Editorial: Pearl Harbor: The Greatest Generation will stand tall for generations to come
When President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meet at the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor later this month, the day will be marked as one for the history books and also “showcase the power of reconciliation.”
The meeting will culminate an event 75 years ago that changed the course of American history, divided two countries, killed thousands that day — and then brought the two adversaries back together as strong allies. Obama visited Hiroshima with Abe in May, becoming the first sitting American president to visit the city since President Harry S. Truman ordered two atomic bombs to be dropped on the country in 1945 to force Japan’s surrender.
Standing at the monument to a watery gravesite, it should be an emotional and stirring tribute as Obama and Abe pay tribute to men and women from both countries who were killed the day of the surprise attack by the Japanese Imperial Navy on the naval base.
But that’s what the leaders of the two nations are doing.
Today, we, the citizens of the United States, do our part to honor the more than 2000 American men and women who died on that infamous day.
December 7, 1941, propelled us directly into World War II but also firmly cemented our status as a superpower.
World War II was the deadliest war in history. It involved more than 30 countries and cost the lives of more than 50 million people — both military and civilian. It is estimated those deaths represented approximately 3 percent of the 1940 world population, which was estimated at 2.3 billion.
In an oped he penned for USA Today, former President George H.W. Bush said, “Today, we can take heart that the United States and Japan are not only friends but sworn allies. The bitter rancor of that bygone era has yielded to decades of international cooperation and collaboration.”
And that eventual cooperation and collaboration, though it took decades, also shows why there should never be a World War III. Japan, where more than 4 million died, and Germany, where more than 2 million died, are now our allies. War kills people; diplomacy brings them together.
It’s been 75 years since the men and women dubbed “The Greatest Generation” valiantly fought the war that changed the course of American history — and hence, the lives of the American people.
Today, we will talk with some of them who are now pushing toward 100 years of age at ceremonies taking place around Connecticut and the nation. We will shake the hands of some of the sailors who were stationed at Pearl Harbor and hear first-hand the stories of what happened that day.
We should listen. Their speech may be slower, their memory of details a little fuzzy, but they tell the stories of our heroes.
We should remember their sacrifice and pay tribute to them.
The Greatest Generation is rapidly leaving us and eventually their stories will fade into legend for future generations. But they leave behind a symbolic monument of courage, bravery and the American spirit that will always stand tall.