68 years ago today, at a navy and army base in Hawaii, men my age were fighting for their lives against an onslaught of bombs, torpedoes and gun fire. 2,402 of them had no chance and died before they knew what was going on. 1,282 men were wounded. Many of them fought gallantly to stop the attack.
If you were alive and between the ages of 16-30, you would probably be heading to the enlistment office tomorrow to sign up to head to war. You would start the process of saying goodbye to your family and the woman you love, maybe forever. You would be terrified of what might happen and the thought of never returning.
Over the next 4 years, thousands and thousands more would chose to make this same decision to fight for their country, for their families, and ultimately for the guy in the trench next to them, at the next station in the battleship, and in the plane flying next to them. The evil of the other side was apparent and these men knew that doing their best to stop it was the right and only option. They were brave, strong, honest, true men who did what was right in the face of almost certain death.
Truly this was the “greatest generation”.
Would you of had what it takes to chose to go to war? To leave everyone and everything you love to defend your country, values, family and friends?
