My Town flagpole has the flag at 1/2 staff and the local highest peak has a rotating beacon that they light up 1 time per year, only on December 7 and it runs all night. They even a ceremony. Even in commie Bay Area, they are not forgotten.

My father was a Navy electrician stationed in San Diego on tat day. He never forgave the attackers, always called them sneaky. RIP Dad

Yes yes, I wasn't posting that as support for the historical fame or lack thereof of FDR, but as a historical reference of the events of the Attack on Pearl Harbor and his "Day of Infamy" speech.

My FIL was a Pearl Harbor survivor. He was on the USS Neosho a fuel tanker, that came into harbor the night before. They were fully loaded with fuel. The captain received a medal for getting the tanker out of harbor and behind Ford island while under attack. RIP TR.

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
The start of the big one.
As far as the racial war claims go, the Japanese also made it a racial thing. They believed they were superior and made fun of us being a bunch of mixed breed mongrels. They attacked other countries in the Pacific region claiming ethnic superiority and committed horrible atrocities. They got what they deserved.
Different times.

My previous post did not offer sympathy for The Japanese soldiers during WWII. I hope it was not taken as sympathy.

During my months stationed in Korea, I spoke with many Koreans who remembered the hardships forced on them by the Japanese during those 40 years of occupation.

The Japanese themselves made WWII a racial war.

Those fuckers got what they deserve in the end.

I had learned in school that the A bomb ended the war. I read more recently that Russia played a big hand in the ending of the war as well. The Japanese knew Stalin and his reputation for ruthlessness and that the troops he deployed were ready to occupy Japan.

Many of us would not be here were it not for Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Many Americans were on troop ships bound for the invasion of the mainland when the bombs were dropped.

My step-father was a corpsman attached to an artillery unit in Leyte,Phillipines during the war.

He had a layover or was there for a short time at Pearl Harbor, I'm not sure the year, but he spoke of it as being a terrible thing. I think a lot of the damage had been repaired, when he was there, but they were still doing repair work.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
FDR was an amazing hypocrite, he won his third term on the promise of keeping us out of the war even as he simultaneously provoked both the Nazi's and the Japanese Empire by aiding their enemies. It wasn't until his Communist buddies, Stalin and Mao, were threatened by the Axis powers that he started to reverse his public position.

Not to mention that he and his Govt. knew months in advance that the Japs were planning an attack, and didn't bother to inform the commands in Pearl or Manila that it was coming, nor provide them with the defensive resources they'd requested.

You are misinformed. I have studied WW2 extensively, you should as well.

ex: Pre bombing of Pearl Harbor, US command sent telegraphs to every US base in the world telling them to be ready for an attack. Commander at Pearl assumed it would be the Philippines, or somewhere else but never Hawaii. He was unprepared mentally, but not really undergunned. He did keep the carriers at sea though, just to be extra safe.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
I had learned in school that the A bomb ended the war. I read more recently that Russia played a big hand in the ending of the war as well. The Japanese knew Stalin and his reputation for ruthlessness and that the troops he deployed were ready to occupy Japan.

Many of us would not be here were it not for Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Many Americans were on troop ships bound for the invasion of the mainland when the bombs were dropped.

See footnote #2. The Russians were never ready to assist us until the A-bombs were delivered. Sorry f***s then, just as now.

Sadly, it’s just another day for many citizens of today. Our history is lost for so many.

My father fought in the European theatre. Battle of the Bulge, etc. I have read quite a lot about WWII. My dad did not like to talk much about it. RIP.

No doubt that war time service takes a true toll on the soldiers. It’s difficult enough to think about a single self defense situation. I can only try to imagine what a constant barrage of incoming enemy fire would be like.

God Bless our veterans!

quote:

Originally posted by Wolfpacker:
Sadly, it’s just another day for many citizens of today. Our history is lost for so many.

My father fought in the European theatre. Battle of the Bulge, etc. I have read quite a lot about WWII. My dad did not like to talk much about it. RIP.

No doubt that war time service takes a true toll on the soldiers. It’s difficult enough to think about a single self defense situation. I can only try to imagine what a constant barrage of incoming enemy fire would be like.

God Bless our veterans!

Well said Wolf.

I was fortunate that my step father, who was a corpsman, would talk about his service in combat. He was Army, with an artillery unit, but still, non the less was in combat. He told me of many of the campaigns, and island hopping in the Pacific Theater. They were kept informed and talked about other combat going on.

He always was telling me about the new malaria (quinine?) tablets they had to take, big as York Peppermint Patty, at least thats his version..

I try to remember much of what he told me, but as I age, its harder to remember. Sadly when I die, my conversations with him, driving home from places, or watching a war movie, will be gone.

It will be a sad day when the last WWII veteran dies. We thank all of them.

^ Amen.

My Dad had a mentor who was part of the deer hunting camp who was in the 82nd Airborne in Europe. The story goes that he was pulled off the line a few days prior to the Battle of the Bulge and sent back to the US along with other key officers who would form the division that was to invade Japan. Since the bombs were dropped this never came to be and he was very thankful for Paul Tibbets and the bomber crews who undertook those missions.

Mr. Peterson told us some stories over the years but nothing too graphic, oh how I would love to have the opportunity to talk to him again. God bless his generation and all those lost that defended our nation from evil.

quote:

Sadly, it’s just another day for many citizens of today. Our history is lost for so many.

My father fought in the European theatre. Battle of the Bulge, etc. I have read quite a lot about WWII. My dad did not like to talk much about it. RIP.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
My Dad as well. Never spoke of it, but it affected him greatly. In later life, he spoke some about being in Japan shortly after the bombs were dropped. He was a forward observer for the tank corps while in Europe. My mother thought he was dead for a long time because all of her letters came back to her.

Our flag was out this morning at sunrise in honor of my father who fought on that day. He carried shrapnel in his leg till the day died long after the war and his several pacific invasions. Very proud of him.