December 7, 1941 - “The Day That Will Live In Infamy.”

On Sunday, December 7, 1941, the Norris family: William Sr, Ruby, William Jr and Ann, were living in Winter Park, Florida

I was 7 years old and in the second grade. All of these years later that day still remains in my memory as if it were yesterday.

We were driving in our car that afternoon as we usually did on Sunday when Dad, an on-the-road representative for PurePack Drug Co, was in town (and sober).

My recollection is that we got the news of the attack while in our car but now I am not certain because I have doubts whether cars back then had radios. If they did I am confident Dad would have had one, since he spent so much time on the road.

I do know that we were away from the house when we heard the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

My parents were very upset and I wasn’t sure why. When we got home everyone huddled around our radio in the living room and listened to the breaking news reports. I remember my Mother, Ruby, silently crying.

I was still confused as to what had happened. It was explained to me that “those Japs” had made a sneak attack on one of our military bases in the Pacific.

The attack on Pearl Harbor resulted in 2,402 dead and 1,247 wounded.

I remember being put to bed rather early because I had developed a head cold and felt bad.

The next morning Dad left for work on the road and Mom kept me out of school because I had a fever.

I remember listening to President Roosevelt’s “Day of Infamy” address to Congress and wondering what all of this was going to mean to me and my family. Ruby reassured me that we would be OK.

The next day me and my neighborhood buddies, all guys around my age, got together and we promised each other that when we got old enough we would all join the Army and fight “those damn Japs.” Our use of the word “damn” was very daring on our part, trust me. From that day forward we played war games almost every day after school. One day we would defeat the Japs and the next day those Nazi’s. We always won.

Yes, as I write this it still feels as if it happened yesterday.

WE MUST NEVER FORGET!!

Bill