A Day That Will Live Forever In Infamy.

~ the britchy one

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” This Franklin D Roosevelt addressed the Nation.

Today is the 77th Anniversary of the attack on America by Japan. The event that propelled the US into the Second World War.

Let’s just stop for a minute. The youngest person able to serve on that date would be 95 years old now. How many of us have a family member alive today who is 95 years old? That generation is all but gone. The men and women who fought against Hitler and the Nazis, the men and women for whom Hitler was a contemporary figure – gone.

All we have left are written accounts, old news reels and monuments to remind us of the horrors that shaped our today.

My grandfather fought in WW2.

My father was born in 1941. He was born into and grew up in a world at war. He is 77 years old now and it’s 70 years since he met his father for the first time because of the war and the times after it.

My grandad died 22 years ago. My older two kids have no memory of him at all and my youngest wasn’t even born when he died.

I’m a grandma now myself and my grandson has one grandparent alive who grew up in WW2.

Why am I telling you all this? Because I’m terrified that’s why. The generation that fought in WW2 is gone. Those that grew up then are fading fast. It falls to us, the children and grandchildren of those generations to remember and to educate generations to come to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

We already have holocaust deniers which astounds me. How anyone can deny or undermine such horrific atrocities is shamefully repugnant.

Closer to home we have people who would remove statues that commemorate the Civil War. I’m absolutely against destroying or rewriting history.

Banning books or symbols is counterproductive. If Nazi emblems are banned how can we be revolted by it? If you can’t read a book how can you not feel shame or horror?

Shame and Revulsion are good. We should all feel both more. Sanitising history only allows evil to rise again. Be revolted, be ashamed. Those feelings are far better than the complacency of ignorance.

Published by the britchy one

A PROUD American Citizen who was born and bred in England and now resides in the US. I’m married to an American who really didn’t have a clue what he was letting himself in for - poor sod! I’m a cranky bitch who loves cats and books and hates chocolate, politics and Dave’s. Oh and mosquitos. I hate those blood sucking parasites but since I’ve already mentioned politics I’m repeating myself! I’m a short, skinny redhead, 3 kids, 2 dogs, not enough cats and a mouth with a death wish. Blood group - certifiable.

41 thoughts on “A Day That Will Live Forever In Infamy.”

      1. The more people try to make things “safer” or more palatable or even the worst, using entertainment to educate. The farther we are moved from what actually took place and the greater the chances even worse things to come.

        If you don’t complete the cycle of antibiotics, the sickness has an even greater chance of coming back and the next cycle of antibiotics must be that much stronger. And much more devastating on your body and immune system. Our history is our antibiotic and we continually refuse to swallow it.

        The sickness is growing since for decades us and our children have been lied to about what actually took place. How are we supposed to recognize true evil in the future if we refuse to look at it in the past?

        Liked by 5 people

      2. My kids know and understand. I imagine yours do too.
        It falls to all of us to make sure our kids understand the difference between truth and whitewash/fake news. Teaching our children to disseminate information and to seek out truth and Teal facts is one of the greatest things we do as parents.

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  3. Pingback: Follow Friday, Dec 7 – The Haunted Wordsmith

  4. My father fought in WWII, searching for German subs in the North Atlantic. He never talked about it, but carried the pain of loss his entire life. They really were the greatest generation… putting honor and country before self.
    ❣

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  5. It’s so hard to make the past a reality for kids these days. The ones I nanny have no idea about even 9/11 let alone anything else. It’s so sad! The 2nd eldest is a little more aware – her grade 7 class is reading the outsiders right now and she’s asking all these questions about the 60’s. And I don’t sugar coat it for her. If she asks then I tell her the truth about it and it’s been great for her to understand the kind of history our country (and the US) had. Then it leads to other conversations with the other kids which is so great. Passing on the lessons

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      1. Heh. I hope you didn’t pull in muscles.

        Mucho appreciation. It is difficult to get something to rhyme with a Japanese word. It means Firehorse in case you were wondering. Victoria or Vic might rhyme easier? 🤔🤨

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Heh. Not sure. I know that 1000s of Japanese women born in 1906 (Firehorses occur every 60 years) were homeless, starving & dying as they were thought to be awful wife choices. The men did not want them.

        In 1966, there was a noticeable birthrate drop in Japan. Japanese women did not want to take the chance of giving birth to a female (naturally, in a patriarchal society, Firehorse men were fine). I’ve seen the charts. Pretty startling.

        Liked by 1 person

  10. Preach it!

    I have to admit, I never used to understand why so many “old” people were so adamant about remembering Pearl Harbor Day. Now that I’ve experienced the horror of 911, I understand. I’m just sad that each generation has to experience something like that to really understand the previous generation. What is the next generation going to have to go through to realize that evil is real?

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  15. Two of my great-grandparents fought in World War II. Two of my great-great-parents fought in World War I (and one of them also fought in the Boer War), and one of my great-uncles (or rather great-half-uncle – my grandfather’s half-brother) was killed in World War I.

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      1. Yes, one of my great-great-grandfathers fought at Gallipoli – although not in the initial landing (he left Australia a few weeks later, after seeing that my great-grandmother was born). He was ANZAC. I’m not sure about my great-grandfathers in World War II. One was Irish (and definitely NOT Anzac – he was RAF, and at one point stationed in Egypt). The other was Aussie, serving in the Pacific theatre. (He was in New Guinea during the Australian-Japanese fighting, stationed at Port Moresby. After the war, he was part of the occupational forces in Japan, and was at one point at Hiroshima.) Not sure if he was ANZAC.

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