Remember Pearl

A friend had a book proposal returned

 with the explanation that, 

"People today, would not be able to relate to her stories of growing up in the 1940's". 

This did not make any sense to me. 

If that is true, then what does that say about those who have followed what has been dubbed 

"The Greatest Generation"? 

When I mentioned that today was 

"Pearl Harbor Day",

my daughter said, 

"Oh." 

I realized then, that I needed to make sure the youngest of my children understands

 what that means.

This "Greatest Generation" 

are passing on and those of us

 from the tail-end of the Baby Boomers 

must be sure to tell our children

 so that our history

 is not forgotten.

Today, I sit here in my midwestern town 

in relative peace and safety 

surrounded by a blanket of snow. 

On December 7, 1941,

 it was a balmy Sunday morning in Hawaii 

and no one suspected 

that the day would end with over 

2,400 American lives lost. 

Those who died in that harbor were living lives of service to their country. 

A shock of that magnitude 

would not be felt again until the morning of September 11, 2001.

The attack on US soil generated a patriotic fervor to stop such a ruthless enemy. 

It sent our grandparents to Europe 

to fight the 

Nazis

 and to the Pacific

 to fight the Japanese army.

 Never before was there such a

 dramatic change to our culture.   

Children stayed with their grandparents 

while their mothers went to work.

Husbands and fathers went away and 

those who came back rarely 

talked about their experiences.

Today, hearts swell 

when events like D-Day are mentioned and 

heads shake when they remember how 

the H-Bomb ended the war

 with Japan.

Such times I cannot imagine.

My grandmother, now 88 years old, 

worked in a factory making bomber planes. 

My mom still has her ration book. 

I have my grandfather's draft card. 

 My husband's grandfather, 

now 92,

 was a submariner.   

I have an American Guide Book that the submariner's mother owned, 

that teaches everything from 

etiquette of the flag 

to how to stretch meals and

 plant victory gardens.

We must remember 

that our freedom was not given to us 

without responsibility. 

It was bought with 

the blood of brave men and women 

who understood duty and sacrifice. 

We must not forget them

 nor the events that shaped their lives.