Seventy-one years ago Friday, Americans were caught by a surprise attack at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. A total of 2,452 were killed at the site, including Japanese soldiers.

Fortunately, my father, Walter Danison, was not one of them. Drafted into the Army in June 1941, at age 22, for an entry salary of $21 per month, he left everything he knew and everyone he loved to put his life on the line for our freedom. Stationed at Fort Barrette in Oahu, Hawaii, he saw fellow soldiers die to protect our country’s land, its people and its values held at that time. 

I honor my father and my mother, who waited to marry him while he fought for the future United States of America. They taught me many things, among them are respect for God, country and the elderly. Thank you to everyone who has sacrificed for my freedom. It is not free.

— Jeanne Danison

Anchorage