A day that will live in infamy… That’s what FDR called the surprise bombing of Pearl Harbor. Being that yesterday was Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, and the second anniversary of my father’s passing is coming up in a week I figured I’d spend some time writing down many of the stories he’s told me.
Dec 7, 1941 was a memorable day for my father. At the time dad was 25 years old and attending Stanford medical school. He was back visiting home and that Sunday morning, he had planned to go sailing with his father – a hobby they both enjoyed together. As they were heading out of the Los Angeles harbor, harbor patrol pulled them over and quite sternly told them they had to turn around. They sailed back to shore, noticing nets being put up around the entrance of the harbor (they were submarine nets in case of an attack). They put away the boat and once in the car turned on the radio and heard the news that Pearl Harbor had been attacked by the Japanese military.
This day marked the entry of the United States into WWII, and a few years later my father became a medic in the US Army, helping save lives (both American and German) on front lines in Europe.
