As more and more members of the aging World War II generation pass away each day, the significance of December 7, 1941 seems to be rapidly fading from the nation’s collective consciousness.
For older Americans, this date continues to ‘live in infamy,? as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt put it, because it’s when Pearl Harbor, a United States naval station in Hawaii, fell victim to a surprise attack perpetrated by the Imperial Japanese Navy.
But for many younger Americans, it’s become just another date on the calendar between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
‘The kids in school aren’t taught history anymore like they were years ago,? said Ernie Baker, a World War II veteran and adjutant for the North Oakland Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 334.
To help keep the memory of this important date in American history alive, VFW Post 334 and American Legion Post 108 will host their annual Pearl Harbor Day ceremony at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7. It will take place at Post 108, which is located at 130 E. Drahner Rd., just east of M-24.
‘Last year, 150 to 160 people attended,? Baker said. ‘We’re hoping to do even better this year.?
The event will include the lighting of candles to honor the 2,403 Americans who were killed in the early morning raid, plus the 1,178 who were wounded. Casualties included military personnel and civilians.
It will also include the screening of a 25-minute documentary video about the attack and a complimentary buffet dinner at 3:30 p.m.
WWII veterans are strongly encouraged to attend this event. They will be seated at a ‘table of honor? to recognize their service and sacrifices.
Looking back, Baker, an 88-year-old Lake Orion resident, said the attack on Pearl Harbor ‘stunned the nation.?
‘No one ever expected anything like this to happen to the United States,? he said. ‘We thought we were insulated from all that stuff (happening in Europe and Asia), but it turned out that wasn’t true.?
In addition to all the casualties, the attack destroyed or damaged 20 U.S. ships and 328 aircraft.
Bloodied, shocked and enraged, the attack woke a sleeping giant and formally brought the United States into WWII.
America entered the war an underestimated underdog and emerged a victorious superpower.
‘It changed the whole world,? Baker said. ‘There wasn’t any part of the world that wasn’t involved in (WWII).?
When the attack occurred, Baker was a high school sophomore living in Sedalia, Missouri. He recalled walking home from an afternoon movie that fateful day.
‘There was no traffic. It was eerie,? he said. ‘I couldn’t quite figure out what was going on.?
Baker arrived home to find his father, mother and younger brother all gathered around the radio, listening to news reports about the devastating attack.
‘It was a whole different world back then,? he said. ‘You didn’t have television. Radio was the main thing.?
The next day, Baker went to school. After home room, all the students went to the auditorium to listen to a little radio that had been placed on the stage.
‘Everybody just sat there,? Baker said. ‘There was no whispering, no talking. Everybody was anxious to hear what was being said. Everybody knew this was war.?
‘That made quite an impression on me. It was one of those things you never forget,? he added.
The attack on Pearl Harbor galvanized the American public into action and put an end to the dominance of isolationist sentiments.
‘Thousands of guys went down the next day to enlist in the service,? Baker said. ‘That was the mood ? we’re going to defend this country. My dad even tried to enlist, but he was too old and he wasn’t accepted.?
In October 1943, Baker enlisted in the U.S. Army. He finished high school and was inducted at age 17 in May 1944. He went on to serve with the 96th Infantry Division in the Pacific Theater of Operations.
Toward the end of the war, Baker found himself training for the invasion of Japan.
But that invasion never took place as the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, forcing Japan to surrender.
‘When the atomic bombs dropped, everything just stopped,? Baker said. ‘If we hadn’t dropped the atomic bombs on Japan, I don’t think I’d be here today. We would have lost at least a million men in the invasion of Japan.?