Dec 7, 1941 Let us never forget

[HOTROD_WILLIE]

I am going to be out of town this weekend, being that December 7 is on Sunday. Let us don’t forget the men and women that sacrifice everything to keep us free.My uncle died fighting in the Pacific with a lot of other great Americans. A lot more would have died if was not for the scientist and other to put an end to this war before we lost any more Americans lives.Thank you for all that is serving and has served this country.
We live greatest country in the world. That has been blessed by god.Let us all be very thankful and remember that Christmas is about Jesus Christ coming to earth to save us all.

[Bruce in southern OH]

Be safe in your travels, thank you for reminder about both events, Merry Christmas, Bruce

[cmbrucew]

AMEN
Bruce

[Lawson Cox]

I will always remember that day. Some of us kids were playing in the woods then another kid came screaming "The Japs have just bombed Pearl Harbor." I turned 10 on the 27th.

[Clem Clement]

Amen. I was stationed in Hawaii in the 60's and have visited the Arizona memorial. I worked in the PACAF headquarters building there and every day as I walked in, I passed the bullet marks remaining on the building as a reminder of "The day of Infamy."
Clem

[CAPE A]

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Thank you and Bless you guys!

[corvette8n]

I think everyone should visit Pearl Harbor at least once in their lifetime, I was fortunate to be able to go in 2007 and 2013, my Dad fought in the Phillipines in 1943.

[Binx]

I've visited the Arizona Memorial. Fuel oil still leaks to the surface. Seeing the oil is a sign of perpetuity for the need to remember. My grandfather was a civilian contractor who witnessed the attack and later enlisted. He was an earth-moving equipment engineer and helped rebuild the airfields we took back from the Japanese. Among others he rebuilt the runways on Saipan, Okinawa and Tinian from which the bombs launched. The rest is well documented history. I had to pull his record to find this out. He never spoke of it.

Lonnie

[Fibber Mcgee]

Interesting stories. It even falls on Sunday again this year. I hope we never forget the Greatest Generation. Amen about Christmas as well.

[Ol' Ron]

I was 8 years old on Dec. 7 1941. I was in Fox lake Ill. With My Dad and uncle Dan. We were visiting friends if the family, when the news came over the radio. My uncle Dan was in the Army at the time and was pretty upset at the news. He served in Africs, Itily, France. Was wounded twice. I aske him how it was over there and he said "Piece of cake". many od my uncles ans cosind went into the war. We were lucky, they all came back.

[Bill S]

How many teenagers or 20 something know what happened Dec 7th.

[charles in east texas]

Originally Posted by Bill S

How many teenagers or 20 something know what happened Dec 7th.

Real close to zero.

[PeterC]

My Dad was in the Navy - went in 1942 on Destroyer DD213 USS Barker - then transferred to the brand new Destroyer Escort DE368 USS Cecil J. Doyle in 1944 - was honorably discharged while he was in Tokyo after the surrender.

Sharing with you 3 interesting pictures from my private family album ...


- The Cecil J Doyle on picket duty somewhere in the in the Atlantic circa 1944



- My Dad at 22 sitting center in the rear of photo under the fan .. in the Cecil J Doyle supply room (the good look'in guy!}- he was 1st Class Chief Petty Supply Officer - the "kid" on the right with all the cash payroll in his hands is Elton Haley his boss and Supply Chief.


- Fast forward - my Dad and Elton 68 years later! - both in there 90's
one year later they where both gone - passing of natural causes - part of the greatest generation that is no longer here but in my heart forever .... I was honored to know my father and to have been a part of their once in a lifetime reunion - when I witnessed my Dad regress right back to a 22 year old before my eyes....reliving crazy wartime adventures and hardships together - I've got 5 hours of recorded conversation to remember them by...




History of the Cecil J. Doyle from Wiki:
Namesake: Cecil J. Doyle Builder: Consolidated Steel Corporation, Orange, Texas Laid down: 12 May 1944 Launched: 1 July 1944 Commissioned: 16 October 1944 Decommissioned: 2 July 1946 Struck: 1 July 1967 Fate: Sunk as target, 2 December 1967 General characteristics Class & type: John C. Butler-class destroyer escort Displacement: 1,350 tons Length: 306 ft (93 m) Beam: 36 ft 8 in (11 m) Draft: 9 ft 5 in (3 m) Propulsion: 2 boilers, 2 geared turbine engines, 12,000 shp; 2 propellers Speed: 24 knots (44 km/h) Range: 6,000 nmi. (12,000 km) @ 12 kt Complement: 14 officers, 201 enlisted Armament: 2 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 guns (2×1)
4 × 40 mm AA guns (2×2)
10 × 20 mm AA guns (10×1)
3 × 21 in. torpedo tubes (1×3)
8 × depth charge projectors
1 × depth charge projector (hedgehog)
2 × depth charge trackscarried out her first mission while still in shakedown, when she cruised on an air-sea rescue station during the flight of Government officials to the Yalta Conference. On 30 January 1945, she rendezvoused with HMS Ranee, and guarded the escort carrier through the Panama Canal and north to San Diego, California. Cecil J. Doyle continued on to Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok, where she arrived on 28 March to join the Marshalls-Gilbert Patrol and Escort Group. Her escort duties took her to Guam, and Ulithi, where on 30 April she was transferred to the Carolines Surface Patrol and Escort Group. On 2 May, Cecil J. Doyle's commanding officer became Commander, Screen, Peleliu, protecting the great anchorage in Kossol Roads.
While on patrol, Cecil J. Doyle several times rescued downed aviators, and on 27 May 1945, bombarded a bypassed Japanese garrison on Koror Island. On 2 August, she was ordered to the rescue of a large group of men in rafts reported at 11°30' N., 133°30' E., and bent on top speed to be the first ship to reach the survivors of torpedoed Indianapolis (CA-35). Her commanding officer, W. Graham Claytor Jr., approached at night and turned searchlights on the water and straight up on low clouds, lighting up the night and exposing his ship to possible attack by Japanese submarines.[2] Captain Claytor ordered his Communications Officer Lieutenant James A. Fite, Jr. to inform command that they were rescuing the crew of the Indianapolis; this was the first definitive message of the Indianapolis's fate. She rescued 93 survivors, and gave final rites to 21 found already dead. Remaining in the area searching until 8 August, Cecil J. Doyle was the last to leave the scene. While only 316 men were rescued out of the crew of 1,196 aboard the Indianapolis, Captain Claytor's actions were widely credited by survivors with preventing an even greater loss of life.
From 26 August 1945, when she sailed into Buckner Bay, Okinawa, the destroyer was assigned to occupation duty. She sailed with hospital ships to Wakayama, Japan, to evacuate released prisoners of war, then screened aircraft carriers providing air cover for landing of occupation troops. Through 12 November, she cruised on courier duty between Japanese ports, and after drydocking at Yokosuka, sailed for San Francisco, California, arriving there on 13 January 1946.
She was decommissioned and placed in reserve at San Diego on 2 July 1946.

[Robert/Texas]

I was 7 years old at the time. I vividly remember December 8 waiting for the school doors to open. The older kids were telling us younger ones that the japs were going to kill and torture us and most of us were really scared and crying.

My father tried to join but was just a little too old. His younger brother served in France and his youngest brother served (fought) on Tinian Island. Both came home safely.

I was never interested in military life but I got drafted ('57-'59) and spent most of my time in Germany.

To keep this early V8 related, my father kept my '34 Ford roadster while I was gone and drove it to work one day a week (when it wasn't raining). I sold it about 3 months after my release and now wish I had kept it.

[Ralph Moore]

I'm one of those who thinks every able bodied young man should serve at least one tour in the military. I spent 23 years in the US Army, during that time I was based in Hawaii, while serving in SE Asia. I went to Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and so I was able to honor those who fought in two wars. I saw the Arizona as well as the Hanoi Hilton. It was the greatest satisfaction of my military career to be a part of bringing some of those men back home...

[john worden]

PeterC Interesting history. Thanks for posting. My dad served as a gunnery officer on a DE. Mom was stationed in Florida in the Coast Guard.

[Graeme / New Zealand]

I'm a "youngin" compared to many of you but as a WWI & WWII "history nut I never forget this day. It would have also been my 29th wedding anniversary this year.

GB

[TonyM]

Originally Posted by Ol' Ron

My uncle Dan was in the Army at the time and was pretty upset at the news. He served in Africs, Itily, France. Was wounded twice. I aske him how it was over there and he said "Piece of cake". many od my uncles ans cosind went into the war. We were lucky, they all came back.

My grandfather also was already in the Army at the time of Pearl Harbor and he also served in North Africa, Italy and So. France (3ID); also wounded twice. He hated the war and never talked about it. No piece of cake for him--he had a real rough time.

[40cpe]

Originally Posted by HOTROD_WILLIE

I am going to be out of town this weekend, being that December 7 is on Sunday. Let us don’t forget the men and women that sacrifice everything to keep us free.My uncle died fighting in the Pacific with a lot of other great Americans. A lot more would have died if was not for the scientist and other to put an end to this war before we lost any more Americans lives.Thank you for all that is serving and has served this country.
We live greatest country in the world. That has been blessed by god.Let us all be very thankful and remember that Christmas is about Jesus Christ coming to earth to save us all.

"Amen" to what you said, Willie. Thanks for your post.

[5851a]

I'm only 59 but want to thank all the Veterans here and departed, who made life possible for us all. Thank You