Today is the 73rd anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. At 8:00 am on the morning of December 7th 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise military strike against the US Pacific Fleet anchored in the sheltered harbor near Honolulu. Just as we today can easily remember the morning of September 11th 2001, American’s who were old enough to realize what was happening can recall where they heard of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
In remembrance of what happened that December 7th in 1941, I would like to share with you an excerpt from Immigrant Soldier.
* * * * *
Late that morning, Herman sat at one end of the bar in the Zebra Room while William stocked liquor bottles and wiped down the counter in preparation for opening the bar. Herman nibbled at the last crusts of a ham sandwich and nursed a strong coffee as he stared at the scrap of paper Gloria had given him. The fragrance of her perfume still lingered. She had made a lip imprint like Molly used to, but hers was strawberry pink rather than scarlet. Below the kiss she had scrawled her name and address. He wondered if he would ever see her again. In a few hours he would be on the bus back up to Paso Robles and from there to Camp Roberts. Monday morning he would be transported to Fort Ord. There was no way of knowing when, or if, he would return to Los Angeles.
William paused in front of him, the disinfectant-smelling counter cloth stopped in mid-swipe. “Everyone misses you around here. The patrons keep asking for you, especially the ones who come in without ties.” His friend grinned and slapped the bar with his hand. “Come on, soldier boy. You should be too tough by now to have a hangover.”
Herman looked up. He ran his hand over the top of his head. The close-cropped stubble of his army cut reminded him of the haircut his mother had given him in Meiningen. He shook his head to dispel the memory.
“Not a hangover exactly. I’m not sure what to expect any more. It’s depressing. My life keeps changing, and I don’t seem to have any say in it. Every time things get good, something else happens. Everything turns on a dime and I have no control. Sometimes I don’t know who I am or where I belong.” He took a sip of the now cold coffee. “I’m proud to be in the US Army and I want to help kick that damned Hitler into hell. But I love LA and . . . well, especially the parties and the girls . . . finally, the girls! ”
“Hey, guys!” One of the bellhops from the hotel burst in from the lobby. “Turn up the radio. All hell’s breaking loose in Hawaii.”
William reached under the bar and turned the knobs of the small radio he kept there. “What’s happened?”
Before the bellhop could catch his breath, the radio blared and an excited voice filled the room. The announcer was in midsentence. “. . . in flames. It’s terrible. Jap planes everywhere. Bombs like rain. The USS Arizona is at the bottom of Pearl Harbor . . .”
Another announcer’s voice, this one speaking with deadly calm, broke into the report. “All military personnel are ordered to return to their stations immediately. All leaves and passes are cancelled indefinitely. Repeat. All military personnel . . .”
Herman’s hand shook as he set down his cup unevenly. A single splash of coffee landed on his cuff, but he hardly noticed. “Jeez . . . God!” He stood up. His knees felt shaky. “I have to go. We’re in the war for sure now.” He grabbed his jacket from the back of the bar stool. War could bring anything. He might never return to Los Angeles, not alive anyway. He reached his right hand over the bar. “Thanks, William. For everything.” His friend grasped Herman’s arm and palm in a two-handed shake. “Good luck. If there’s war, I’ll join up in spite of my flat feet. They won’t be able to keep me out.” William squeezed his hand hard. “I’ll be thinking of you. Keep in touch.”
“I’ll write.” Herman bolted toward the lobby and the street. The small scrap of paper with Gloria’s lip print floated from the bar counter and settled gently to the floor.
__________
On December 8, 1941, the United States declared war on Japan and two days later, the country was at war with Germany and their treaty ally, Italy, too. Herman found himself classified as an enemy alien again. Yet this time, he was in the army, and he had sworn an oath to serve the United States.
Leave a Reply