December 7th, 1941: The "Attack" On Pearl Harbor! (And There Have Been Many "Pearl Harbors" Since That Dreadful Day 84 Years Ago!)

                                 Have we forgotten?

The world was forever changed during and after World War II...

Whatever innocence that remained before the war, was no more...

The men who returned from that war were not the same.  But that was true for all men (and some women, especially from my war, Vietnam) who returned from all wars!

The physical ailments were only one part of the scars of war...

The mental and spiritual scars could not be seen, but were -- and are -- real, nonetheless.

Initially, those in authority denied in many cases, those wounds that could not be seen, instead labeled those troops as liars or cowards -- or even traitors.

The phenomenon known as PTSD was not yet in the lexicon of the American military until the Vietnam War and after...  

For those who died, and there were far too many good men who perished in those conflagrations, left families without fathers, husbands, sons, cousins, uncles, etc.

There was little consolation for the loved ones who remained on the homefront, but there was plenty of desperation and a feeling of hopelessness.

Sure, there was plenty of praying and wishing, but the arrival of sharply dressed military officers coming to the door of their homes, meant the sad news of those killed in action (KIA), wounded (WIA), or missing (MIA) -- perhaps the scariest of all!

And for those who have a sense of what the causes war are in the first place, know that all wars are a chastisement from God for grievous sins committed against the all-good, all-loving Creator, failing to fulfill the two great Commandments to love God and our neighbor.

The question begs: will we ever learn, or will history continue to repeat itself until Our Lord's return to judge the living and the dead -- and make all things new again?

We know that without Christ, there is nothing but chaos...

Or do we?

Pray for strength and honor!

Viva Cristo Rey!  Bl. Fr. Miguel Pro, Fr. Emil Kapaun and Fr. Vincent Capodanno, pray for us...

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle...

St. Joseph pray for us!!

Gene DeLalla