Remembering Pearl Harbor and John Lennon

I'm not sure how many of you have relatives or friends that were around in 1941. This is after all a surf blog, and I'm guessing that the majority of you are between the ages of 18 and 65...still, the older group clearly knows, or knew someone who was around on this date and place.

December 7th, 1941 . Pearl Harbor. On Oahu, Hawaii.

Seventy one years ago, on a bright Sunday morning, the empire of Japan launched a sneak attack against US Naval forces while the majority of them slept in their bunks and barracks. The result of this devastating and deliberate attack was over 2,000 US killed. And countless of innocent civilians.

It sent shock waves across the nation and indeed the world. It also resulted in millions of Americans stopping what they were doing in their busy lives, and enlisting in the military to help fight the evil empires of both Japan and Nazi Germany.

Because there was no television, No Internet, No facebook, No Twitter, or smart phones (please). People got their news on old wooden radios, that they would all gather around and listen to. My parents, my aunts and uncles, they all did. Or they would get their news from Newsreels at the movie theaters. And the old black and white newspapers of course.

Every home had a newspaper. Times sure have changed.

There was also an unprecedented movement of our nation coming together to make a stand against our enemies. Democrats, Republicans, Blacks, Jews, Italians, Irish, Germans, French...you name it. Even Japanese Americans joined. (After the embarrassing interment camps fiasco. )

Every nationality in the whole country came together.

They all joined the US Armed forces. Not drafted. But enlisted. There were cases of young men and women lying about their ages to enlist. They all wanted to do something.

My how times have changed.

We were a nation UNDIVIDED, we were (and still are) The United States of America. And we would seek victory at all cost. And we did. But the loss was heavy. Over 400,000 Americans killed in 4 years of fighting in WWII. Try wrapping your head around that staggering figure. Over 400,000 Americans killed from Dec 7th, 1941 to August of 1945. That's a number, that to this day, is unfathomable. The deadly cost of war.

Can you imagine what it must of been like to be on the USS Arizona (above) that morning? Over a 1,000 sailors and Marines died that morning when she sank. The USS Arizona Memorial today leaks a quart of oil each and every day. That's some 71 years later. That ship and her crew lying on the bottom of battleship row in Pearl...weeping oil each day.
So sad. So terribly sad.

And speaking of sad. Saturday marked 32 years of the cowardly assassination of one of the world's most loved and respected singer/songwriter/musicians. John Lennon.

For me personally, it was a devastating loss. Because I was
first and foremost a REAL Beatles fan. I loved the Beatles. When John Lennon was killed I absolutely lost it... I was lost. His death was so senseless and disturbing, that the world was once
again in mourning.

And here we are some 32 years later, and it still hurts.

All you need is Love...Love is all you need.

It's also the beginning of the Jewish Holiday of Chanukah. Also known as the festival of lights. An eight day Jewish Holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple.

Lighting the Menorah. Happy Chanukah.

Now for Some Of My Weekly Global Observances:
There is cause for joy and excitement in the Royal family as the news
of Kate's pregnancy is announced. The apparent Heir is due in July.
Hey my birthday is in July...maybe, just maybe, you never know.