Today, on the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, we honor the generation known as 'The Greatest Generation,' those brave men and women who answered our nation's call in 1941.
At 7:55am on December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked eight battleships including the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor. 1117 sailors and marines died on the USS Arizona but in all 2400 lives were lost that day at Pearl Harbor.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's words to the nation the next day still hold true today, "Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy."
Immediately following this attack on American soil, young people, primarily men, enlisted in the military. They didn't ask how this would affect them, but went forward despite the fear they must have felt.
Many of those young people died during World War II in foreign lands, far from their families.
The average age of World War II veterans is 92 and many die each year. In 2008, over 1000 World War II veterans deaths per day were reported.
Much has been written about these brave young warriors who left their homes and families to fight for freedom. But nothing we can say or do can repay the debt that we, their descendants, owe to our fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers.
Personally, I thank my father who served in the US Army in three wars: World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Without his bravery and that of others like him, we wouldn't enjoy the freedoms we have today.
Today, as you go about your business, spend a few minutes reflecting about those who answered freedom's call 70 years ago today. If you are lucky enough to know a World War II veteran, thank him or her personally. God Bless you all and God Bless America.
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