Pearl Harbor survivors gather 69 years later

For nearly a quarter of a century, the US Pearl Harbor survivors sponsored a baseball game with the Japanese pilots who dropped the bombs. That is what the US is really all about.

It would be good to see a happy outcome and future from all this. So hopefully "honor" can lead to that.

I was stationed at Pearl shortly before the original visitor's center was opened. For a brief time I was assigned to Water Transportation. Back then, they ran the tours of the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial and maintained the Memorial before the Park Service took over those responsibilities. I still remember rowing out during low tide in a fiberglass dinghy to scrape barnacles off where the Memorial entered the water (the way it was designed, the Memorial never actually touches the Arizona, but straddles the hull). Because it was low tide, the dinghy was bumping against the Arizona's hull while we did the work. Eerie.

For nearly a quarter of a century, the US Pearl Harbor survivors sponsored a baseball game with the Japanese pilots who dropped the bombs.

Really?? It takes 9 players to make a baseball team. Did that many Japanese naval aviators flying in Dec. 1941 survive the war?

Apparently for at least a quarter of a century they did.

Some older Japanese friends told me of their experience when visiting the memorial. As they looked into the water a dark splurge of oil came up from the Arizona to the surface. They were already feeling a little uncomfortable in those surroundings, and they felt that the Arizona was sending them an additional message!

This was a tragic day, and yet millions of Brits, Europeans and Asians breathed a sigh of relief on this day because it meant the U.S. would be coming to save them.

How did they know that Pearl Harbour been attacked or that the US would join the war? This like many of your posts don't make much sense.

People should Honour and remember Pearl Harbour.

For nearly a quarter of a century, the US Pearl Harbor survivors sponsored a baseball game with the Japanese pilots who dropped the bombs. That is what the US is really all about.

People should Honour and remember Pearl Harbour.

No it isn't and no it shouldn't.

The USA has a very selective memory when it comes to their military adventures. Sure, they will never allow us to forget Pearl Harbour, 9/11, etc, blah, blah.

However, ask them to remember secretly carpet bombing peasants in Cambodia and South Vietnam, Nuking two cities in response to a naval base being attacked or invading a soverign nation in a vengeful and criminal rage and they don't want to know.

You see, USA, the past DOES matter, but not only as defined by how it directly impacted your fine country and it's people.

Umm, why 69? There is only one noted significance to the number 69 that I'm aware of, and if the survivors of Pearl Harbor are still engaging in that, good for them!! I hope I'm that spry when I hit that age!

I think the wording to the article was poorly chosen. "Sacrifice" as opposed to "slaughter", "murder", or something similar.

I think the wording to the article was poorly chosen. "Sacrifice" as opposed to "slaughter", "murder", or something similar.

Here is a case in point: when lives of Americans are taken it is 'slaughter or murder'; when Americans are taking the lives of others it is 'in the national interest' or 'collateral' damage.

History is truly written by the victors.

Indeed, history IS written by the victors. Remember Bush when telling the world about "preemptive strike" in defence of the nation. Well, Pearl Harbor was a preemptive strike! Americans (including Roosevelt) called a cowardly act... So I hope then we all understand that a preemprive strike is NEVER ok !! Unless we accept Pearl Harbor to be an brilliant act in warfare and politically correct.

Unless we accept Pearl Harbor to be an brilliant act in warfare and politically correct.

Well that really depends upon which side of the fence one sits. I feel the same can be said of any military action.

The attack plan was formed by the Japanese as a preemptive strike designed to knock the USA feet out of action, thus allowing Japan to continue seizure of resources/territories in SE Asia.

Japan clearly viewed the USA as a national threat. As such P. Harbour became a valid target.

The recent acts against Middle Eastern nations by the USA have been referred to as being 'in the national interest'.

Therefore the Pearl Harbour attacks - far from being murderous and slaughter - can be euphemistically referred to in the same way.

Yea... how'd that work out for 'em?

President Roosevelt ordered the US Navy admiral Richardson to move US warships from San Diego to Hawaii, half the distance to Japan. After the move, the naval commander complained, as to keep the fleet there could be seen as a provocation, and the fact that Pearl Harbor is harder to defend from attack.

The troublesome naval commander was summarily sacked, and replaced with admiral Kimmel.

We all know what happened next, and the top brass got their wish.

Hmm... talk about selective memories! (And inaccurate to boot) I was a kid during the carpet bombing of Cambodia, and I still acknowledge it happened. And calling the dropping of nuclear weapons "Nuking two cities in response to a naval base being attacked " is just a flat out fabrication. Those nukes were dropped because of the resulting casualties of war that had occurred well AFTER Pearl was attacked. The Battle of Okinawa (and the casualties incurred by the allies) made the decision for the U.S. as to whether the weapons would be used, not Pearl Harbor.

Respect to all these old fellas - and to all Allied military and civilians who died in that awful war.

I think it is a good thing that so many Japanese tourists also visit the Arizona and pay their repects to the victims. So many, in fact, that I couldn't go myself when I went to Pearl Harbour!

@Burakmin

"Respect to all these old fellas"- Yeah, basic respect because they were a fellow human being, but not because they engaged in anything heroic.

They were guinea pigs, pure sacrificial fodder, so the US could enter the war.

If you still want to respect the ones who made it that way for them and continue to create incidents and then are able to blame it on the other side because they have a lock on the mass media, that's your choice, but a pretty lame one.

Well, there is comfort in the crowd, even if it is a lame one.

My friend, Joey P., was one of the Sailors that helped the survivors get around during the Anniversary event.

Taka

@Beelzebub Don't get all uppity! Just google it with a few words. You are smart enough to do that, right? What an attitude to have to the greatest generation.

Well, looking at the attack on Pearl Harbor on just a military level it was a effin great idea! What better target than one that is not prepared. Though it was a major failure that they did not go through with the whole plan and didnt strike the fuel centers. Also Japan had hoped that the Americans would scared $#!tless by that attack but they guessed wrong and had the crap beaten out of them.