December 7

68 years ago today Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. Thousands of lives were lost. The United States responded by declaring war on Japan. This was our official entry into World War II. All of us have someone who served during the war, as soldier or sailor, or civilian. Do you know how they contributed? Did a child lead a scrap drive? Did a mother plant a victory garden? Did a son, father, brother join the service? This generation is fast disappearing. We should not let their hard work disappear with them.

In 2003 I visited Hawaii with my high school band. One of the place we went was Pearl Harbor. The USS Arizona memorial is something I urge everyone to visit. It sits above the ship, which is visible. In the harbor are white mooring blocks with the names of all of the ships, placed where each ship was on the morning of December 7, 1941. Footnote has created an interactive USS Arizona Memorial that is currently free to access.