Eighty-two years ago this month, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was attacked by Japanese fighter planes on Dec. 7, 1941. Among the army men stationed there was my late father, Walter Danison. He was drafted into the Army in June 1941, expecting to serve one year, which was normal for peacetime. He left his family, home, and fiancé to go into the Army.
The morning of Dec. 7 looked like any other morning as he stepped out of his five-man tent. Then he heard men yelling about an attack, and soon after, screams pierced through the chaos. Later he found out that a friend died, among many others. He was 23 years old, but at that moment he likely felt twice his age. Six days passed before he was allowed to send a telegram to his fiancé asking her to let his parents know he was alive.
Roughly 2,403 US personnel including sailors, soldiers, and civilians were killed. I want to honor my late mother and father for their prayers and service so that I could live freely. Thank you to our armed forces! Freedom is worth protecting, lest we forget.
— Mary Jeanne Danison
Anchorage
Have something on your mind? Send to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Letters under 200 words have the best chance of being published. Writers should disclose any personal or professional connections with the subjects of their letters. Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length.