Today marks the 67th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and other US bases in the Pacific. This event plunged the country officially into World War II the following day when Congress approved FDR's request for a declaration of war.
WJHC Channel 7 in Panama City, Florida, on Dec. 4th had a news item on two of The town's Pearl Harbor Survivors, Ronnie Earl. 90, and Newton Brooks, being honored by the Naval Divers Unit.
Mr. Earl remembers: "When the building started shaking I asked the Sergeant what's going on and he said that's the marines doing maeuvers. Then two seconds later he says no, no, no it couldn't be that; they don't do that on Sunday. We both went outside and saw that it was airplanes with red meatballs on the side. We knew it was Japanese planes, we knew it was war."
The local Pearl Harbor Survivors Association used to have 28-29 people at meetings, but it is now down to 2 or 3.
Evidently, servicemen referred to the Japanes insignia as meatballs. I've seen it mentioned as such before.
The Greatest Generation.
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