It was a sunny morning in America as Americans began their day. Without warning, an enemy appeared in the skies, taking our nation by surprise. Using aircraft as weapons, this enemy rained chaos, death, and destruction on those below. By the end of the morning, thousands of Americans were dead or injured, and America was thrust into a war with an enemy willing to sacrifice themselves in the name of their false god.
The date was December 7, 1941.
The place was Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USA.
The enemy was the Empire of Japan.
Their false god was their emperor, Hirohito.
On December 8, President Roosevelt addressed a stunned, angry, and grieving nation…
As he closed his address, President Roosevelt uttered these immortal words…
With confidence in our armed forces,
With the unbounding determination of our people,
We will gain the inevitable triumph
So help us God.
President Roosevelt understood the gravity of the attack, and what it meant to our nation, its people, and its armed forces. He understood the brutality of the enemy we were facing. However, he also understood the strength, resilience, and determination of the American people. He understood that, as President of the United States, it was a grave decision to send more brave men and women into harm’s way, yet if war was to be thrust upon us, it was our duty to answer the call, take up arms, identify the enemy, and take the battle to them.
Today, we honor the brave men and women of our armed forces, and remember their courage and sacrifice on that fateful December morning.
Today, we say thank you to the Americans who answered the call of freedom, those who indeed are “The Greatest Generation“, and pray that we will look to your example, and learn from the lessons of the past as we face a future filled with both peril and promise.
We pray that God will continue to bless you and keep you, during this Christmas season and beyond. May the light of freedom that you fought to protect never be extinguished on our watch.
Merry Christmas, and may God bless America.
The Heart of Abba - Ron Phillips 