Wednesday, Dec. 7 marks the 81st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, a day in which 2,403 Americans were killed in the surprise Japanese attack in Hawaii.
When thinking of the day, it’s hard not to immediately jump to thoughts of the servicemen and women on the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu. We rarely think of the children who witnessed these events.
That’s why Bisi Cameron Yee’s front-page article about Betsy Noyes is so eye-opening. Noyes conveyed what her 8-year-old self witnessed that day – the planes flying low, her naval officer father leaving suddenly, her mother playing cards in the blackout room with friends after curfew. The innocence to these observations of one of the biggest historical events in American history is stunning.
It makes us think about the lens through which this generation’s children are observing historical events now. From the COVID-19 pandemic to the war in Ukraine, kids around the world are living through events that will one day be studied in history classes.
We talk sometimes how a newspaper is “the first draft of history,” but the true meaning can be found in stories like Noyes’, shared for generations. We hope this remains true for years to come. Thank you to the members of our military for protecting our freedoms, and for all who share their stories for future generations.
