Pearl Harbor Remembered

[nachoman]

And let's not forget narrow gauge railroads played an important role in the war:

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[Green_Elite_Cab]

I don't know how many " many kids" are bil, but I think you're talking to the wrong ones that represent a small minority.

No, I don't think it is a minority. It wasn't all that long ago i was in High School (and my Youngest sister still is). You know how i know? If Pearl harbor is such an important date, why did it happen? My guess is that the majority of young people you ask won't be able to give you an answer. You'd think that the reason we entered a WORLD WAR is important. But its not.

Lessons on WWII focus almost entirely on discussions about the holocaust, Japanese internment camps, and the "evil" atom bomb. Everything else gets a quick lecture that pretty much passes by in 5 minutes. Some major European battles are covered (like D-Day), and the Pacific is pretty much forgotten, consisting of Pearl Harbor, MAYBE iwo Jima (if only to tell the flag raising story), and the Atom bomb.

Most young people my age tend to only know about the things that we "did wrong", like how the Atom bombs caused so much death (no one remembers fire bombing raids that rival the bomb), Or are shocked about interment camps. they may know some other basic fact like how Hitler shot himself, or that D-day was June 6th. maybe some interesting facts like the ME262 jet or some other oddball secret weapon.


Video games do a better job of teaching the battles of WWII than the schools. At least they tend to actually explain the historical significance of the game as you play it, if the player bothers to pay attention.

[steinjr]

I don't know how many " many kids" are bil, but I think you're talking to the wrong ones that represent a small minority.

No, I don't think it is a minority. It wasn't all that long ago i was in High School (and my Youngest sister still is). You know how i know? If Pearl harbor is such an important date, why did it happen? My guess is that the majority of young people you ask won't be able to give you an answer. You'd think that the reason we entered a WORLD WAR is important. But its not.

The reason for why things happen tend to be complex. It is hard to teach complex things. How far back would you need to go to give people a background for discussing why Pearl Harbor happened. The Mejii Restoration of 1868? The Spanish-American war of 1898?

Grin,
Stein

[Justinmiller171]

Our children should be told around this day at the dinner table tonight!

They won't be hearing about it in school ...


... they'll only hear about how we were insensitive and unfairly interred those of Japanese descent.[/align]

Unfortunately this is very true...

I am a Junior in High School and I have Never been taught about World War Two at school yet.

Besides for brief talks about WW2, all I have learned in school about the subject is on the Japanese Internment!

Once in 6th grade our teacher asked the class who we fought in World War 2, and shockingly nobody in the class answered, Finaly one kid raised his hand and said "England?'

After that I raised my hand and said "Germany and Japan" and the entire class was surprised that I knew the answer. The only reason I knew that was because I have always been very interested in History(That's what led to to Model Railroading), While the other kids were watching cartoons I was watching the History Channel. It's a real shame that kids don't learn about their own History anymore.

[Herc Driver]

Good for you Justin for raising your hand and speaking out. Clearly you have more on the ball than the other kids in your class.

There are certainly many complex reasons for a country going to war and you could spend a lifetime arguing and debating the merits of those reasons. But in the end, it's important to remember the sacrifices made by so many...it's important to remember the stories from both ally and foe...it's important to honor those who fought. The battle grounds have changed, grown over and filled in with time. The elements have reclaimed the steel and aluminum that once were the machines of war. But for the sake of those who fought, their memory and deeds should live on through the ages, so that what they fought and died for - lives on. That we might learn the lessons they penned in blood.

The surprise of Dec 7th...a turning point for the entire world...should always be remembered.

[Brakie]

What I can't get over is all of the warnings that happen that day.

The USS Ward (DD139) fired on a sub at 0645 and sent a message that read: "We have attacked, fired upon, and dropped depth charges on a submarine operating in defensive sea areas."

Radar picked up a huge flight of planes in plenty of time to sound "General Quarters" on Battleship row.

Even the inbound Japaneses pilots made mistakes..Instead of the dive bombers then the torpedo planes they all slammed into Pearl in one massive strike.


Yes,those men are to be remembered as well as the mistakes made that day least we repeat them.

[cn nutbar]

Just like Nov.11th,Sept.11th.,Dec.7th is a date that will always have a special meaning to me

[Sumpter250]

The war had been entered, and ongoing for 707 days, when I first appeared on the scene. That, was not my war. That war had heroes, and public support.
My war was a different beast. The dedicated American fighting men who served in my war, were spit on and called "baby killers", and the spitters, and name callers are our nations leaders today.

" ... the mid-east would cease being a dangerous, violent place if we would just lay down our arms, de-nuke and offer the open hand of friendship to those who are falsely potrayed as enemies! "

My answer to that is "Put fifty in the ring and hit ram continuous"

I may be a "senior Vice President of Bio Gas Technology ", and barely able to walk to the corner store, but I can still muster the strength and courage to defend the Constitution of the United States, against all enemies foreign and domestic!, so help me God!

I will never forget....., and the images of the World Trade Center being struck by aircraft filled with innocent American men, women, and children, will never allow me to even begin to think of laying down our arms and offering the open hand. Murder, is still a capital offense.
The only hand I'll offer is the clenched fist of a determined defender of freedom!
[ the remainder of this post was deleted......I've already said too much ]
The only thing we learn from history, is that we learn nothing from history.......and that is sad.

[Green_Elite_Cab]

The reason for why things happen tend to be complex. It is hard to teach complex things. How far back would you need to go to give people a background for discussing why Pearl Harbor happened. The Mejii Restoration of 1868? The Spanish-American war of 1898?

Grin,
Stein

Well, We did cover the spanish american war seperately. Imperialism does get covered, but it focuses more on our efforts in China against European powers, and makes no mention of Japan. That said, when i say they aren't giving the reasons, they literally aren't. They'll explain how hitler was upset about WWI and all of that, but why it is it hard to explain that japan devised a manifest destiny of it's own? thats not a complex idea, especially since its pretty similar to the one here in America, except replace native americans with the Chinese and Korean, and replace us with Japan. Imperialistic efforts inspired japan to change the way it did.

If i went from my highschool lessons, i'd think japan just decided on a whim one day to attack us.

Considering we had plenty of time in class wasted by watching clips of bad movies on pearl harbor (i hate michael bay), there was certainly time to actually explain this a tiny bit, if not in extreme detail.

Unfortunately this is very true...

I am a Junior in High School and I have Never been taught about World War Two at school yet.

Besides for brief talks about WW2, all I have learned in school about the subject is on the Japanese Internment!

Once in 6th grade our teacher asked the class who we fought in World War 2, and shockingly nobody in the class answered, Finaly one kid raised his hand and said "England?'

After that I raised my hand and said "Germany and Japan" and the entire class was surprised that I knew the answer. The only reason I knew that was because I have always been very interested in History(That's what led to to Model Railroading), While the other kids were watching cartoons I was watching the History Channel. It's a real shame that kids don't learn about their own History anymore.

Your school depresses me. I didn't think ANYONE wouldn't know the answer to that question. I don't think you're lying, but i'm going to assume they all thought the answer was to obvious to merit answering (assuming someone else would say it). This will help me sleep at night.

Seriously, none of them have even play Call of Duty or something? Its the most popular WW2 shooter ever, and it sticks close to the facts, at least close enough that you should know who is on who's side!

[Ralph]

The dedicated American fighting men who served in my war, were spit on and called "baby killers", and the spitters, and name callers are our nations leaders today.

Pete, I have the greatest respect for your military service and that of all veterans, and I thank you for it. Furthermore, I can't repudiate strongly enough those who referred to Viet Nam veterans as "baby killers" and spat on them. I'm curious, however, about which national leaders in particular did in fact spit on our soldiers and call them "baby killers"?

Ralph

[Justinmiller171]

Your school depresses me. I didn't think ANYONE wouldn't know the answer to that question. I don't think you're lying, but i'm going to assume they all thought the answer was to obvious to merit answering (assuming someone else would say it). This will help me sleep at night.

Seriously, none of them have even play Call of Duty or something? Its the most popular WW2 shooter ever, and it sticks close to the facts, at least close enough that you should know who is on who's side!

That was back in 6th grade when that happened and I don't think that History was very important to them at the time, But I think that even at that age kids should know at least who we fought during World War 2.

It's funny you mention Call of Duty, because Playing video games is how I used to learn most of my history

[poliss]

Anyone remember what happened on 3rd of September 1939? How many know that the Japanese shot down an RAF Catalina 20 hours before the attack on Pearl Harbor?

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Anyone remember what happened on 3rd of September 1939? How many know that the Japanese shot down an RAF Catalina 20 hours before the attack on Pearl Harbor?

Well, that would be the day that the war truely became a World War, isn't it? That IS another good point though. to many people in this country think WWII started after pearl harbor.

That was back in 6th grade when that happened and I don't think that History was very important to them at the time, But I think that even at that age kids should know at least who we fought during World War 2.

It's funny you mention Call of Duty, because Playing video games is how I used to learn most of my history

Well, seriously though? I knew the sides even then. In fact, most of the kids i knew back in the day had at least a basic knowledge, like what a Panzer or TIger was, or a P51 Mustang.


Seriously though, I think video-games are the future. People scoff at them now, but its already happening. video games are starting to outsell even the most popular blockbuster movies. Its only a matter of time before videogames start going from games to interactive epic stories. Hell, look at Halo. If you didn't know any better, you might think it was a movie with all the live-action commercials.

While a video game can never truly imitate combat (not yet anyway), I don't think any other medium has the potential to really explain how the war went, since it puts you in the situations where you have to make choices, as opposed to movies, where you are "disconnected". If you stop and think about all the times you've been mowed down in the various WWII shooters (and not even mentioning the unrealistic amount of "health" you have), imagine what that would be like in reality.

[steinjr]

Anyone remember what happened on 3rd of September 1939? How many know that the Japanese shot down an RAF Catalina 20 hours before the attack on Pearl Harbor?

Well, that would be the day that the war truely became a World War, isn't it? That IS another good point though. to many people in this country think WWII started after pearl harbor.

Other important dates a lot of Americans (and Norwegians too) doesn't necessarily know:
May 10th 1940
June 22nd 1941
October 23rd 1942
November 19th 1942

They are, respectively - the start of the German Blitzkrieg on the western front, the invasion of Russia, the start of Second Alamein and the start of Operation Uranus.

Grin,
Stein

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Other important dates a lot of Americans (and Norwegians too) doesn't necessarily know:
May 10th 1940
June 22nd 1941
October 23rd 1942
November 19th 1942

They are, respectively - the start of the German Blitzkrieg on the western front, the invasion of Russia, the start of Second Alamein and the start of Operation Uranus.

Grin,
Stein

Ah, you got me there. I knew the May 10th date, but i didn't connect the other dates with those events.