Before we descend headlong into the Christmas season, we would be remiss if we did not take a moment to mark the 73rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, coming up this Sunday, Dec. 7.
It wasn’t that long ago when Americans considered Pearl Harbor to be the greatest harm ever visited on American soil. The sneak attack by Japan resulted in the deaths of 2,403 American servicemen, launched a world war, and directly led to American dominance on the world stage in the latter half of the 20th century.
To go back now and look at the total commitment to the war effort that followed is a marvel, considering we have been at war now for more than 10 years and you would hardly know it, walking down Main Street, U.S.A.
We talk a lot in this space about thanking veterans for the service they have given and appreciating the freedom their sacrifices have wrought. We talk about it so much we have almost clichéd ourselves, but it is important.
Today, nearly three-quarters of a century on, we are fast losing our WWII veterans. It won’t be all that much longer before they are all gone and then Pearl Harbor will truly be a part of history.
When it comes to appreciation, the time is now.
