Pearl Harbor Remembered

[Ralph]

I offer a respectful remberence of those who died in the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. I am grateful that my father was stationed there AFTER the attack. Its interesting to note comments about today's youth not knowing about Pearl Harbor or WWll. Since I do not have children and do not have access to the textbooks in my local high school's history curriculum I cannot confirm that this date is not taught in school....but somehow I imagine WWll and its importance is part of the lesson plan for American History. Ironically, as a high school student it seemed that we learned American history only up to the the end of the Second World War even though the Korea War had occurred, the politics of the Cold War and fear of a great global conspiracy influenced our national policy, McCarthyism had stained the nation by making it fashionable to question the patriotism of fellow citizens, a war we didn't talk about in class was coming to an end in Viet Nam, Watergate had shaken the nations confidence in its Presidency.... I suspect today's kids would understand the experience of Pearl Harbor just fine since many of them saw extensive coverage of 9/11 in real time. That said, however, they may envy the "Greatest Generation" for the national unity of the times and the clarity of the mission of the Second World War compared to the divided American viewpoints and complexities of responding to a less easily identified enemy today.

Ralph