December 7 marks the 81st anniversary of the attack on our naval base at Pearl Harbor.
As someone who’s had the pleasure of being around our Navy stationed abroad, I have developed great respect for the contributions these men and women make to protect our country.
While I could launch into a monologue about my admiration for our troops, I wanted to share a different take on World War II.
Every American knows that the Pearl Harbor attack is a significant moment in our nation’s history.
As President Roosevelt himself said, “A date which will live in infamy”, this event plunged our nation into war.
We’ve seen the movies.
The Japanese kamikaze fighter pilots ramming their planes into the bows and stern of the navy destroyers.
Flaming puddles of diesel fluid ablaze among the smoldering wreckage of half-broken ships.
The plumes of choking black smoke are just another reminder of one of our country’s darkest moments.
If that’s the beginning, then how does it all end?
Well, within three years, our forces established dominance over the Pacific and defeated the Japanese empire.
The New York Times wrote of the Japanese surrender to General MacArthur as “The Happiest Day in American History”.
But is there more behind the gravity of the United States and World War II than D-Day, Normandy and Pearl Harbor?
As much as the war had cost us in blood and tears, it also sparked a technological, cultural and social revolution for our country.
Entire industries sprung to life – ship building, manufacturing, engineering at an unprecedented scale and production.
Workforce participation, especially the recruitment of women into sustaining the war effort led to the female laborforce growing by 6.5 million during WWII.
Wartime innovation birthed inventions like radar and spurred scientific innovations in nuclear energy and rocket design, which were consequential to NASA and our mission to the moon.
Even the Civil Rights movement had some momentum following post-war racial integration.
Stoked by fears of a recession, policy makers provided low interest rates that would spark the rise of American consumerism.
And so the first credit card was introduced in 1950.
We swung from frugality and thrift during the war into necessary spending to keep the economy afloat. The average household debt in America grew as we bought new homes, cars and gadgets.
In 1945, the total US household debt stood at $29 billion. By 1955, it had reached $125 billion!
It can be hard to tell with staggering figures like these.
But think of our parents and grandparents, who for the first time could afford houses, land, tractor and farm equipment, a washing machine, lawnmower – modern conveniences that helped improve the overall standard of living in America.
Complain about the office drone if you want, but they finally got a reprieve from the summer heat with AC.
What about cars and roads and trucks? All forms of modern transportation and logistics that continue to power our nation today.
Before you bemoan the rise in debt, know that between 1940 and 1948, the average wages had doubled. By 1963, it had doubled again.
Those who were struggling before financially could finally get their feet from under. The rich-poor gap was narrowing.
Skilled trades like machine tool operators gave industrial America financial stability. There was an increase in numbers of women employed, an encouraging sign alongside economic participation and contribution from minority groups.
There was progress. Even culturally, television and radio were great equalizers. The average man could smoke the same cigarettes and use the same razor as a rich man.
Our nation was flowing and its people were in sync. Tens of millions of families would gather in front of the TV to watch Johnny Carson.
In terms of sheer scale and scope, no one single event is as influential in the course of modern human history as World War II.
So what can we learn from this transformation?
There’s a lot of division in our country right now. There is a war brewing on many fronts – race, gender and of course, politics.
We’ve also seen the less flattering side of our country during Pearl Harbor – the internment of innocent Japanese-American citizens.
Is history repeating itself?
Are we just throwing ourselves into finding solutions for problems that we’ve seemingly created, without realizing there are bigger things on the horizon?
For example, when is the next seismic event?
What’s changing and how can we best adapt or prepare for it?
Instead of fearing what we might lose, can we think of what and how we might gain from it?
Now more than ever is a time for us to rally and unite as a country.
We should strive for solidarity in conflict.
We should seek to equalize and not stigmatize.
Because in return for what we had lost in World War II, we gained a sense of community, security and responsibility that benefited our nation.