America’s great intellectual diversity often manifests as one of her greatest weaknesses, and that is that the nation is rarely unified around one idea or goal. Even the patriots who brought our nation out from under the tyranny of the British did so in spite of an estimated two-thirds of Americans who were either supportive of the British or simply indifferent to the cause of freedom.
Yet, December 7, 1941 marked one of the few times in American history where nearly all Americans were united around a single cause. On that horrific day exactly eighty-three years ago, the Japanese Imperial Navy Air Service launched a cowardly surprise attack on the unsuspecting American naval outpost in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This attack was carried out while the U.S. and Japan were in peace negotiations, before any declaration of war had been issued. As a result, 2,403 Americans, including 68 civilians, were killed.
The next day, President Roosevelt delivered his renowned “Infamy” speech, and Congress voted to declare war on Japan with only one dissenting vote. Americans rallied, overcame enormous obstacles, and moved forward with a singularity of purpose. Sacrifices were made not only by those who fought and died in the field of battle, but also by ordinary citizens who bought war bonds and planted victory gardens. Entire industries shifted to produce the materials necessary to win a total war. Everyone pitched in, and America realized victory in both the European and Pacific theaters.
On this anniversary of the Pearl Harbor bombing, let us commemorate those who fought and died to preserve our freedom. Let us remember those who sacrificed so the war effort could be possible. However, let us also remember that even still today, Americans have the power to turn even the worst tragedies into the greatest stories of triumph. Although we should never cease to pray for peace for America in our time and our children’s, we must also train them to be willing to sacrifice for the continuity of liberty.
