Browsing through several newspapers to see if any gave Dec. 7 more than a few column inches and, as has been the case over the past few years, I was not surprised at the paucity of articles relating to Pearl Harbor Day.
I have known several of the county survivors over the past few years and have always had the utmost respect for them.
I wonder how many of us can remember where we were when the attack happened. That day is burned indelibly into my memory for what might be considered a strange event. I was with my father, who was purchasing some cattle from a widow in a little (no longer in existence) town in Texas called Eolian. We were in the kitchen having coffee while Dad was writing the check when the announcement came over the radio.
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Growing up around cowboys and oil patch workers, I had heard my share of profanity, but this was the first time that I had ever heard a woman cuss. And upon reflection, and my 30-year Navy career, I'd say she was pretty darn good at it.
Turned out that she had four sons whom she knew would be drafted when the inevitable war started.
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All four went, but only one came home. So on every Dec. 7 that event comes to the surface again.
In our small ranching community some 30 young men went into the service. That's a heavy hit in a county with a population of 2,000.
So “Remember Pearl Harbor” and offer a silent prayer for all those why were lost on that day as well as the countless thousands who served and continue to serve.
