remembrance Archives - Kevin H. Spear

Lately, I’ve thought a lot about leaving a legacy. Perhaps that happens when you move to a new place. The people you leave behind must carry on. And you soon realize they can do rather well without you! It can be a humbling experience when the world doesn’t stop because you’ve moved elsewhere!

There is something within each of us that hopes we will be remembered long after we are gone. But the truth is, we are very mortal and entirely forgettable. Have you ever returned to your alma mater or childhood home to find there are new faces? Life carried on after you left. It’s nothing personal. It happens to all of us!
Yet we all want to be remembered long after we are gone. What is the best way to leave a legacy?

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.

Relative Died at Pearl Harbor — Email announcement from FamilySearch.org

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.

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