In re: Pearl Harbor

[PCIntern]

Something I’ve thought about for a number of years:

Soon there will be no surviving military individuals who were present on that horrifying day


https://www.inquirer.com/wires/ap/pearl-harbor-survivors-remembrance-ceremony-20251207.html?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=ios&utm_campaign=app_ios_homefeed_share&utm_content=VPHI2HG6VRDNDGLKAODR22J2DM

My dad, who talked little of his four years in the Pacific Theatre, did tell me that he decided that Sunday night to enlist. He said that he knew he’d be killed, he was not a physically impressive man. As it turned out, it was often a matter of luck as to who survived, he was lucky, the rest of the first platoon to which he was assigned was not.

[hlthe2b]

1. My Dad and two uncles served in Europe; one uncle serve in Pacific

All returned, but the Pacific-theater uncle was the only one I ever heard talk about his time, and after my Father and the other uncles had passed. He flew, but I don't think anything other than supply missions. But, the one thing he would have acknowledged ALL of them having believed is that "luck" was the ultimate factor in who lived and who died or was near-mortally injured if they were anywhere near combat. That said, I am pretty sure at least my uncles who served at the European Front may have had some PTSD from what they experienced. My Dad? I'm not sure. He would not talk, but he was a regular at the American Legion and VFW so presumedly vented there.