On December 8, 1941, President Roosevelt spoke these historic words “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live infamy -the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan”

2,403 citizens (including 2,335 US Soldiers) of the United States were killed on December 7, 1941. In order to put things in perspective the United States lost 2,345 soldiers in Afghanistan from 2001 through September 17, 2014.  That is nearly 13 years.  Please do not misunderstand me any loss of life is horrible, but we lost more lives in one day of World War II (when we weren’t in the war) than 13 years of the Afghanistan conflict.

So I ask you all today to please take a moment of silence to remember those lost that day and if you should happen to see a World War II Vet please say thank you.

I hold a special place in my heart for World War II Vets especially those that fought in Europe. You see my parents were born in Germany in 1935.  After Germany lost in 1945, Germany had struggles rebuilding their country.  By 1955 my father decided he wanted to leave and go to America and start a new life for himself and see if he could get a piece of that American Dream.  My mother other the other had an opportunity to visit for three years family who migrated in the 20s.  My parents met in 1956 while attending a class on how to speak English at St Francis Assisi Church in what was then called Astoria NY (Now East Elmhurst) and married on June 15, 1957 and remained married until my father’s passing in 2003.

If the American and Allied forces who won European Freedom had lost, my parents probably would not have come to America, never married and I would be here.

So from me to all the WWII Vets THANK YOU!!