The Edisto Joe Outlook: PEARL HARBOR DAY REMEMBERANCE AND THOUGHT

Monday, December 7, 2009

PEARL HARBOR DAY REMEMBERANCE AND THOUGHT

December 7, 1941 is a day that will be forever ingrained in the minds of my family. That morning a knock came at the door of my grandparents home. My grandfather opened the door, and it was Mr. Steele, their next door neighbor. He was in a very excited state and kept repeating, have you heard, have you heard? The news he was carrying stunned them, Pearl Harbor had been attacked.

After the initial shock passed, my grandfather and Mr. Steele went into the living room and turned on the radio as my grandmother made coffee. Their they stayed for the rest of the day. My grandmother kept trying to get through to her sister, Lena, on the phone and finally was able to connect with Lena's husband John.

All day the reports coming in had not been good, the country was now at war with Japan. My grandmother talked with John since Lena would not come to the phone. She wanted to know if there was any word about Elmer, their second oldest son. He told her no, that they only knew what everyone else knew, Pearl Harbor had been attacked and considerable damage was inflicted, no word on actual causalities but the news wasn't encouraging. All the children were at home, there were six, four boys, two girls, by their mothers side awaiting news.

Toward the end of the week and into the next,all the horrifying details of the attack came out, and the official notice arrived. A Navy recruiting officer along with the local Baptist minister came to Lena and John's house.

Elmer was on board his ship, The Arizona, during the attack and was confirmed dead. By the end of the following week three of her remaining sons had joined the Navy and one would follow a year later.Three served as sailors and one as a Marine.

All saw action in the Pacific, two were wounded but returned to action and miraculously all returned home, all except Elmer. His death was one that remained with my Aunt until her dying days, one she could never accept. A mothers love would not allow her to let go. I guess in her mind if no one ever actually saw the body then you couldn't say for sure he was gone. No one ever tried to argue the issue with her and she refused on several occasions to attend memorial services at Pearl Harbor even when the Navy offered to transport John and her free of charge. Two years after the war, my Uncle John and his sons, with Lena's permission, placed a head stone in the family cemetery plot bearing Elmer's name. The inscription on the stone reads: “Lost December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor.” In Lena's mind "lost" did not imply death but as time went on she knew inside her heart, Elmer was never going to return.

The picture above was the last one ever taken of Elmer, he is standing on the right. He and his buddy were on shore leave around the first week of November. Regrettably we lost the name of his friend or we simply never had it. The picture was sent to my grandmother along with a letter from Elmer, thanking her for the Christmas fruit cake she sent him. He said he was well, they were working hard and he was sorry he wouldn't be home for Christmas. Tell everyone Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas and write when you can. My grandmother ended up giving the letter to her sister for safe keeping to be included with the rest of Elmer's personal effects. The picture stayed on my grandmothers mantle and when I was old enough I asked her about it and she told me the story that I have just told you.

The picture is in my possession now and I have told both my children the story. It's a story that is all too common for many American families. On my wife's side, they lost their Uncle Eddie in the Normandy Invasion, My friend down the street, his father was shot down over Germany during a bombing run, and his wife's uncle died at Guadalcanal. The one common thread that runs through out these stories is the duty, devotion, and honor these men and their families felt toward this country and to answer her call in a time of need. They may have grieved at the loss of a loved one but never complained or criticized. Blame fell upon those who started the war in the first place.

That is how it should be today in our current struggle with the Muslim terrorists. That's right, I said Muslim terrorists. That's the politically correct label and that's who our men and women are fighting now.

At a time when we should invoke duty, devotion and honor it seems that many in the general population are searching for blame within and would welcome a retreat from protecting ourselves and securing our nation from further attacks. Our current administration and many of those in the Democratic controlled Congress are feeding this notion, even going so far as to propose a tax on the wealthy to help pay for the war. They would single out one segment of our society over the rest and place the burden on them, completely forgetting that they in Congress approved this war and we entered into it as a nation united. The time for petty politics should be past. Anything less than total commitment and support is a disgrace, not only to those now serving in our military but to those like Elmer and the thousands of men, women and families of veterans past.

Edisto Joe