I was surprised when the young grocery clerk responded confidently to the elderly couple’s question.“Do you know what day it is today?”

“Yes!”   He replied. ” Pearl  Harbor Day.” “That’s right.” Declared the beautiful lady of 80 some years. ” December 7, 1941.”

The clerk began bagging the groceries while the tall elderly gentlemen wrote out a check. He lifted his eyes and spoke of where he was that day. I wish I could have heard the rest of the story but I stood several feet behind another shopper in line.

 I wasn’t even born then, but for as long as I can remember I’ve watched the news clips shown every year of that traggic day in America’s history.    The grocery clerk told me he watch those same clips.

When President Roosevel addressed the nation and said.  “December 7th is a day that will live on in infamy.”  he was correct,  it is a date that lives on.  The bombing of Pearl Harbor thrust America into World War II, a war that began in Europe a year before and now had spread across the Pacific.

I bought the movie, Pearl Harbor, and have watched it more than once on this date. Although it is a love story, the setting always grips my heart.   However I did hear a survivor say he didn’t like the movie at all. He gave no reason. Perhaps his memories are still vivid and much to close to the surface to allow him to appreciate such a movie or maybe it’s because Hollywood did add the love story element.  I think there must have been  a lot of love stories that ended in tragedy that day. I thought the movie gave tribute to our service men and women and was respectful of the time and circumstances.

My father left Highschool and joined the Navy near the end of the war. He doesn’t’ like to talk about it much. Recently I saw a photo of him tied to the deck of his ship with a two-inch thick rope. He said the captain had him tied in for safety so he wouldn’t be blown off the deck while on the open sea.  He didn’t weigh much over 100 lbs. From the look on his face, it was obvious he was proud to be an American and a sailor.  

I have so much respect for the men and women who gave of their lives that day and those who went on to fight for our country and for our allies. The courage and the bravery of those boys are portrayed in the film, Pearl Harbor. The tears fall every time I watch it.

If you have not seen it, I hope you do.

I hope our men and women in the service today know they are appreciated and loved by many.

I pray the Lord will keep their Spirit safe and that they will come back safe and write their own love stories.  I wish them all well.