"America Responds"

December 7th. 1941,a date so significant even our current crop of college students might remember it. I know I'm a bit sarcastic, but every time I have seen the coming generation questioned about who government officials are and what their duties are the students usually have the "deer in the headlights" look.To get back to today's topic , the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese that launched our involvement in World War II. This war dictated the direction our nation would take for the next 70+ years. After World War I we, as a nation, thought we were finished with dealing with world conflicts. Hitler , Mussolini , and Hirohito were far in the future we had an economic boom and everything was "hunky dory"in the good old U.S.A. . Then we had a rude awakening, the Stock Market crashed plunging us into the "Great Depression"and all American faces turned inward, paying little attention to the affairs of the rest of the world. Germany was in economic collapse,Italy was being wooed by the fascist dream of a return to the glory of Rome, and the Japanese were serving their "god"ruler Hirohito, and , like Cassius they all had a "lean and hungry look" toward the rest of the world. Hitler used the economy and anti-Semitism to beguile the German people , Mussolini preyed on ethnic pride, and Hirohito used his "deity" to order his people into deadly conflict. America was caught flat-footed as Japan bombed our Pacific Fleet on a hazy Sunday morning in our beautiful Hawaiian territory. Suddenly America was shocked into reality as we were attacked on our own shores. President Roosevelt roused the nation with one of his finest speeches and Congress responded quickly to mobilize the country into a war mode. From 1941 through 1945 the people of the United States responded as never before, or since, to a threat to our way of life from a foreign invader. The people willingly submitted to rationing food , gasoline, and un-necessary travel all for the good of America's war effort. When the "Towers" were destroyed by un-Godly terrorists, for a little while, we re-captured the spirit of that generation of years ago, proud and determined to show those who would threaten us that we would not allow it. Today four Navy Seals are facing a court-martial board, charged with giving a bloody lip to a Muslim terrorist who was ranked as one of the most sinister of his ilk. Can you imagine members of the O.S.S. being prosecuted for roughing-up a Nazi collaborator during W.W.II, it wouldn't even have been considered. As an American, and someone that has worn my country's uniform I'm flabbergasted that we are persecuting our heroes. When will we come to the reality that we are at war, not a police action, sometimes people will get hurt. A split lip is a small thing when we consider that four Navy Seals trained as commandos with weapons could have easily beaten him to a pulp and left him for dead, exercised extreme restraint in his capture. We are not a nation of killers, remember we captured Nazi war criminals and none of them were ever mistreated after they were taken into custody. Let's spend today remembering what this day means to countless Americans who responded to their greatest generational challenge , and hope that we can emulate them as we face those who's mission is to destroy us. God Bless America!