Pearl Harbor: Day Of Infamy

Victoria B. Roberts

Sunday, December 7, 1941

Was a day like any other

Nothing new under the sun

But the silence was shattered

By the roaring of warplane engines filling the air

We thought they were our own

Until something happened

That told us this just wasn’t so

A rain of bullets fell upon aircraft, ships, and land

Destroying the life we knew

Thundering bombs fell to the harbor

Bursting holes into our ships

That were docked here at Pearl Harbor

The Arizona was hit

Wrenching it upwards then sinking it to the bottom of the harbor

The Oklahoma rolled over on its side

With men trapped in the capsized hull

Complete chaos spread across the land

Fighters manned their battle-stations

As the medical staff worked to patch up the wounded

We saw our friends, our family, our comrades

As they fought and died

Then just as suddenly as it began the attack was over

REMEMBER…
Victoria Beth Roberts

Remember the Alamo, the cry was heard
We remembered for awhile, then forgot all the lessons we learned
Remember the Lusitania, rang out loud and strong
We remembered it then, but no longer recall the ship that was sunk
Remember Pearl Harbor, was heard in a march
We recalled for awhile, then the lessons were lost
Remember 911, was heard across the land
We recalled for a time, then forgot what happened that day
We forgot the Alamo and the stand those people took
We forgot the Lusitania and all those who died
We forgot Pearl Harbor and the lives that were lost
We forgot 911 and the tragedies that occurred
Let’s remember the past in order to prevent further attacks
Let’s remember the past so as not to make the same mistakes as others
Let the horrors of war flash before our eyes
Lest we forget those who fought, died, and won the freedoms we enjoy

Early in the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941, the people of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii were getting ready for Christmas, for Church, or just enjoying a relaxing and restful day.  Suddenly, from out of nowhere, planes appeared overhead.  Many thought they were from the mainland to augment the troops stationed here, but they weren’t.  The peaceful morning was swiftly interrupted when bombs began to explode all around.  The place was in utter chaos as people ran screaming for safety or, in the case of those in the military and medical professions, running to work.  While those in the military rushed to defend the land, the medical personnel rushed to tend the wounded.

It was sixty-seven years ago on this day, that Japanese forces attacked and bombed Pearl Harbor leading us to join the fight of World War II.  To all those who served at Pearl Harbor, THANK YOU!!  I will never forget.