Pearl Harbor Day...

Today is the 83rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, by the Japanese back in 1941, an attack which killed 2,403 Americans and resulted in the United States entering World War II. It also resulted in my father Nelson being drafted in 1943 at the age of 34 into the army and being sent to Okinawa, where I believe the photograph above was taken. He was a dentist and fought both teeth and typhoons before coming home in 1947. Fortunately, the fighting was about over on Okinawa by the time he arrived, and since he was not crazy about being a dentist, being on Okinawa was kind of like a break from the office for him. Believe it or not, he told me the experience was very much like the television show MASH. Hot Lips on Okinawa? Back when I was a kid, Pearl Harbor Day was a big deal, but it seems to get a lot less press these days. Events like September 11th, which killed 2,996 people and happened much more recently, have attracted more attention from the media when such anniversaries roll around. Horrible events keep on coming, after all, and probably always will. And by the way, in the photograph above my father is sitting in the back row, third from the right. I'd recognize him anywhere.