For Americans, today is Pearl Harbor Day, the Day of Infamy. Please remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice 63 years ago, and also, remember those that may be making the ultimate sacrifice for us right now in our Armed Forces. God Bless and Keep all our Servicemen and Servicewomen, now in the hour of their need. May they all come home safe and sound.
My wife and I visited Pearl Harbor when we went to Hawaii a couple of years ago. Truly a moving experience and one that shouldn't be missed if you ever go to the Islands.
One of the Japanese leaders that attacked us said, that he had been to the US and seen our industrial might. He feared they had woken a sleeping giant. Can't remember who, just remember reading it somewhere in a book about it or there in the museum.
Like that hick sheriff that picked on a vietnam war vet who turned out to be Rambo. And back to WW2, we were allies with the Chinese and whether or not you realize it they still deeply appreciate that. The Japanese occupied China and it wasn't much different than Germany and the Jews. At least a million of people snuffed out. They are still unearthing chemical weapons unexpectedly in various places and are very pissed off at Japan about the whole thing. Especially when the Japan President goes to the war memorial every year to honor their dead, who the Chinese consider in general to be murderers and sex offenders (can I say that?). In USA for the most part we tend to forgive and forget, not here. At least not so fast.
Boy times have changed! I guess our military still contracts within the USA but this "global economy" has sure put a dent in our "industrial might". My son was born today 4 years ago so I have two reasons to remember this date. Ken
Will never forget Dec 7th 1941 as long as I have the ability to remember or have a beating heart.... Have my "old glory" and POW / MIA flags flying here at the homestead and remembering those brave souls of that era as well as all veterans that served in our country's time of need. Thanks are the order of the day..... Jim :TU:
Well, the China situation was a little complex, as I'm sure you know, Mike. When the Japanese took over the industrial heart of China in the '30s and named it Manchouko, the rest of China lost most of it's centralised ability to resist because the industry wasn't there for them. Added to that the fact that the Japanese had trained a very small and efficient air force to complement it's Army and Navy that everyone underestimated, it allowed the Japanese a large amount of leeway in what they could do in China. The culture of the Japanese had a curious 'trickle down' effect in the military. For example: slapping the face was a common act in the Japanese military. For the lowly foot soldier who is abused as a matter of course, when he is suddenly in some sort of petty command like in a civilian area that is now under martial law, he is apt to be pretty harsh, and when coupled with the notion that defeated enemies are enemies for all time, and also sub-human, atrocity is almost gauranteed. Occupation forces aren't the most well trained, disciplined, or intelligent soldiers in the army in most cases, so China really suffered. Some of this is now cited as the reason some gaurds were so murderous during the Bataan Death March, as well. In the example of Nanking, the Japanese' actions were probably not well known at the time outside of that area of China, and even if it were, it would be almost unbeleiveable to understand the level of violence and simple brutality commited there, in say, the US. Folks just wouldn't beleive it. As for the acts of rape commited there and virtually everwhere by the Japanese, it's worth noting that on a smaller scale, even US servicemen commited rape, but curiously, it wasn't really the same thing from a Japanese foot soldier's point of view. To them and their officers, there was the concept of "comfort women" who were recruited (read: kidnapped) to serve virtually as sex objects. The jump from taking advantage of these 'comfort women', which to them wasn't rape, but simply a service provided by the Army, to the actual act of rape in their view, couldn't have been a huge mental leap. Strange strange viewpoints. This doesn't excuse the Japanese actions in conquered territory, far from it. There is good evidence from Japanese witnesses that on at least one island held by the Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific, they ate captured US servicemen. Ate 'em! Killed them and cooked them up. I hope that's not really true. Japan never ratified the geneva convention and didn't really recognise it as intrnational law. I know that in the case of General Homma, who was in command of the Japanese forces in the Phillipines, he was executed for war crimes, even though he never gave an order for any atrocity. He was condemned to death probably for the reason that there were just too many POWs to provide for. But he also made MacArthur lose face, so he got it in the neck. Homma was by most accounts a pretty pleasant and reasonable guy, he was called the "poet-General", but even Charles Manson can write poetry, I suppose. Then too, he was in ultimate command and in ultimate responsibility. In the case of China, the feelings of racial prejudice toward the Chinese by the Japanese were deep rooted centuries before the 1930s and that had to play a part in the Japanese perception of the Chinese. Mao was very cunning in his grab for power, you have to admit. He bided his time until Chiang Kai-Shek couldn't really respond. Maybe Chiang was too busy making sure his wife wasn't running around with Chennault behind his back. In Yunnan Province, I understand, the American Volunteer Group is still revered, and in Kunming especially, the Flying Tigers are still very much recognised. Many US combat vets in WWII who served in the ETO expected to go fight the Japanese in China before the attack on Japan's Home Islands began. So basically, I know too much about WWII history, and not enough about degreeing my camshaft :laugh:
God bless them and any man that is now or ever has fought for our nation!! Sad thing is I didn't see it on the calendars I have seen today. Patrick
America, America Now more than ever it is important to reflect on our fallen heros and the high cost of freedom, in this very transitional time that the world is in once again, whatever you all do, don't give the country back to the liberals and hang on to your guns!
I got this in an e-mail, Hope you enjoy I Am the Flag of the Of America I am the flag of the United States of America. My name is Old Glory. I fly atop the world's tallest buildings. I stand watch in America's halls of justice. I fly majestically over institutions of learning. I stand guard with power in the world. Look up and see me. I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice. I stand for freedom. I am confident. I am arrogant. I am proud. When I am flown with my fellow banners, My head is a little higher, My colors a little truer. I bow to no one! I am recognized all over the world. I am worshipped - I am saluted. I am loved - I am revered. I am respected - and I am feared. I have fought in every battle of every war for more then 200 years.I was flown at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Shiloh and Appomattox. I was there at San Juan Hill, the trenches of France, in the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome and the beaches of Normandy. Guam, Okinawa, Korea and KheSan, Saigon, Vietnam know me. I'm presently in the mountains of Afganistan and the hot and dusty deserts of Iraq and wherever freedom is needed. I led my troops, I was dirty, battleworn and tired, But my soldiers cheered me and I was proud. I have been burned, torn and trampled on the streets of countries I have helped set free. It does not hurt for I am invincible. I have been soiled upon, burned, torn and trampled in the streets of my country. And when it's done by those Whom I've served in battle - it hurts. But I shall overcome - for I am strong. I have slipped the bonds of Earth and stood watch over the uncharted frontiers of space from my vantage point on the moon. I have borne silent witness to all of America's finest hours. But my finest hours are yet to come. When I am torn into strips and used as bandages for my wounded comrades on the battlefield, When I am flown at half-mast to honor my soldier, Or when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving parent at the grave of their fallen son or daughter, I am proud.
Chris, that is a very impressive rundown on the China/Japan history which all sounds dead nuts accurate to me. I never heard about any cannabalism before but nothing would surprise me. Natives in some parts of Indonesia were still cannibals then and you wouldn't want to have wandered off into the woods to take a dump and be captured by them either. Too many people have had to pay the maximum price to make the world a better place, and it is good to remember them on days like this. I'm fortunate that my father made it back from combat duty in the Philippines during WW2 or else you wouldn't be reading this note. Many of the people he served with weren't so lucky.
