On Saturday afternoon, December 6, 1941, my parents attended the big football matchup between the University of Hawaii and Willamette University of Salem, Oregon. Both teams boasted 7-1 records going into the game, and both had outscored their opponents by wide margins.
But Hawaii came away victorious by a 20-6 score.
My parents attended a post-game party, which was extra festive because the next day, December 7, was my dad’s 28th birthday. The party left my mother with “a big head.”
So she was a litte slow when they were awakened early Sunday morning by a phone call from her mother with news that Japenese planes were bombing Pearl Harbor. Her parents lived in Waipahu, just a short distance from the shores of Pearl Harbor.
Her mother said their house was shaking from the explosions.
My mom’s immediate reaction: “I wish I were at Waipahu to see more of it.”
The letter was never mailed, but it did get saved. I found it among my mom’s papers after her death 71 years later.
“Something is brewing…”: Le… by Ian Lind
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A very appropriate and meaningful story for this day, December 7.
Fascinating to see a first-hand account. Thanks for sharing.
Wow – thanks for posting this. Such a personal view in real time. It’s interesting how she writes Jap anese as two words.
Wow the real deal. This is a fabulous relic. And a good reminder of Mom.
Wonderful period letter. It really has an immediate air to the writing to give one a more personak feeling of this historic experience. thanks for sharing.
Wow! What a slice of time! A treasure of a letter. I can hear your Mom’s voice.
My late Grandfather was a child when he saw a Japanese Zero fly overhead on that day.