Day of Infamy

By: Larry Jewett

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This past week, we remembered another piece of American history that many wish had never happened. It was 64 years ago that the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor put the United States squarely into a world war.

As time passes, the number of survivors who recall that dreadful day diminishes. A majority of those who survived were haunted by the memories for the rest of their lives. Some refused to talk about it and family members were unwilling to pry. Those who did come forth and share their memories don't know why or how they survived.

A particular example is one Bill Osborne, who was on the U.S.S. Arizona. He was on the top deck of the ship on his way to church. Many others were headed to the boat that carried the church-going to Honolulu , docking at the Navy Yard. The boat left at 8 a.m. The attack had begun five minutes before. In the case of Bill Osborne, by his recollection, had he not been going to church that Sunday morning, he would have been below deck and killed with the other crew members.

"...the battle belongs to the Lord"

Many of those who survived understood that they survived by the grace of God.

Another story, and there are dozens, centers on a Marine, Henry Kalinowski . He had liberty on that weekend, but he had a friend, also on the ship, who had planned to get married and have a brief honeymoon. The friend, however, drew duty. Kalinowski, as a wedding gift of sorts, requested a switch, allowing his friend to take liberty. Kalinowski died aboard his ship that day.

The stories of heroes and heroic acts are common in times of stress and strife. Men and women are called upon to rise to the occasion of defending, utilizing their training from imagined situations into those that are real. There's no pause button or reset button. The blood that is shed is real as are the lives that may be lost.

Conflict abounds in the Bible with Old Testament battles being good examples. Joshua conquered Jericho , then Ai. He killed the five Amorite kings and destroyed places like Debir. When he was finished, the land had rest from war (Joshua 11:23).

We face our own forms of war with the battles against temptation and sin on a daily basis. Like the attack on Pearl Harbor, it can come swiftly, without warning. We must be prepared to face the enemy, no matter where the enemy comes from.

The preparation for battle requires an element of hope, something many of those Pearl Harbor survivors may not have had that day. They fought and fought hard, not knowing if they were fighting a losing battle. While 2,400 people died that day, thousands more lived on because they fought the battle that staved off the enemy.

Our battles can rage at us when we are least prepared. The hustle and bustle of the season, tossed in upon an already busy schedule, can lead to a feeling of depression or being overwhelmed. Take heart. When your enemy presses in hard, do not fearÖthe battle belongs to the Lord.

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