlines?...
my mother was 6 years old...
they heard the news on the radio...
my grandfather would try to enlist twice...
denied both times...
first for his vision...
and the second time for his age...
but Steve's dad went...
and so many others...
and people would go to the theater on the square to watch news reels...
this one day made it a world effort to stop the madness...
my childhood stories contained my parents' and grandparents' accounts of how Christmas was for them that year and in the years to come...
WWII veterans are scarce in numbers these days...
most have gone on now...
but if you happen to know or see one...
thank them for their service...
and let them know that what they fought for will never be forgotten...
and say a prayer for world peace on Tuesday...
some headlines of the time...

6 comments:

Donnie said...

What a fabulous post Tete. Sometimes we forget about all those that have made our Christmas seasons possible. Our dear Lord is the reason for the season but our military have given us the freedom to celebrate it openly. Have a blessed week.

Terry said...

Howdy Tete
Oh sweetie you'll never know how much this post means to me .
Thank you so very much for sharing .
When I was 16 my Dad took me to Hawaii .
It was not a free trip but we went and the first thing after getting off the plane he took me to the memorial to point out the names of family members,friends,neighbors as well as school teachers and others who gave their lives on December 7th .
I will never forget them or this experience as long as I live .
I was raised to remember those who had given their all so others could be free .
We had another death in the family this week a young man by the name of Austin .
Austin was only 19 but he willingly went to Afghanistan knowing what could happen .
Thank you again for this most important post.I have tried to post about it but always seem to get bogged down in tears .
God bless you !
Hugs from Texas
Until next time
Happy Trails

Barbara Jean said...

Tete,
Amazing find, and good reminder of all we have to be grateful for.

Many thanks to our troops who served then, and now.

blessings

barbara jean

PS thanks for all your visits. =)

miruku said...

Wow Tete, what a nice post. You make me think of how my grandparents lived during the WWII. Beautiful finds of the newspapers and the pics. Thank you so much!

NanaDiana said...

Tete-This post makes me think back to all those that have gone on before. My own Father was a medic in WWI (he was 53 when I was born-his first child) and my mother's brother was in WWII...both gone these many years...2 boys I went to school with died in Vietnam. Thank you for reminding us that our freedom is not free. Hugs- Diana

Ann@A Sentimental Life said...

I have the Charleston Courier from 12/8. It is something to read. I think your post was a great tribute, last yr I barely heard a thing? I think no American should forget....we werent born yet but we remember. and are proud of our parents who served. Thank you Tete!