About December 8th
Thought for the day
Yesterday marked the 83rd anniversary of Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Only a handful of survivors are alive now but Dec. 7, 1941, and FDR’s address to Congress the following day, should never be forgotten. Clearly, for our parents’ generation, it was a date that will live in infamy.
As for millions of Baby Boomers, two dates are worth remembering. The first is February 9, 1964. That’s when Ed Sullivan introduced the Beatles to America. The second is Dec. 8, 1980. That’s the day John Lennon was killed in NYC. I don’t know about you, but both of these dates are etched in my memory.
Other events — like Lincoln issuing his Amnesty Proclamation, the Yankees trading slugger Roger Maris to St. Louis, or the premiere of “The Deer Hunter” — happened on Dec. 8th. As important as each was, I’d say America’s sudden entry into WWII and the impact John, Paul, George and Ringo had on teenagers (here and worldwide) still remain a constant in millions of lives today.
As always, if you have a story to share about Dec. 8th, please feel free to send me your comments.
-DF
Re the subject of World War II, there are two excellent films on Netflix which I just happened to watch this last week. « Midway », the most important battle fought in the Pacific theater and
one on Winston Churchill’s unbelievable leadership during WWII.
My father in law was there, his stories left a big mark of my life. He was a great man, I was so honored to know him and hear it straight from somebody who had been there. H was a medic and a fabulous human.