Pearl Harbor — Then and Now

2019-12-06T21:25:01-05:00

78 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, we remember President Franklin Delano Roosevelt profound words to both the Congress and the nation:

“Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan…I ask that the Congress declare…a state of war…between the United States and the Japanese empire.” [https://rly.pt/2P1mZeZ]

The attack on Pearl Harbor fully pulled the United States into World War II — and fundamentally changed the trajectory of our history — then.

But what should the attack on Pearl Harbor mean to us — now?

To answer this question, I am not only drawn to the geopolitical impact of Pearl Harbor and World War II: The events that served as the back-drop for the creation of the rules based international order — an order under threat from Russia and China today.

I am also drawn to the story of the individual sailors who survived the attack — and how their life walk can inform this question.

This brought me to Lauren Bruner.

At 7:55 am on the morning of December 7th, 1941, Bruner was a 21 year old sailor aboard the USS Arizona. Bruner woke up to a hail of gunfire from Japanese “Zeros” and was among the last to escape from the Arizona — which, shockingly, sunk in only 9 minutes. [https://rly.pt/2RotsCh]

With fire in the water due to the oil leaking from the USS Arizona, Bruner, and six of his remaining fellow shipmates, were forced to escape the vessel via a rope attached to a nearby ship moored in the harbor. Carrying himself hand-over-hand away from the carnage of the Arizona, Bruner also began carrying the events of that day for the rest of his life.

Today, Bruner, after living a full 98 years of life, will be the 44th and final servicemember to be interred on the USS Arizona. Bruner decided that his final resting place should be where his adult life began — simply stating: “I thought…all my buddies are right here.” [https://rly.pt/2RotsCh]

Bruner’s elegant reasoning informs what the events at Pearl Harbor should mean to us today.

His words demonstrate what is most important in life — not only in one’s personal life but also one’s civic life: The intimate connections formed through shared experiences and community. These are the experiences that should form the basis for our larger, more institutional things of life — not the other way around.

In other words, Bruner did not decide to be interred on the USS Arizona because he was in the Navy. He decided to be interred there because “his buddies are right there.”

This is missing in our national experience today.

Today, we start our conversations at the country-level — not the community-level. We debate “the macro” — not “the micro.” We lament “the large” — not “the local.”

When, in fact, it should be the other way around.

We need to flip the script and put our towns, our communities, our localities first. Indeed, the viability of our experiment in self-governance will continue to come into question if we do not make these intimate, local, community-based experiences both more robust and the basis for how we conceptualize our national life.

Our towns and communities must become again the foundation of our country — not the other way around. Through his final act, Bruner reminds us that it is these intimate relationships that are enduring.

And we, today’s Veterans, know this well.

The heroism shown on the battlefield is never for some Admiral or General — or even the institution itself. Heroic acts are due to those on the left and right of us — fighting for each other and, thereby, fighting for the whole.

So, as Bruner's ashes are placed aboard the USS Arizona during a sunset ceremony today on the 78th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, let us remember that, for our Republic to long endure, we must start with “our buddies right there” on the left and right of us — our towns, our communities, our neighbors.

This is what makes a country.

Response by CW5 Jack Cardwell made Dec 6 at 2019 9:37 PM

2019-12-06T21:37:51-05:00

Great history share.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Dec 7 at 2019 12:53 PM

2019-12-07T12:53:09-05:00

Excellent share sir, thank you.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Dec 10 at 2019 12:38 PM

2019-12-10T12:38:14-05:00

FDR was a great puppet master by keeping Russia and England relevant in WWII. Pearl Harbor gave him the flexibility to bring the full might of the US into the war. It is often not said that attrition wins wars. Our capacity to increase and field more people, weapons, vehicles, vessels and weapons was much greater than the German and Japanese capacities.

Response by Rick Owen made Dec 11 at 2019 9:34 AM

2019-12-11T09:34:15-05:00

Excellent. Thank you for sharing.

_____________________________

Rick Owen
https://detecthistory.com

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Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Dec 12 at 2019 8:27 AM

2019-12-12T08:27:10-05:00

Excellent share and great photos

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Dec 12 at 2019 3:47 PM

2019-12-12T15:47:18-05:00

One of the lessons for WWII is Japan and German objective of invading vast tracks of islands made them vulnerable. Logistics and attrition were not on their side.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Dec 14 at 2019 11:09 PM

2019-12-14T23:09:16-05:00

CPT Alex Gallo "Lest We Forget" Being I Started My Navy "Adventure" at CINCPACFLT. The Place is Burned in My Memory. Being on the Arizona and watching it Bleeding up as Oil Rises to the Surface, Forming Rainbows. Seeing it from the Admirals Boat House.

Response by GySgt Gary Cordeiro made Jan 7 at 2020 12:44 AM

2020-01-07T00:44:36-05:00

My father, MSG Frank O. Cordeiro photographed all significant events starting with Pearl Harbor, in my home state.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 7 at 2020 2:46 AM

2020-01-07T02:46:01-05:00

Great comments. I had a very good friend who was at the Naval Station Kaneohe Bay during the attack. Many years ago sitting down with the other folks and hearing him tell his story was unbelievable, but very believable. Every time I go and visit K-Bay now and I think about John and reflect on what had happened during that particular day. John will always be with us as the many who gave their lives unknowingly to God. Thanks for sharing this with us.

Response by Maj Pete Siegel made Jan 28 at 2020 12:46 PM

2020-01-28T12:46:33-05:00

There will be some who disagree with me, but Admiral Husband Kimmel and Lt Gen Short were scapegoated for not being adequately prepared for the attack. A great deal of the blames rests with those higher up the the chain of command including President Roosevelt. There was much information gleaned from MAGIC intercepts and other sources that was not passed to them. Intelligence analysts failed to connect the dots. This book - "A matter of honor : Pearl Harbor : betrayal, blame, and a family's quest for justice" by Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan lays out a very strong case for restoring Kimmel's four star rank. He is buried at the Naval Academy, and his tombstone is engraved with four stars, as his children thumbed their noses at the Navy.

Response by AN Donald Hartman made Feb 10 at 2020 10:37 AM

2020-02-10T10:37:47-05:00

Amen brother, I hope this countrys people will wake up.

Response by SFC Michael W. made Feb 24 at 2020 12:07 AM

2020-02-24T00:07:15-05:00

I just recently visited Pearl Harbor last month as a Christmas present from my wife. I already had a lot of respect for those who fought and perished there before going there, now after standing on the memorial and peering into the Arizona watching the oil still seeping from deep within has become sentimental to me even though this occurred before my time. Although the movies "Pearl" and "Tora!Tora!Tora!" are hollywood driven, watching the tour movies prior to the boat ride to the USS Arizona was powerful enough to shed a tear and live that moment of tragedty...

One trip I definitely had to make while on Ford Island was to see the memorial for the USS Utah which we all forget about, myself included.

For those civilians and military personnel who has "forgotten" what and why we chose and made the military our way of life should take some time out of their "busy" life and make a trip to Pearl...

Response by LCDR Clark Paton made Mar 21 at 2020 10:45 PM

2020-03-21T22:45:49-04:00

Pulling into Pearl Harbor on a US Navy ship was one of the most stirring events of my life. My thoughts went to that day when smoke filled the skies, ships were sinking, people were dying. Now it looks so peaceful...

Response by Maj Scott Kiger, M.A.S. made Apr 13 at 2020 3:06 PM

2020-04-13T15:06:16-04:00

Excellent

Response by Wayne Soares made Jun 6 at 2020 12:58 PM

2020-06-06T12:58:05-04:00

Great share and pics