Bedfordtimesregister.com - Veteran's Beat: Anniversary of Pearl Harbor continues to be day of infamy

by Ron Seman

It has been 67 years since the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in a sneak attack on that fateful day, Dec. 7,1941, at America's outpost in the Pacific. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it "a day that will live in infamy." That it was and continues to be.

Veterans and their families will always remember Sunday morning, Dec, 7,1941, 11:55 a.m., Pacific time, when Japanese dive bombers, fighters and torpedo planes dealt a devastating blow to U.S. armed forces stationed at Pearl Harbor.

More than 2,000 American servicemen and women died, and more than 1,500 were injured. Eight battleships were damaged; of these, three were destroyed and a fourth capsized. Nearly 1,100 Americans died aboard the USS Arizona, 415 on the USS Oklahoma and 58 crew members on the USS Utah.

One of the rallying cries of that period was a song titled, "Remember Pearl Harbor." A line from the tune was "Let's remember Pearl Harbor and go on to victory."

I remember that particular song when Dec. 7 comes around. I was 9 years young in 1941 and distinctly remember the many sacrifices made by our armed forces and the folks at home.

Although it was a terrible burden for millions of families who sent their men to fight the war, it was a special time that brought Americans together with one single purpose: Win the war and bring the boys home.

There are lessons to be learned from war. One is that we as a people must stand united to achieve ultimate victory.

And so as we mark yet another remembrance of Pearl Harbor Day, let us all keep that tragic period fresh in our memory and stay firm in our resolve to never forget our gallant boys and men who went to war on our behalf so we could preserve our freedoms.

As they do every year, members of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association chapters around the country will gather to remember and pay tribute to their comrades who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor. Their numbers have significantly decreased, as you can imagine, during the space of these 60-plus years.

For more than 30 years I attended the Pearl Harbor remembrance in downtown Cleveland. Members of the survivors conducted the program aboard the World War II submarine, the USS COD, moored at Lake Eric, next to the U.S. Coast Guard Station. Their salute included prayers, a volley, taps and the casting of a wreath into Lake Erie in memory of their fallen comrades.

As fate would have it, Dec. 7 falls appropriately on a Sunday, rather than on another day of the week. It's good to win one of these once in a while.

AM PEARL HARBOR DAY: Members of the Acker-Moore Memorial Post, 3733 Fishcreek Road in Stow, will conduct a Pearl Harbor Day color guard ceremony, Sunday, Dec. 7, at 9 a.m. The post is home to VFW Post 4738, American Legion Post 175, Auxiliary and Sons of American Legion. For more information, call 330-673-1608.

VFW'S PRIORITY GOALS: The VFW's official positions on national veterans issues for 2008-09 are based on national convention resolutions and rated as priorities by their respective committees. Under the heading of Legislative, Health Care, these objectives are noted:

* Ensure a sufficient VA budget that properly fills the health care demands of all veterans.

* Establish sufficient, predictable and timely VA funding.

* Ensure unique health care and benefits challenges of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are met, including increased funding for traumatic brain injuries and improved access to care.

* Increase priority given to women veterans by hiring specialized health care providers and by providing training in gender-specific issues to help address shortfalls in gender-specific and mental health care.

* Improve VA outreach so that all veterans -- especially female, minority and rural veterans -- are aware of the range of health care services and benefits available to them.

Under the heading of VA Benefits and Compensation:

* Reduce VA's backlog of pending claims.

* Ensure VA's disability compensation program is fully funded and preserved in its current form.

* Oppose any change to current definitions of "line of duty" or "Programs for disability and survivors benefits."

Under the heading of Military Quality of Life:

* Ensurc that active-duty, National Guard and Reserve troops receive increased pay, affordable health care and adequate housing and work facilities for themselves and families.

We will continue to talk about more VFW priority goals in upcoming columns. In the meantime, if you care to read the goals in their entirety, check out the December issue of the VFW national magazine.

INFORMATION, PLEASE: If you are reading the Veteran's Beat column for the first time, welcome. I am in need of news about your post and auxiliary programs and activities. Also, other organizations that support veterans through their special projects are welcome to let us share news about their efforts. Please send your material to Ron Seman, 5811 Renwood Drive, Parma, OH 44129. Copies of newsletters (hard copy) are especially helpful. Or, you can e-mail items to me at SemanRJ@aol.com. Thanks!

REMEMBER our men and women serving America in Iraq, Afghanistan and at other posts around the world. Keep them and their families in your daily prayers. Write a letter, send a package of goodies, especially at this holiday time of the year, and tell them you support them. Thanks and God bless America!