Remember Pearl Harbor Day

This Friday, December 7, 2012 marks the 71st anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan. On that grim Sunday morning- December 7, 1941- 3,500 US Servicemen were killed and hundreds more wounded in two waves of air attacks lasting a little over two hours. Three hundred and fifty aircraft were destroyed and all eight battleships of the US Pacific fleet were sunk or severely damaged, although the US Aircraft carriers at Pearl remained unharmed in the attack. The sinking of the invincible USS Arizona marked the end of the battleship's distinguished career in service to this nation. In 1987, I had the opportunity to travel to Hawaii and visit the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Standing there looking down at the lost ship, which at that time was still leaking oil into the water, I thought of the lost men lying entombed beneath my feet. It was both an eerie and sad moment. I was also reminded of the words of Christ, "Greater love hath none than he who lays down his life for his friends." Freedom loving Americans need to pause and reflect on and honor the memory of those lost that Sunday morning over seventy years ago. Now more than ever, the bravery and sacrifice of those men and the slogan, "Remember Pearl Harbor" should never be forgotten.