The Day of Infamy December 7th 1941 - The Day After

(Read this while listening to President Roosevelt's speech)

Imagine if you will. Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, you found out to your incredible disbelief that the United States was attack by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. You want to know more. You are drawn to the two sources of information that you rely on most - newspapers and the radio (no internet or CNN then). You would not see film footage for weeks or months until it came as trailers to your local movie theater.


You are sitting with your girl, your wife, friends or family and you listen to the President of the United States.

The world changed that day. If you were young you might enlist in one of our Military branches. 

As a woman the one you loved would be leaving to fight a war in Europe or in the South Seas. You might find yourself working in a factory building ships, planes or tanks. 

It was a time in history that united people in a common cause. Yes there were mistakes, people and authorities over reacted. Ignorance and prejudice had a ready made excuse to exist. Americans who were Japanese were detained and put in interment camps. Americans of German decent lost their jobs. The Bill of Rights was crumpled up in many ways. 

This was the start of a long war coming along with a Great Depression. Yet the World survived and the United States thrived. Men and women fell in love, married, had children and raised families. People lost their homes or jobs but in time found ways to be make do and still be happy. People found strengths they never knew that had. New and everlasting friendships were made. New jobs were created and new technologies emerged. 

The World hasn't changed any. It goes through it's cycles. The Wheel of Fortune turns from upside down to right side up. 

I can imagine that your life and the world on December 8th seemed as uncertain as it does today. But we can realize the world didn't end, and life carried on. We don't have to be afraid of our present day knowing that things will change for the better with hard work, persistence, and cooperation. And we can do it with style and grace!