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[RedKing]

Just realized that this has gone without mention today. 70 years ago today (at about this time), the United States experienced what was, up until 9/11, the worst single attack in American history. I don't think I need to regale anybody here with the details. So I'll just leave it with a simple observation that even as we as a nation pay less and less attention to the date, I don't forget. It was a day that changed the entire course of American history and put our nation on an entirely new trajectory. Arguably, it may have been the most important day of the 20th Century.


EDIT: Along with the iconic photos of the battleships burning and sinking, and the newspaper headlines in OMGWTFBBQ-point fonts, MSNBC published this one that I'd never seen before:

Spoiler: Women firefighters at Pearl Harbor (click to show/hide)

That photo should be in every history book in every school in America. I'd love to know what happened to the individuals in the photo.

[Euld]

My older brother was born on Pearl Harbor day, so strangely enough, that's what we do today.

I'm pretty sure I can see why people wouldn't talk about this event very much.  1)Long time ago.  2)Japan is our friend now, bringing up old grudges seems... meh.  Heck, Obama wanted to do a public apology about the Hiroshima bombing and the (president?  prime minister?  I dunno o_O) shot him down, said it would be a dishonorable thing to do.  Or something.

I'd type more but I gotta leave for a birthday party.

[klingon13524]

Edit: it was 11:45ish at night when I worte this, I think I was in a strange mood.

Remember, remember, the seventh of December,
A date to remember, a date to remember.

The Japs did bomb the harbor of Perl,
Their bombs at us they viciously hurled,
So the navy did respond, they pushed the lines along,
And won the war of three years long.

The scientists developed an atom bomb,
For peace did the emperor then desperately long,
And the war in Europe moved quickly along,
But the Heroes and Reds did not get along.

And the Cold War started, but that's another song,
A time we hope won't last too long.

Remember, remember, the seventh of December,
A date to remember, a date to remember.

I came up with that in about twenty minutes, what do you think? (It's written as if it were Cold War propaganda, obviously)

[RedKing]

My older brother was born on Pearl Harbor day, so strangely enough, that's what we do today.

I'm pretty sure I can see why people wouldn't talk about this event very much.  1)Long time ago.  2)Japan is our friend now, bringing up old grudges seems... meh.  Heck, Obama wanted to do a public apology about the Hiroshima bombing and the (president?  prime minister?  I dunno o_O) shot him down, said it would be a dishonorable thing to do.  Or something.

I'd type more but I gotta leave for a birthday party.

Well, I don't think it has to be brought up as a grudge. I'm not casting aspersions about the Japanese, and in fact I believe they should be remembered too. The same way that I don't see a problem with Civil War memorials.

[Heron TSG]

Every year the president calls the prime minister (or the emperor, I forget which) and asks for an apology for Pearl Harbor. They are always turned down, but it's more of a tradition than anything else. Neither nation is honestly still angry about it.

[Jake]

I wonder if the Japanese military make as big a thing of it as the Royal Navy, particularly Fleet Air Arm (when they're a distinct entity; we've gone back and forth on this a few times), make of Taranto Day? They usually have a massive booze-up to commemorate it, though not on the day it actually took place for obvious reasons; November 12th if memory serves.

[Deadmeat1471]

I actually forgot until the very end of the day. Shame on me, as a History student 

[Gregory Stroganov]

Anyone seen that scene in Mad Men, where Roger Sterling shouts at the Honda reps and everyone tells him to shut up? One of my favorite tv scenes of all time.

It actually is relevant to the thread.

[Strife26]

There were a couple of little articles in the Stars and Stripes about it, which were pretty cool. Other than that, one of my fellow privates was asked if he knew the date of said attack last week. He couldn't. Then he got asked the year. Then the decade.

He guessed the fifties. I find that awfully sad.

But yeah, if only for the years of proper force on force warfare.

Remember, remember, the seventh of December,
A date to remember, a date to remember.

The Japs did bomb the harbor of Perl,
Their bombs at us they viciously hurled,
So the navy did respond, they pushed the lines along,
And won the war of three years long.

The scientists developed an atom bomb,
For peace did the emperor then desperately long,
And the war in Europe moved quickly along,
But the Heroes and Reds did not get along.

And the Cold War started, but that's another song,
A time we hope won't last too long.

Remember, remember, the seventh of December,
A date to remember, a date to remember.

Pretty nice, I think. However, while throwing the Marines in with the Navy is perfectly fine, don't forget that the Army did stuff in the Pacific as well. Just gotta mention that, as being first in Manila is a high point of my Battalion's history.

Edit: what quoting fail?
_{need to get used to tags again . ..}

[Jackrabbit]

In honour of the occasion I played a lot of Shogun 2 and pretended to hate the Japanese.

Then mum brought home sushi. MY RACISM IS FOILED BY YOUR DELICIOUSNESS.

[klingon13524]

There were a couple of little articles in the Stars and Stripes about it, which were pretty cool. Other than that, one of my fellow privates was asked if he knew the date of said attack last week. He couldn't. Then he got asked the year. Then the decade.

He guessed the fifties. I find that awfully sad.

But yeah, if only for the years of proper force on force warfare.

(quoting fail)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

quote author=klingon13524 link=topic=97336.msg2816922#msg2816922 date=1323295910]
Remember, remember, the seventh of December,
A date to remember, a date to remember.

The Japs did bomb the harbor of Perl,
Their bombs at us they viciously hurled,
So the navy did respond, they pushed the lines along,
And won the war of three years long.

The scientists developed an atom bomb,
For peace did the emperor then desperately long,
And the war in Europe moved quickly along,
But the Heroes and Reds did not get along.

And the Cold War started, but that's another song,
A time we hope won't last too long.

Remember, remember, the seventh of December,
A date to remember, a date to remember.
[/quote]

Pretty nice, I think. However, while throwing the Marines in with the Navy is perfectly fine, don't forget that the Army did stuff in the Pacific as well. Just gotta mention that, as being first in Manila is a high point of my Battalion's history.

It was past midnight when I finished it and I needed to go to sleep. I suppose I could make an addendum (is that correct use of the word), but I think it's fine for a spontaneous inspired poem.