Is 'Day of Infamy' fading from our memories?

Started by Eclipse, December 07, 2007, 08:00:55 PM

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Eclipse

Quote from: Dailyherald
Harry Brozynski has no big plans today.

Years ago, the World War II Navy veteran from Naperville probably would have attended a civic ceremony and likely had lunch or dinner with a large group of military brethren who had spent the day observing the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

As the number of veterans who survived that war dwindle exponentially, so does a desire to observe the day that propelled the United States into the fray.

Full article: http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=91038

(I must say, there's been no mention of it anywhere I have seen today...)

"That Others May Zoom"

Stonewall

Yeah, I agree.  It's getting to the point where just about every day is a major day in history.  But yes, it is a day that will live in infamy.  I mean, CAP is only 6 days old at this point 66 years ago. (did I do my math right?)

Just like Turkey Day, no one really seemed to remember JFK's assasination.
Serving since 1987.

Eclipse

#2
I was looking the other day at a picture of the original command staff of one of my units.

This was early 1942, so we're talking about charter squadrons here.

4 able-bodied men in the AAF pinks with CAP insignia.  I was trying to imagine what it must have been like - the war effort just starting to crank up, the entire country galvanized to one cause.

And these men, who for whatever reason were not able to serve in the military, accepting responsibility for homeland defense, during a time when there were legitimate attacks against US soil in way never before, or since seen.

There was, and still is, as lot of rhetoric about us being "wartime commanders", especially after 911, but these guys were the real deal, hand down.

"That Others May Zoom"

JAFO78

I for one will never forget this day as one of my teachers in high school, Navy JROTC, was aboard the USS Nevada that morning. LCDR Johnson spent his whole career in the pacific. He was the biggest influence to many of his students, and he is why I am pro military.

May this day be never forgotten.......   :'(
JAFO

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Cobra1597

To some extent, this is to be expected. I doubt people remembered the day of the explosion on the USS Maine much after the people who were alive then started to pass on, and other events more pressing into the American mind happened. "Pearl Harbor" was the 1940s generations "USS Maine", if you will (not trying to get into a discussion on whether the USS Maine was really attacked, or whatever, because it is irrelevant, it WAS the central rallying cry of the Spanish-American War, as Pearl Harbor was for the start of WW2).

The generation that lived through Pearl Harbor are dying off. A larger attack on the US (in terms of lives lost) has happened and is more on the American mind, 9/11. We are still fighting that war, and it is being used (properly and improperly) as a central rallying cry.


I'm also not sure that we should constantly be spending entire days remembering these events. It is one thing for us to teach them in school, make sure everyone knows the historical significance (especially in the context of learning from history and not repeating its mistakes), but I doubt the British sit and remember the Battle of Hastings every year. It comes to a point when you are more living in the past than you are living in the present and for the future. As Stonewall said, when it comes down to it, it is getting to the point that every day is a major day in history.

Did anyone remember before 2001, for example, that 9/11/44 was the day allied troops first crossed into Germany on the western front?
Harrison Ingraham, Capt, CAP
MAWG External Aerospace Education Officer, ADY
Spaatz #1597

mikeylikey

Quote from: Cobra1597 on December 07, 2007, 09:09:26 PM
I'm also not sure that we should constantly be spending entire days remembering these events. It is one thing for us to teach them in school, make sure everyone knows the historical significance (especially in the context of learning from history and not repeating its mistakes), but I doubt the British sit and remember the Battle of Hastings every year. It comes to a point when you are more living in the past than you are living in the present and for the future. As Stonewall said, when it comes down to it, it is getting to the point that every day is a major day in history.

Actually the British peoples remember more dates of military significance than Americans.  For starters they still observe Armistice Day, and a special day called Remembrance Day.  We in this country have rolled all of our past days into single events.  Veterans day took away Armistice Day.  Hell we don't even celebrate Presidents Birthdays like they did 50 years ago.  We get one day called Presidents day, but yet have a day set aside for MLK. 

Eventually this day will be either rolled into another day, or forgoten altogether. 

Our society is on a slip slope to ruin because History is not being expressed to the younger generations.

In closing I have to say I totally disagree with you in your statement that we should not spend entire days remembering events.  We owe those that came before us our devotion to their sacrifices, hardships and accomplishments.  If we eventually stop remembering, no one will want to do anything, as they will know their sacrifices meant nothing to the future.  So why bother? 

We have an obligation to remember the Second World War, (in fact more should be done).  Not just because of the historical significance, but because there ARE STILL VETERANS FROM THAT CONFLICT ALIVE TODAY.  That period in our history was more dire, more uncertain than today.  To compare that period with today is not fair to those that served and those that are serving now.  Back then, our existence today was uncertain.  Today, our existence is not threatened by terrorists as you would have believe by the media.  If this country wanted to stop all terrorists tomorrow, THEY COULD.  But nuking 1/3 of the planets surface is only a last resort I suppose.

Sorry for such a long and drawn out response, but this is a subject that I feel people do not take seriously enough today!
What's up monkeys?

JohnKachenmeister

When I was just a little soldier, the ENTIRE DAY of Dec. 7th was devoted to showing World War II movies on TV.  Great films, like "Air Force," "The Purple Heart," "Wake Island," and "Bataan."  I'm willing to bet a dollar to a donut that 90 percent of today's cadets have never seen these classics.  "The Purple Heart" is such pure anti-Japanese propaganda that TV has sacrificed it on the altar of the God of Political Correctness.

Now, Hollywood makes anti-American films depicting the terrorists as heroes and G.I.'s as villains, and then they wonder why fewer people are going to movies.
Another former CAP officer

Cobra1597

Quote from: JohnKachenmeister on December 07, 2007, 10:32:13 PM
Now, Hollywood makes anti-American films depicting the terrorists as heroes and G.I.'s as villains

Name one that has come out in recent years. I cannot think of a SINGLE movie that did that.

I can name a lot of movies that portray terrorists as the villains, and GI's as the heroes, Blackhawk Down, for example.
Harrison Ingraham, Capt, CAP
MAWG External Aerospace Education Officer, ADY
Spaatz #1597

Eclipse

Quote from: Cobra1597 on December 07, 2007, 10:36:42 PM
Quote from: JohnKachenmeister on December 07, 2007, 10:32:13 PM
Now, Hollywood makes anti-American films depicting the terrorists as heroes and G.I.'s as villains

Name one that has come out in recent years. I cannot think of a SINGLE movie that did that.

I can name a lot of movies that portray terrorists as the villains, and GI's as the heroes, Blackhawk Down, for example.

Yes, not sure where this is coming from.  Modern films tend to take a more realistic view of events and portray characters as humans versus "glow-in-the-dark supermen", but I haven't seen anything like you describe above.

"That Others May Zoom"

flyguy06

Just curious why you guys put so much emphasis on this day. People dont think about Martin L. King day either and nobody seems to make an issue of it. Guess it depends on who you are talking to.

fyrfitrmedic

Quote from: flyguy06 on December 07, 2007, 10:41:26 PM
Just curious why you guys put so much emphasis on this day. People dont think about Martin L. King day either and nobody seems to make an issue of it. Guess it depends on who you are talking to.

Umm... apples and oranges.
MAJ Tony Rowley CAP
Lansdowne PA USA
"The passion of rescue reveals the highest dynamic of the human soul." -- Kurt Hahn

Eclipse

Quote from: fyrfitrmedic on December 07, 2007, 11:01:38 PM
Quote from: flyguy06 on December 07, 2007, 10:41:26 PM
Just curious why you guys put so much emphasis on this day. People dont think about Martin L. King day either and nobody seems to make an issue of it. Guess it depends on who you are talking to.

Umm... apples and oranges.

More like apples and oldsmobiles...

"That Others May Zoom"

RiverAux

I pretty much agree with Cobra, however, its hard to argue that there are very many single days that had as great an impact on the US as 12/7/41. 

CAP_truth

My father was a signalman on the U.S.S. California when they attacked on 7-Dec-1941. He had just got off watch and was getting into his rack when the attack began. He survived the war without receiving a scratch.
Cadet CoP
Wilson

star1151

I was actually kind of impressed to see the flags at work at half mast today....

flyguy06

Quote from: fyrfitrmedic on December 07, 2007, 11:01:38 PM
Quote from: flyguy06 on December 07, 2007, 10:41:26 PM
Just curious why you guys put so much emphasis on this day. People dont think about Martin L. King day either and nobody seems to make an issue of it. Guess it depends on who you are talking to.

Umm... apples and oranges.

My point is this is a post abouthow people have forgotten about a certain day in history. My point is that a lot of important days in the history of America are not as emphasised as others. That just goes with time

docspur

It is now 21:26.  I've had a busy day with our "pack n' ship" area here at FedEx Kinko's.  Almost everyone, when filling out their shipping forms asked me what the date was.  My answer was always the same, "Today is a very important date in our Nation's history."  I would say that I received blank looks from this comment at least 90% of the time.

Capt DL Spurlock, Commander
NCR-MO-127 - Trail of Tears Composite Squadron

Group IV Safety Officer
Missouri Wing

JohnKachenmeister

Quote from: Cobra1597 on December 07, 2007, 10:36:42 PM
Quote from: JohnKachenmeister on December 07, 2007, 10:32:13 PM
Now, Hollywood makes anti-American films depicting the terrorists as heroes and G.I.'s as villains

Name one that has come out in recent years. I cannot think of a SINGLE movie that did that.

I can name a lot of movies that portray terrorists as the villains, and GI's as the heroes, Blackhawk Down, for example.

"Redacted"

Also, some movie with the uber-leftists Robert Redford and Tom Cruise, I forget the name of it.

"Munich" that depicted the Black September terrorists that attacked the Olympics in 1972 as heroes and ultimately victims of the evil Israeli Mossad.

Even Blackhawk down and United 93, which were sympathetic to Americans, chose to emphasize American battle losses.  I'd like to see a movie about the succesful operation to insert SF troops in with the Northern Alliance when they ran the Taliban out of town.  How about a movie about the FBI stopping a terrorist attack (Which has happened several times) or the Battle of Fallujah where the Marines had to fight house-to-house?
Another former CAP officer