[theoddz]

I think I've posted about this on the other sites, but since this thread specifically addresses stories about WWII, I thought I'd post the story here (again), because I think it's a good little story.

My Pop was 13 years old when WWII broke out in 1941. He born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, the youngest of 7 children (4 boys, 2 girls), to parents who had immigrated from the Chinese province of Canton, in the southern section of mainland China. Pop was playing in the street, that morning, when he watched the Japanese planes flying low over his house in Kaimuki, on their way to bomb Pearl Harbor. Like most boys of that time, he was fascinated with air planes and enamored with the stories of the famous flyer, Charles Lindbergh. He has always told me that he knew the planes were Japanese because these were flying so low that he could clearly spot the red "meatball" painted on the sides of the planes, and even the faces of some of the pilots. No one had any idea what they were doing, or going to do, until the sounds of explosions rocked the city of Honolulu and thick black smoke began to billow into the sky above Pearl Harbor. Pop said that my grandmother gathered everyone into the basement of the small house and kept them there for all of that day. My Uncle Richard was a civil service pipe fitter at Pearl Harbor during that time, and the family didn't see him for 3 days following the bombing and only knew that he was part of the original response team called to cut open the hulls of capsized Navy ships to rescue the trapped crews.

During the duration of the War, Pop continued his schooling at St. Louis High School and also worked part time at the Dole Pineapple factory, in Honolulu. His entire family had worked at Dole, at one time or another, with the exception of my grandfather, who spoke no English, but was an accountant in a book store. Pop's job in the pineapple factory was to monitor and adjust the temperature of the juice that is packed with canned pineapple. When the War finally ended in 1945, Pop was still working in the Dole factory. Funny, but Pop still says, to this day, that his stint in the pineapple factory gave him the incentive to stick to his studies and get an education so he wouldn't be doomed to that kind of physical labor for the rest of his life!!

On V-J Day (Victory over Japan), August 15, 1945, Pop heard the news of the Japanese surrender on the radio while working his shift at the Dole factory. Back then, the Dole factory in Honolulu had a huge steam whistle on the top of a water tower that could be heard over most of the island of Oahu. Pop asked his supervisor if he could climb up that tower and blow the big steam whistle. His supervisor agreed, and Pop said that one of the most joyful days in his life, to this day, has been the memory of pulling (and dangling on, because Pop was always a skinny kid) on that rope and letting that whistle blow and blow.

A few years ago, Pop gave me a package that was carefully wrapped and preserved in a small cellophaned bundle. It was The Honolulu Star evening edition, dated December 8, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed. One of his friends from high school had a part time job at the newspaper back then, and had given this to Pop. He'd kept it all of these years and was now turning it over to me to keep. It's one of my most treasured possessions, to this day, from my Pop.

Pop was never able to join the military because his eyes were so bad. I think that's always been a bit of a disappointment for him throughout his lifetime. He made the best of it, though, and got a wonderful education, along with his PhD. He's never forgotten that day in December, so many years ago. I'll never forget him telling me about it.

Those Americans who lived and fought through WWII really were The Greatest Generation. I don't think the world will ever see anything as grand as that generation.

~Theo~

Oh yes, and Mother was a real life "Rosie the Riveter"!!!