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Kimberly Powell
Kimberly's Genealogy Blog

By Kimberly Powell, About.com Guide to Genealogy

Pearl Harbor - Lest We Forget

Monday December 7, 2009

It has been 68 years since the U.S. Pacific Fleet was attacked at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, marking the entrance of the United States into World War II - a war that ultimately claimed more than 64 million lives.

If any of your relatives are still alive to tell their stories of WWII, be sure to talk to them now before it is too late. It was a long, painful time in world history and each person who lived through it has a very different story to tell. My grandfathers, both deceased, fought in WWII, as did my father-in-law (also deceased). One of my grandmothers told me her stories of living through WWII as a teenager in France, while the other has stories to tell about the rationing and war efforts in the United States. My mother-in-law has terrible stories to tell of living through the war in Germany and her escape from a concentration camp. Quite a lot of different perspectives on a war, that surprisingly aren't all that different from one another.

Take time over the upcoming holiday season to try and capture your relatives WWII memories - both the ones who served in the military, and the civilians who lived through the terrible times at home. Keep their memories alive so future generations don't forget!

Comments
December 13, 2007 at 12:35 am
(1) PJ says:

IT WAS A MOST UNFORGETABLE TIME FOR THOSE WHO LIVED THROUGH IT. WHEN THE TELEGRAM ARRIVED, YOU KNEW IT BROUGHT THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF DEATH! SOME CRIED OPENLY, SOME IN WITHOUT A TEAR. BUT I STILL MISS THE FATHER WHO NEVER CAME HOME! WAR IS HELL!!!

December 9, 2009 at 10:15 pm
(2) Andrew Manager says:

Have you ever tried http://www.LocateFamily.com ?

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