I ate lunch today with a friend of my father's,who is a WWII veteran. He was on a tanker offshore from Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. He watched the movie (Pearl Harbor)for the first time, this Christmas. And told us today, it was the first time that he could "see" what the attack might have looked like.

"He was a young (19 yrs.old), sailor on a fuel tanker that would make the run halfway between Hawaii and California, transferring fuel back to the ships at Pearl. And on Dec. 7th, his world was changed forever. He and the rest of his crew, listened to the attack on their ship's radio. He said they were shocked at first then as they heard cries and pleas for help...his whole ship began to cry. He felt helpless. They were only about 4 hours ship travel offshore. A distress went out and they were ordered to steam in to help the next morning.

What they found when they got to the harbor, made him cry TODAY telling us about it. He choked up and his eyes welled up with tears as he began to reminisce about all of his fellow sailors clamoring to the railing of their deck.

There was still smoke and fires buring the next morning in the harbor. There was debris and bodies floating that covered the entire harbor,he said. He was shaking as he told us how, for 3 days they helped retrieve bodies and put out fires. He said, he was numb and could not sleep even after they were ordered to set sail for the South Pacific. He said they felt they had been violated or raped...and there was nothing they could do. The movie just cemented what he had expected about how the attack "looked" like.

Once in the South Pacific he requested to be transferred to a battle ship. He got his transfer...he did'nt return home for 2 years. He said that whatever it took to get revenge for what happened, he was willing to do. Everytime he fired the ship's guns...he said it was personal.

Anyway...just thought I'd share that "war" story. It had me riveted to my seat for an hour.

My hats off to anyone who exchanges their life for MY freedom. Thank you.
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