Monday, December 7, 2009
Sixty-eight years ago to the day, U.S. naval officers awoke to the sound of Japanese airplanes and explosions in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Despite a common belief that the Pearl Harbor attack was actually Josh Hartnett and Ben Affleck conducting a romantic assault on Kate Beckinsale, the real events of Dec. 7 became one of the worst attacks on U.S. soil, leading to America’s involvement in World War II.
“Remember Pearl Harbor!” became a common rouse of national patriotism and uniformity throughout the climactic years of World War II. Additionally, many Japanese-American residents became the subject of anti-Asian sentiment in the days following the attack, leading the American government to set up mandatory internment camps that were overpopulated, discriminating and humiliating for the thousands of Japanese who spent the remainder of the war as prisoners.
All American history books mention Pearl Harbor, but information gained from talking to grandparents or friends who were alive in the earlier part of the 20th century is a unique — and oftentimes more interesting — experience.
Even if these people don’t have military service or direct involvement with the historical event, they still have memories of earlier times. I spent Thanksgiving talking to my grandparents about their experiences when they were younger. I learned more about my grandparents by the way they told their stories than by the actual stories themselves.
My grandfather recalled first hearing of the Pearl Harbor attacks a week after they had happened via radio in the Midwest countryside.
“It was a simpler time,” he told me.
These stories, only a small portion of the day’s conversation, can’t be found in any history books. Chances are that these older relatives, many of whom are in their 70s and 80s, have stories they would enjoy telling. Regardless of a grandparent’s background, the reality is their stories will not be around forever — a 20-year-old at the time of Pearl Harbor is now close to 90.
If it’s not possible to speak to a grandparent, there’s always the possibility of talking to a veteran or a family friend. And for those who have grandparents who served, there’s a possibility that they may not want to talk about their military experience. But that doesn’t mean questions about childhood or later adulthood are off-limits.
Today’s anniversary of Pearl Harbor is just another day — by tomorrow it will be an afterthought. But the image of American battleships sinking in the Pacific Ocean should serve as a reminder to have a conversation with those who were alive to experience it. Who knows, maybe they’ve just been waiting for someone to listen.
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