December 7, 1941

When I was about 13 or 14 my mom bought a brand new card, the first new car I can remember her buying. I remember her being very happy and exciting about her new car. The biggest thing I remember about the car however was how upset my grandfather was at her buying that car. He hated that her daughters would buy a Japanese car. My aunt had already owned an RX-7. To me it was just a car and we'd owned a Volvo before so I know my grandfather didn't preach Buy American as his reasoning. He made sure his computer was an Apple and his TV was a Zenith. I got a Sony stereo when I was 12 I think and he was upset over it.

When I was 17 my US History teacher was a little weird, in a good teacher kind of way. She wanted our papers on 20th century history to involve actual research and reporting, not just books. Her theory was there was still people alive to talk about it, go talk to them. I decided to do a paper on World War 2 and its affect on people in the United States. Obviously I talked to my grandparents.

My grandfather was a very outspoken person, talking to him about World War 2 was interesting. It was the first time I really got to understand his hatred of all things Japanese. He lost friends and people he knew at the attack on Pearl Harbor and then throughout the war in the Pacific. He talked to me about standing in line for four hours to join the Navy. He talked about being upset he was that he wasn't allowed to serve. He talked about how in 1941 America didn't care about the rest the world and no one understood how some island nation decided to attack us. He sure didn't understand. He never forgave them for it either.

A lot of people died on December 7th 1941 and the many days afterwards of World War 2. I reflect upon it and think how tragic it is. I also feel very guilty. On Pearl Harbor Day I usually just get sad thinking about my grandfather and our hours of conversations instead of remembering the people who died. I was very close to my grandfather and miss him a lot and it is odd that my brain decides this day as a day to think about him.

I do honor the servicemen who paid the ultimate price but I really do miss my grandfather.