83 years ago 12/7/41

[orygun]

The day of "Infamy", and the time when this country came together and stood united.

May we never forget those that fought, those that helped build and those that never came home.

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[Andy54Hawken]

For a long while in my life...
I had friends or relatives who "Remembered Pearl Harbor"....
Because they heard it happen on the radio..or read about in the newspapers.
Many of the same enlisted in the military to fight afterwards.
Sadly they are all gone now.

Relating to firearms...
I have a very nice condition Remington 510 .22 rifle from 1941.
Difficult to believe that is 83 years old.
Sporting firearms from that era have a quality and charm that is all but lost in today's world of plastic / polymer firearms.
At least to my eyes....and for what I like in a firearm.
Andy

 

[Idaho44]

My ex-wife was born on that day!

 

[orygun]

My ex-wife was born on that day!

My ex-mother in law was born Dec 7, 42! Funny stuff.

 

[orygun]

I recently read Patton's Prayer. In it the day's account is listed by date. Looking at those dates, I understand why WWII was still on the minds of many when I was a child in the 60's. (born in Oct 62) Many of the men in the communities were veterans. It was only 20 years before, and now I can relate that 20 years ain't that long of a time. They had seen and done a lot and it changed them. There was also a lot of patriotism for our country then. A trait we sorely lack today.

I have a Winchester from 1942. Built during a very difficult time. A very different time than now. Life wasn't as "convenient" as it is now. In many ways, simpler is better.
I also used to own a Remington 22 pump made in Nov 41. I would wonder what life was like in November compared to December of that year.

 

[Camelfilter]

Sunrise in S Oregon is in about 10 minutes.

For folks who fly the American Flag, etiquette today is half mast. Sunrise to Sunset.

 

[Camelfilter]

 

[WAYNO]

I was born in the early fifties. Nearly all of our Dad's served in WWII, so that war was very foremost in our minds. And many of these Dad's drank heavily.

My Dad was in the Pacific Theatre a very extended period of time, in the Phillipines as well as the Aleutians. Although he came back, he didn't really. He died in 1970 when I was 17.

I also knew a couple Pearl Harbor Survivors, and back then it was also very common to know WWI Vets, including my Grandfather.

For those not of military families, or those that have never served, many just don't get it...





.

 

[Capn Jack]

Many of us lost relatives in WWII and friends in Vietnam. Never forget them.

 

[Buckey]

I was also born in the early fifties. With a lot of my relatives that served during WWII. My grandfather was stationed at Pearl Harbor in the Navy, he served on the USS Vestal which was moored next to the USS Arizona. The USS Vestal was a Maintenace ship, one of the oldest in the Navy. When the bombing started, they were able move the ship and run it aground. When I was growing up my grandfather rarely talked about it. Two things that I remember that he said was that it was bad, and the water was on fire. Ironicly my grandmother, and family were getting ready to move to Oahu at the time, there furniture and belongings had already been shipped there.

 

[WAYNO]

Many of us lost relatives in WWII and friends in Vietnam. Never forget them.

The timing of your post is interesting...
Last night, I dreamed I was at a reunion of some sort of my unit. In the dream, I tried sharing memories of some of the Soldiers that served with us, now deceased. And the folks at the reunion did not remember these departed Brothers.
Weird dream. And why now?

 

[orygun]

I was about 10 and was chopping kindling when Uncle Ed commented that I should not cut myself because he didn't like the sight of blood. I don't know the words we exchanged after that, but for years I thought he was being a pansy.
Several years later I learned that he was wounded while stringing communication lines during the Battle of The Bulge. Yeah. He'd probably seen more than enough blood.
My uncles Jack and Bob were on the ground in Korea. I had no idea about their service for many years, either. They didn't talk about it.

 

[Fishjager]

I'll always remember that date, because thirty years later I started Basic Training on that date.

 

[mrblond]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK8gYGg0dkE

 

[bionic knees]

There were lots of WWII vets around when I was a kid. Shell shocked, victims of mustard gas, amputees. Some would talk about it, most didn't. Not all the victims of war die on the battlefield. War is hell on earth, we all need to remember that.

 

[Ruger Rich]

I was almost a year old when Pearl Harbor happened. My parents lived in Oakland at that time
and in early "42" moved to Pasadena. I do remember when I was four a couple of blackouts. Just
small pieces and parts of memories remain and they are parts of conversations that I listened
in on.

 

[PnwHope17]

A lot of times think I was born in the wrong era but then I think about times like this and I'm just grateful to know some of the greats that were around back then!

 

[Mikej]

I recently read Patton's Prayer. In it the day's account is listed by date. Looking at those dates, I understand why WWII was still on the minds of many when I was a child in the 60's. (born in Oct 62) Many of the men in the communities were veterans. It was only 20 years before, and now I can relate that 20 years ain't that long of a time. They had seen and done a lot and it changed them. There was also a lot of patriotism for our country then. A trait we sorely lack today.

I have a Winchester from 1942. Built during a very difficult time. A very different time than now. Life wasn't as "convenient" as it is now. In many ways, simpler is better.
I also used to own a Remington 22 pump made in Nov 41. I would wonder what life was like in November compared to December of that year.

I bought a Winchester 94 in .30-30 at the ARPC show a couple years ago. I've dated it the best I can to December 1941-January 1942 via a thread on the Winchester Collectors Forum that Bert H tends to. I need to just get that dang letter! As I understand, Winchester quit making everything but war materials sometime in 1942.
My father joined The Navy and boarded the destroyer USS Terry on April 9th 1945. Before that he was working for the war effort with some contracted company in England having to do with radio stuff.
they were called The Greatest Generation for a reason.

I understand why WWII was still on the minds of many when I was a child in the 60's. (born in Oct 62) Many of the men in the communities were veterans.

I had an uncle/mom's brother, that wat a pilot. He was in a wheel chair and died before his time from some issue from the war. And a guy that lived on our street that was walk up and down the street every day. Called him "Walkin' Bill Lampson". Always wore a trench coat and fedora, and had a smoke dangling from his lips, never said a word to anyone.
I'd give anything to know more about those people's lives now.

 

[orygun]

When we lived in John Day (68-74) Dad's boss had been a B24 pilot during the war. When I knew him he raised appaloosa horses.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

The maker of these rifles...

Doc Brown Long Rifle and Hawken Rifle

• Andy54Hawken
• Jun 10, 2024

Loren "Doc" Brown...fought with the 42nd Infantry Division during WWII...helped liberate Dachau.

Doc Brown with medal.jpg

• Andy54Hawken
• Dec 27, 2018
• 1

I was very blessed and honored to be friends with him.
Andy