It was seventy years ago today

The date that has lived to some degree or another in infamy, occurred 70 years ago on a sunny Sunday morning.  Three thousand Americans would never see the following Monday.  Almost half of them stationed on the USS Arizona.  The combination of treachery, of Japan's planning of the attack while in negotiations, the evil of the Japanese Empire (oft forgotten because of the long shadow of Nazi Germany), and the humiliation and anger that America felt came together in a way never since repeated.   Japan had hoped for an America similar to America c. September, 2001.  A soft, foppish America full of narcissists who would gladly sell their birthright for the stew of winning an argument over how wrong everyone else is.  But what Japan got was a generation weaned in the school of hard knocks, the depression, poverty, and a strong resilience and capability to make much with little.  Silly conspiracy theories aside, and taking a moment to look beyond the million things we post-moderns focus on, such as everything America did wrong, it's a day worth remembering what America did, and what it could do again. 

Rest in peace to those men and women who never saw the sun go down on that Sunday so long ago.  And thanks to the millions more who risked, and sometimes gave, it all so that I would have the freedom to take everything we have for granted today. 

Here is a longer post from last year, on the 69th anniversary of the attack.