Every generation has its own catastrophe that solidifies one’s view of the world.
Back in the 18th Century, it was the Declaration of Independence. 7 decades later, it was the Civil War and the Assassination of President Lincoln. 6 decades later it was the Great War. 3 decades later- Pearl Harbor. (That happened on this day, 79 years ago.)
For my generation, it was the assassination of President Kennedy, sit-ins, Watergate and Kent State. 9-11 is the trauma of my children’s generation. The Great Recession formed the world view for those in the iGen- with the later births traumatized by the pandemic we are currently experiencing.
The issue is that as generations fade, the importance of these events are lost to those that were born after…
How many of us feel the trauma of the Civil War? The Great War? (This is the problem with the burgeoning anti-Otherism beliefs. Because the Holocaust is already ancient history.)
Probably most of us just consider Pearl Harbor an interesting story. Even though it was the first time since the formation of our country that an enemy attacked our shores. (Since then, we’ve had 9-11 and the pandemic.)
Believe it or not, it wasn’t until 1994, that Pearl Harbor was recorded as a national event. But, that’s probably because there were plenty of folks who personally recalled the event. But, by 1994, a significant number of folks had nary a clue about the Japanese bombing of our fleet and bases in Hawaii.
Let’s take a moment out of our day to recall those killed and the trauma that resulted from this attack.
(By the way, it seems that American Intelligence had more than inklings of this attack, just like they did six decades later before the 9-11 kamikaze attacks.)
I think the “older” generation remember the events that happened before there time more than the younger generations do.
Martha recently posted..Old Washer and Dryer
It’s our job, Martha, to train our young ones!
Chilling. I can remember when 911 was compared to Pearl Harbor. Now, Trump’s legacy is how he is ignoring the thousands to deaths that are happening on his watch every day. Unfathomable.
1 million more COVID-19 patients in the past 5 days in the US alone. It took more than 3 months to reach 1 million at the start. That’s why it’s called a pandemic!
Time passes, memories fade, and the Holocaust that was so real to me although I was born several years after it ended (because I knew survivors) is now considered a hoax at worst and something that happened but was greatly exaggerated by too many others. Sobering to realize that, if this is the 79th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, next year is the 80th – and, thanks to aging and COVID, how many of the survivors will be left?
Alana recently posted..Christmas World War II Songs #MusicMovesMe
It is why it is incumbent upon us to find ways to make that history vibrant and relevant- as a warning, as a demonstration how we can come together as a people, etc.
Thanks for the great comment, Alana.