Pearl Harbor Day

[netabrookie 0]

I just thought I would throw this out there for any American that might have overlooked the fact that today is Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Day. I'm not trying to rekindle old flames and get anyone to raise their level of hate towards other people. I'm just quietly remembering a day that took place long before my time. A lot of good people died that day and it only further proves how cruel and terrible war really is. Always remember the fallen and the ones that were taken much too soon. Take Care, Tony

[Chase Creek 0]

Well said, Tony. Thanks for posting that.

Sorry to say, the importance of such things, especially amoung people who had not experienced them, seems to have faded as each year goes by. I suppose this is a natural thing, but I find it rather sad. I can certainly remember as a youth when Pearl Harbor Day was treated as an important reminder of a terrible event and Memorial Day meant something more than a day off work. I wasn't born yet at the time of Pearl Harbor, but I remember my dad telling where he and his brothers were when they heard the news on the radio. All five of them enlisted within the next 2 weeks, and all of them were changed for the rest of their lives.

I think it's important that we not forget, not because we should keep any ill feelings alive, but because we should be aware that this kind of thing could happen again, and also to honor people like my dad and his brothers who stepped up and "did the right thing".

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

your both right todays generation just don't care about the past or the meaningful things most of today's kids don't even know what Pearl Harbor is and truth be told I blame the schools my daughter is in the 9th grade and her US history class studied WWII last month and there was only 2 paragraphs about the attack on Pearl Harbor which basically blew it off and called it "a minor factor that helped lead America into the war"

[lykos33 0]

Well Paul, we wouldn't want to offend anyone by stating that Pearl Harbor was a MAJOR influence in the US entering WW2 would we? Just like we wouldn't want to offend the "people" that attacked the US on 9/11. This country has become a bunch of whipped pacifist just like their "president" who calls the attackers "our Muslim brothers". Sorry, I have NO MUSLIM brothers! The attackers of today have the same goals as the attackers of Pearl Harbor...world domination, and the answer today is the same as it was then...swift retaliation!

rant over , going to my corner to breathe

Murray

p.s. You realize that rant was not aimed at you dontcha Paul?!?!?!?

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

hey I'm not taking offense to any of that I agree whole hearted I am far from being politically correct I think my terrorist license on my truck proves that and if not then maybe my bin ladin targets I use at the range might give off another clue

[lykos33 0]

I guess you, me, Steve and Big Daddy Hubbard must be related Of course the way you and Steve are going , I'll be the only "big" brother...as in fat ...

[C Teeter 0]

You know I hadn't even been dreamed of during WWII, but the respect that I have for the men and women that persevered thru those times and the wars that we fight even today is very emense. I have a good friend who's father was a survivor of Pearl Harbor and although I never met the man the stories that his son tells about him make feel that I knew him and truly wish that I had.

 

Mr Rister was well advanced in years, and his family gets up one morning to find that he has gone missing without a word. He's gone as well as his old Fairlane he has said nothing to his wife or anyone else just disapeared. Three or four days go by the family has searched all over , and even filed a missing person report, and as suddenly as he disappeared he comes pulling up the drive way. The wife calls her son who comes over worried and wanting to find out what happened, so he starts questioning him " dad are you alright" "well yeah I'm fine why do you ask" "well we where worried about you, you've been gone for days and no one knew what had happened to you" Mr Rister says "well hell son I'm a grown man I didn't know I needed to get your permission to go somewhere" and just leaves it at that. So after checking him out and realizing that he was fine and calming his mother down, he begins questioning him again "dad you know you were gone for several days so where have you been"

 

"well son i have been in Hiawia, it is the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and all of the survivors where meeting there for a tribute ceremony". The son continues question him and he goes on to tell him that he had driven down to the local Air Force base talked his way thru security, drives out onto the Tarmac explains to the ground crew who he is and what hes doing hangs out with them most of the day until they put him on a flight to California, form which he his put on the next plane to Hiawia.

 

The son is blown away, " so dad you've been to Pearl Harbor" "oh yeah we had a really nice ceremony and a banquet and then we spent the next couple of days days looking around the base and catching up on old times, it was really good to see everyone agian" the son says "all you have in this bag is a change of clothes and some socks and underwear where did you stay" and Mr Rister says "oh I stayed at the Y I got a really nice room there and it only cost me $3.00 a day". He hops another airforce plane flies back hops in his car still sitting on the Tarmac and drives home.

 

It was a different world back in his day and a different breed of people too, something that would be damn near impossible for any one of us to pull off was nothing but a hop, skip, and a jump for a "MAN THAT HAD FOUGHT IN THE BIG ONE SON"

 

Mr Rister I salute you and all of your fallen brethren, may you rest in peace.

[Chase Creek 0]

GREAT story, C.

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

your story brought a tear to my eye C I join you in saluting Mr Rister and his fallen brethren

[C Teeter 0]

I'll give you another one, Mr Rister was retired but he had a little shop beside his house where he did some machining and welding and would repair things of all kinds for people all over town, for little to nothing often charging $10 to $15 dollars after working on something all day. The local hospital had some water pumps that where no longer built but critical to operation. The hospital maintenance director dropped one by one day with a cracked housing and asked Mr Rister if he would take a look at it. Mr Rister said "yeah just sit it down there somewhere, how quick do you need it back?" the maintenance guy says " oh no hurry just whenever you have time". They visit awhile and the man leaves.

 

A few days later Mr Rister is working on something in the shop and has an accident, he splits his bottom lip open and knocks a tooth out. He grabs a dirty shop towel and drives himself over to the emergency room at the same hospital. Checks in at the front desk waits his turn out in the waiting area. When he finally gets to see the nice new young Dr he tells him that he needs to get his lip stitched back up. The young Dr tells him there's nothing that he can do for him and that he will need to see a oral surjen and a plastic surjen so he's going to transfer him to a bigger hospital. Mr Rister explains that he is eighty some odd years old and he's not concerned about the cosmetics but just needs to be stitched up so he can get back to work, but the Dr still insists on transferring him

 

Mr Rister walks out gets back in his Fairlane and drives clear to the other side of town to the VA hospital with his dirty shop towel stopping the bleeding and gets his lip sewn back up. About a month later he receives a $75 dollar bill from the ER for his visit, he calls the hospital and complains about the bill and explains that they didn't even treat him while he was there and Infact had gotten fixed up at the VA instead. So after explaining to everyone in the office including the supervisor that he didn't feel like he owed them for anything he was still left with this $75 bill.

 

A short time later the maintenance man comes by to pick up the hospitals repaired pump and Mr Rister asks the man can I charge anything that I want for the repairs to that pump? The man tells him yeah charge what ever you feel that it was worth, you've always been very fair with us. Mr Rister writes up a bill for $75 and hands it to the man, and a few weeks later he receives a check from the hospital in the mail for the amount of $75. He signs the check and drives over to the hospital, walks into the emergency room finds the nice new Dr and hands him the check from the hospital. The Dr dumbfounded asks what the check was for, Mr Rister says you remember awhile back when I came in here with my lip busted open and you wouldn't treat me? The Dr says yes, Mr Rister says well although you didn't do anything for me and I had to go over to the VA for treatment you still sent me a bill and that check is to take care of what I owe you. The Dr says sir I can't accept the check you will need to take this to the billing department to settle your account, to which Mr Rister replies no son you will need to take it over there so you will have at least done something to earn my $75, and turns and walks away!!

 

I'm amazed and hanging on every word everytime that his son starts telling about some of his escapades. Him and so many like him were tuff as hell and wise beyond belief, and that is why they say respect your elders. If the American people knew and understood the Mr Risters of the world and upheld their wisdom and values, we wouldnt stand for the crap that our government has gotten us into today

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

Mr. Rister sounds like a cross between my 2 grandfathers one was somewhat of a quiet man and the other was outspoken but both were wise beyond thier years the louder of the 2 was in the calvary and some of his stories would make you pee your pants they are so funny and with him he would get all excited going through the motions while telling you the story the quieter of the 2 was a railroad man and didn't speak much but when he did you would just go damn did he just say that

[C Teeter 0]

Yeah I've known a few men like that in my time and I try to learn everything that I can from them. I know exactly what you mean regarding some of the stories that they tell, over time they can floor you again and again. I guess the best way to honor those men that left such profound impressions on us is to pass on the need to respect them to the ones that follow us.