Today is the 73rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. I was going to write about the 800s, the next stop on my “Wonderful World of Dewey” tour, but I felt it was more important to acknowledge the incredible sacrifices made by the veterans of World War II. I’ll return to the Dewey tour next week where you’ll find out why I think the 800s are the best (and most important) call number area in the entire collection. Yes, you read that right: the entire collection. Also, I’ll reveal how the 800s play such an important role in the fiction collection (consider this a bit of a teaser: if reading about Dewey call numbers causes a great sense of anticipation, the 800s are a whopper!).
I’ve been following the story of the four remaining survivors from the USS Arizona, the Pennsylvania-class battleship that was bombed and sunk in Pearl Harbor with 1,177 souls aboard. Nine men who served on the USS Arizona survived the tragedy; now, seven decades later, four are all that remain. The survivors meet in Pearl Harbor every December to reminisce and to toast their fallen comrades. Although the USS Arizona Reunion Association has declared this year to be the last official reunion, Louis Conter, one of the four survivors, is quoted as saying, “I don’t think this is going to be our last … We’ve still got time to go.”
We’ve still got time to go … This statement brings home the fact that more and more WWII veterans are leaving us every year; but their sacrifices, and their stories, should never be forgotten. Fortunately, much has been documented about the events of World War II, including the grievous attack on Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941, the “date which will live in infamy,” as so famously proclaimed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The library’s collection contains many titles related to the Pearl Harbor attack. I chose today’s title, “Pacific Payback: The Carrier Aviators Who Avenged Pearl Harbor at the Battle of Midway,” mainly because it is newly published. Offering a unique look at the dive-bombing crews from the USS Enterprise, the book captures the grit, determination, and heroism these men displayed from the time of the Pearl Harbor attack to the harrowing Battle of Midway, resulting in a hard-fought victory for the United States and its Allied forces.
