December 7, 1941. Sixty eight years ago. Today we remember Pearl Harbor. Many of the heroes of that fateful day are no longer with us. Their memories will live with us forever. You may have had a father, grand-father, uncle or aunt that lived through that terrible day.
Maybe they were there or maybe they were back home listening on the radio, worried about someone or about the state of America and the prospect of war.
I listened again to President Roosevelt's, day of infamy speech that he gave back on that day. As I listened to it, something really grabbed me. It was as if you could have had President Obama read that speech today and the words of President Roosevelt would apply just as well now as it did back then.
Someone attacked us, willfully, deliberately and without any provocation. A good portion of our military might was destroyed. Why Japan didn't finish the job? Who knows? America was knocked down to its knees. We were reeling back from the blow. We were stunned, but we didn't stay down long.
We were going to fight back! We were going to protect our family, our friends, and defend our country.
Men were flocking to recruiting stations. They were lying about their age, just so they could go and fight the people who did this to their countrymen. They were eager, ready, and they didn't give it a second thought.
We are at war today. We were attacked back on September 11, 2001. Victoriously, willfully, and without any provocation, we were attacked, by nineteen Islamic terrorists. They took the lives of 2976 innocent people. At the Pearl Harbor attacks, we lost 2403 men, women, and civilians.
Yes we are at war today. It's a different kind of war this time, because the enemy lives among us, and the solder is you and me. We are the eyes and the ears of our defense.
When I see all the tributes and accolades given to those brave men and women of December 7, 1941, and I look around at the youth of today, I get very frightened. Have we learned anything? Nobody believes we are at war or that we are in danger at home in our own backyards. That is part of our enemy's strategy today, and that was the strategy the Japanese took back in 1941. Make them think everything is OK. Sell them a bill of goods so that they will relax.........and then.......when the time is right....we move in. While they are sleeping and never thinking anything about it......that's when we get'em.
We need the heart and attitude of those brave Americans that gave their lives for our safety and comfort way back some sixty eight years ago. With my deepest gratitude, I salute them all.