Dateline: December 7, 1941
Time: 7:55 a.m. PST      Location: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

     "When the news came, many were at home by the radio or on a Sunday drive, at football games and in movie theaters...It's hard to imagine a single event that had a greater instant effect on the collective behavior of an American nation than the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor," Tom Brokaw wrote in a May 2001 issue of Newsweek. Little could he have known of the death and destruction that would fall on America just a few months later.

     On September 11th, Howard Fineman, Brokaw's colleague reported, "Today, on a crisp, gloriously clear Fall day in the East, is the Pearl Harbor of the 21st Century." As unsettling as the comparison may be for many, Fineman was not alone in his observation. In fact, over the last several months many similarities have been drawn between the two attacks. Pearl Harbor and the September 11th attack on America were both surprise assaults. Both attacks touched American soil and invaded our sense of safety and security. And in both attacks, our nation lost its innocence.

     We also saw another similarity in both acts of terrorism -- separation, sacrifice and loss of loved ones. This December 7th, as we observe the 60th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, we will do more than pay tribute to the 2,403 Americans who perished. December 7th will also be a day to honor the surviving American men and women of Pearl Harbor and World War II, who by bravely defending the United States, defined what it meant to be a hero and inspired others so we might become a nation of heroes.

     Of course, many of those heroes were members of our armed forces. I like to think of them as our very special heroes because they chose to selflessly dedicate their lives to preserving and promoting our freedom. One such selfless soldier is Tom Williams. A resident of the Eighth District, Tom lives in Bonne Terre. As a soldier in the US Army, Tom, like other Missourians (52 of whom died in the attack) stood in harm's way on December 7th as fires raged, bombs exploded and ships were destroyed. Clearly, those who survived Pearl Harbor will never forget that day, and I encourage you -- especially our youth -- to reach out to the World War II veterans like Tom to say thank you and to learn about their lives of service and sacrifice for our nation.

     President Roosevelt often spoke of our nation's other heroes. He called them "fellow citizens" and they are among us every day -- whether we know it or not. Some of them are civilians who worked in factories to build the ships, planes, tanks, and guns that armed the forces for freedom and made our nation the "Arsenal of Democracy." Others toiled in the fields and on the farms, to produce the food to sustain our nation, our troops and our allies. In our homes, schools, and places of worship, Americans prayed and worked together for victory. Their efforts were those of a nation united and we are grateful, too, for their contributions and sacrifice.

     Today, as we continue to recover from the September 11th attack on America -- an attack that has striking similarities to Pearl Harbor -- we remember not only the men and women of World War II, but one of the most important lessons of the greatest generation: even in the most difficult of times, we can flourish as a nation. We have witnessed the unspeakable and the unforgettable. And as Roosevelt said, "no matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory."