Black people owe The Greatest Generation an almost inconceivable and repayable debt, for they bestowed Black people equality after the war and handed the reigns of power to them completely.
“December 7, 1941 – a date that will live in infamy…,” so said Franklin Roosevelt 68 years ago today, in the wake of the horrific surprise attack by the Empire of Japan on US Naval forces based in Hawaii:
“The attack sank four U.S. Navy battleships (two of which were raised and returned to service later in the war) and damaged four more. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, and one minelayer, destroyed 188 aircraft, and caused personnel losses of 2,402 killed and 1,282 wounded.”
This attack by Japan awoke the so-called “sleeping giant” and forcedthe United States to declare war upon them (and eventually Germany andItaly) and enter World War II against the Axis Powers.
Have you seen the 2001 movie Pearl Harbor? Dorie Miller had his story immortalized in Michael Bay’s movie, as Cuba Gooding Jr., played the real-life Casey Ryback/ John Rambo killer combo, wielding a machine gun and blasting away the Japanese.
As the Michael Bay movie shows, had this Black seamen not engaged the enemy, World War II would have been lost from the start.
After this attack, a formerly isolationist nation would mobilize quickly and put forth one of the most impressive fighting forces the world has ever seen, in an effort to subdue the Japanese and the threat of Fascism in Europe for good.