Where were you December 7, 1941?

Memories | Uncle George

[Uncle George]

Dec. 7, 1941 I was 10 years old and having fun running my toy putt-putt boat in the bath tub, you remember those steam boats you put a candle under the boiler and they run around making a loud putt-put noise. My mother came in very excited and told me Japan had bombed us at Pearl Harbor. I ran out in the front yard and many neighbors were outside loudly talking of the attack and we kids were scanning the skys for enemy airplanes because there was talk of Japan invading California and we were in the center of California. Everyone was frightened just as we were September 11, 2001. I have seen the "Sleeping Giant" awakened for the second time and I pray the Country will respond as it did in 1941. We had many less fifth column cells then but they were curtailed quickly then as our President is attempting to control these now. I remember the first soldier killed that was close to our family was my sisters boyfriend who enlisted quickly and died in battle early in the war. I remember her playing a little phonograph record he sent her as he left the U.S. We would all listen to him laughing and telling jokes and the tears would flow as we realized he and thousands more were dieing to protect this Country. Many Americans felt as we did because we took the loss of our loved ones, rationing of everything, around the clock war defence jobs without grumbling or complain. My father worked as a boiler fireman in a sawmill, lumber was a very essential product for defence. I witnessed an awakened giant in 1941 that that drew a Country together into an unbeatable force of all races and creeds that was to be my America for the rest of my life. I pray this Giant of today is the same that awakened on December 7, 1941.

[Some hope remaining.]

My parents were learning to read and playing with toy tractors and dolls, I suppose. I guess I was still waiting a while for God to send me on down here.

[GreenLanternCorps]

December 7th, 1941 - My dad was just a few weeks shy of his 12th birthday in Iowa and my Mom was 11 years old in Kansas. At that time I wasn't even a gleam yet...

September 11th, 2001 - I was sitting at my desk at work starting my day, either skimming the web or checking my e-mail while listening to WLW radio (waiting for a favorite talk show to start). Heard that a plane had crashed into the Trade Center, immediately thought about the 1945 accident where the B-25 hit the Empire State Building (I'm a history buff). Thought it was a small plane until I heard them interviewing a witness on WLW/ABC News radio. He was going on about the burning building than then shouted "OH MY GOD!" as the second plane hit. After that nobody got any work done...

[dewaste]

I was almost 5 years old, living in Beverly Shores, IN when I heard FDR talk about "infamy" on the radio. After that, oleo margarine came in a plastic bag with a little bubble of coloring. One would poke the bubble to break it, then knead the bag to spread the color through the margarine. Kilroy was here.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Forgive my interjection, but perhaps you could expand this to include where we were on September 11th, 2001.

Four rather short blocks from the WTC -- close enough to be covered with tiny glass shards.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Well, my parents were probably eating paste in their respective nursery schools at that time. :-D

[NYC GOP Chick]

How could you have slept through that??? ;-)

[drdemars]

I was eleven and living in Tulsa, Ok. Of course, all my news came from around the dinner table or the radio. Radio supplied adventure and mystery to me. The bombing or Pearl Harbor was just a new adventure to me. I can't remember the feeling and importance of the event. It was snowing outside and we were sitting around the radio listening. I felt so protected and loved by my family that no fear intered my mind. In fact, I wanted to listen to the radio show ,Fibber Magee and Molly, instead.

[k2blader]

Well, I think my parents were born in '41. :)

[Happygal]

Sorry, I didn't make my debut until 1972. Sorr-eeee! :-)

[kailbo]

Half of me was in a testicle and the other half in an ovary.

[k2blader]

I think September 11th is going to keep my generation from becoming Baby Boomers 2.

I pray you're right!

[OKSooner]

I wasn't around.

But, an old guy I know who was affected by it was living in a small town in Southeastern Oklahoma, fixing cars, going fishing and bird hunting, and probably trying to get a date now and then.

[KateUTWS]

In my mummy's womb! I didn't show up until 5 days later.

[wendelmyer]

bump for a later read

[RedBloodedAmerican]

I get to be first to say:

[RedBloodedAmerican]

I wasn't even a sperm yet.

What makes you think you're a sperm now?

[Poohbah]

I wasn't born yet.

[SouthernBelle]

How 'bout that! It was exactly FOUR days before my seventh-month birthday!!

[breakem]

I wasn't born yet, but I'll tell you where my father was. He was in Kentucky 11 days from being discharged from the Army. Of course the discharge was delayed 3.7 years.

[Teacher317]

The next day in school we found out where it was but did not know where Hawaii was located. So much for ignorance.

I never made the connection that Hawaii wasn't a state in 1942 until after I'd graduated from high school. I can understand why many citizens would have very little idea of Pear Harbor.

(To make an analogy, I'm not terribly sure where the Virgin Islands are, or the names of their beaches and harbors. If it were attacked, I would have to be reminded that it is US territory.)