On this day, eighty years ago, The United States entered World War II when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. So today, I want to remember Pearl Harbor and a relative who perished in the attack; Fred Hunter Boyer.
Honestly, three days ago, I didn’t know he existed. As I child, I wondered if we would have had relatives who fought in World War II. My grandfathers weren’t drafted but stayed on the homefront. So it seemed that came to a dead-end fairly quickly.
However, I had not looked into possible cousins. I subscribe to FamilySearch.org. I received an email on Sunday that announced the discovery. I had a second cousin, once removed that perished on the USS West Virginia. He was twenty-two.
I wonder what his parents went through? Did his community rally around them? We had a common cause and hostile enemies in Europe and Asia. It’s hard to imagine what the mood of the country was in light of today’s challenges.
Today, I am thankful for the men and women that paid the ultimate sacrifice for my freedom. And I am especially thankful for a cousin and his family that paid a great price on that day that would live in infamy.