Pearl Harbor - 66 years ago today

[Caljamr]

To all of those that lost their lives 66 years ago today....God Bless you.

[ColeTR2]

I think about it every year... 12-7 ... and the 1200 plus 18 year old men that died that day.
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[Caljamr]

I've manned the deck of one destroyer and two aircraft carriers entering port in Pearl Harbor and it's a mixed feeling of emotions. I felt sad for those that perished and proud that i could give respect to them.
Thanks for those photos.

[Froggystyle]

Just got this e-mail from a good friend of mine who is a pilot for United. Sent to him by a good friend who was first person in this story, so it is for real.
Hey guys -
"This is just a goofy story, but I though you might appreciate reading it all the same.
The last leg home of my last trip was out of Denver to SFO last night. We had 8 or so ex-military Pearl Harbor survivors on board enroute to Honolulu. They were traveling with the CEO of The Greatest Generation Foundation www.tggf.us . They all crowded up to the cockpit to look around and meet with us. Among them was an Air Corps vet that flew B17's, 24's, and 29's in that war...he was impressed with all the electronics, but suggested he'd prefer round dials...I agreed. With low clouds and rain at SFO, we were getting stuck with at least a 1 hour delay on the ground in Denver and they were likely going to miss their connection and therefore the special tour and ceremony planned for them at Pearl. We got on the radio and contacted an ATC coordinator in Chicago through our dispatcher and the grinding wheels actually turned pretty fast. "How soon can you be ready?" was the response. With dispatchers and Federal ATC employees all working to fix the problem, we worked out a solution where 5 other United flights would add a few minutes to their delay so that our delay could be greatly reduced. We made a quick taxi out and a fast run to SFO making the connection work with time to spare. SFO operations actually cleared a gate so that we could park right next to the HNL flight; these guys didn't even have to walk very far.
The best part of the story is that one of our "Global Services" passengers (ultra-elite service as they are usually CEOs or people that influence a great deal of business for us) overheard details of the trip these men were on. They were met at SFO with First Class ticket upgrades for their leg to Honolulu paid for by this customer.
We played a really small part in this, but it was fun watching everything come together."

[Caljamr]

Very cool story Froggy.
If you look really really close at this picture you can see me standing on the fantail of the USS Enterprise CVN-65 entering port in Pearl Harbor.
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/026505.jpg

[snake321]

little red x
a couple nights ago I was watchin a show about Pearl and they showed the superstructure from the Arizona that they took off and still sits on shore.

[Caljamr]

I can see it. Hmmmm.

[77Woodbridge]

To all of those that lost their lives 66 years ago today....God Bless you.
X2

[WestTNRiverRat]

I was on CV-64 and entered Pearl Harbor 4 times. Each time we tied up at Pier Hotel, directly across from the Arizona. We'd go up to the O-6 deck and look down on the ship. It will put a lump in your throat when you see it.
I remember seeing the small oil slick around the Memorial that is caused by the drops of fuel oil that escape from the ship and float to the surface.
My uncle was a young Tennessee boy that had joined the Navy and had been at Pearl for 9 days when they were attacked. He was on a destroyer. He fought all the way across the Pacific and was in Japan when the Japanese surrendered. He's still alive today and doing pretty good consideering his age. His generation gave a lot.
Great story Froggy.

[mbrown2]

His generation gave a lot.
Very True! As I get older and study history I really begin to understand how much easier we have it because of those that gave whole heartedly before us....
God bless to those lost in those great wars...
Great story Froggy...

[sangervdrive]

YET PEOPLE STILL BUY CARS WITH JAPANESE ORIGINS.
It completely blows my mind how we forget.
Could you imagine how all those men would feel if they saw all the people in America driving around hondas?? its disgusting.

[whiteworks]

My great great grandfather was the editor of the Honolulu Advertiser during the attack. The Advertisers presses were actually down that day so there was no newspaper printed the day of the attacks. They were able to see the smoke from the roof of the advertiser. The media was on a very short leash at this time and all information for print was screened by the military. During this time my grandmother was attending Stevens Collage in Illinois and forced to stay on the mainland during the war. She met my Grandfather While in Illinois and got married. If the Japanese had not bombed pearl harbor I wouldn't be here.
http://starbulletin.com/2001/12/07/news/story2.html

[Keith E. Sayre]

Great story Froggy! Love reading that type of stuff. I wonder though if our
generation will deserve or earn the kind of respect that our fathers and
grandfathers did. Maybe it's human nature, but when I think about or talk to
or see someone associated with World War II or Pearl Harbor etc etc. I feel
a certain reverence towards them as though they were bigger than life itself.
I suppose some of them really were. They were put in a terrible war and they
kicked ass and helped to make our country what it is today. I think we owe
them all a debt of gratitude.
I wonder if the next generation will say the same of us?

[mouzer]

My daughter who is 13 and i just got home from a service held at the naval base in Norco ca.....met some really awsome men who where there on those ships 66 yrs ago.talked to one guy who served 4 tours of duty (MARINE) and saw action every time and servived.he was only 17yrs old when he was in Pearl harbor....i could tell ya stories that they told that would bring tears to your eyes.it did mine!

[Caljamr]

YET PEOPLE STILL BUY CARS WITH JAPANESE ORIGINS.
It completely blows my mind how we forget.
Could you imagine how all those men would feel if they saw all the people in America driving around hondas?? its disgusting.
How times have changed. People forgive and forget and life goes on and relationships change. Some for worse and some for the better.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2009/1989285491_0e44ae43f3.jpg?v=0
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (Oct. 15, 2007) - Sailors aboard Japanese destroyer JS KONGO (DDG 173) watch pierside line handlers as the ship moors pierside Naval Station Pearl Harbor. Kongo is the first Japanese ship with the capability to detect, track and intercept short- to medium-range ballistic missiles. Later this year, Kongo is scheduled to conduct a flight test designated Japan Flight Test Mission-1, at Pacific Missile Range Facility, Hawaii. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James E. Foehl (RELEASED)