December 7, 1941 (a memorial vanity)

12/7/05 | Knitting a Conundrum

[Knitting A Conundrum]

This morning I want to pause a minute and remember a friend of mine. His name is T.J. Hassell. He was on the Arizona that morning in December. He was one of the few who made it. I lost touch with T.J. about 7 years ago, and I am not sure if he's still alive, but I know this was one of the defining moments of his life.

Here's to you, T.J., and to all your lost shipmates who gave up so much, and to all the men and women who fought against the darkness of that era and won.

May your eternal light shine upon all the brave men and women who have given so much to our country, O Lord. And may they rest in peace. Amen.

The Pearl Harbor Attack, 7 December 1941

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Pearl Harbor Remembered
USS Arizona -- "that terrible day"

[Eagle of Liberty]

BTTT

[wita]

Thanks. Had an older friend now dead a few years. He was a United States Marine on board the Battleship Nevada, which got underway only to be bombed and torpedoed to a halt some time later before they cleared the harbor and they ran her aground to keep her from sinking completely.

His stories of that battle and his participation in it as an ammunition bearer, and loader, the bombs, damage, death and destruction, were pretty vivid even after the passage of fifty years. There aren't many left of that era. Never Forget!

The same goes for Sept. 11, 2001 History is supposed to be for our benefit, but not if we forget.

[ken5050]

1,177 men died on the Arizona..in one brief moment. Today as we are engaged in a global War on Terror, as Dems bewail the loss of US troops, by contrast, in more than three years of war, at the price of twice the number of casualties as died on the Arizona, US forces have liberated two COUNTRIES and 55 million people..

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

It is great to remind people has these great people did their duty.
My Brother in law was on the USS New Orleans during Pearl Harbor. This was the Ship where the Chaplain said these great words "Praise the LORD and Pass the Ammunition".

This Great Ship was hit by a torpedo later in the war.
The entire bow was blown odd between the first and second turrets. they were able to back the Ship onto an atoll where they made a new bow with scrap and palm trees.
This allowed the Ship to make it to Australia at half speed.
As they were putting on a new bow, He was transferred to the USS Laws.
Don Stroud was my brother in law and he passed away last year.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

That point needs to be driven home again and again.

[SunkenCiv]

Post-attack Ship Salvage:
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/pearlhbr/ph-salv.htm

(e.g.) USS Nevada:
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/pearlhbr/ph-nv9.htm