Thoughtful Americans pause today — Pearl Harbor Day — not just to remember a landmark in world history but also to consider its meaning for us, now and in the future.
It was on Dec. 7, 1941, that Japanese naval aviators mounted a surprise attack on U.S. forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
It was among the most successful, stunning military victories of all time.Since then, with the words “never again” in many minds, Americans have used each Dec. 7 as a day of remembrance and as a reminder of the need for us to be prepared for similar assaults on our liberty.
The attack on Pearl Harbor was not the only time in our history that we as a nation have suffered from an unexpected assault. Sept. 11, 2001 still is fresh in many minds.
What stands out about the attack on Pearl Harbor is that, but for the fact that the U.S. aircraft carrier fleet happened to be out of port that day, the Japanese might have gained a far more decisive victory than they did.
Our unpreparedness very nearly cost us even more than the horrible toll paid by this nation in World War II.
We simply must not delude ourselves into believing that, without extreme vigilance, such an attack — or worse — cannot happen again. “Never again” needs to be part of our thinking now and in the future, not just a phrase from the history books.
From:
Wheeling News Register, WV
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