We are currently watching Holocaust-level denial occurring in real time in our colleges and universities, so it is a legitimate concern that history, and the significance of what happened at Pearl Harbor, could easily be lost. Soon enough, it will be lost as a living memory. Without active instruction, it will be lost to time, only preserved in museums for those who care to look.

So, how do we fix this? First of all, we adults must be educated. What do you know about Pearl Harbor? How much do you know about it? If a high school student came to you and said, “tell me what you know about December 7, 1941, and the attack on Pearl Harbor,” would you be able to give a semi-cohesive overview of what happened? Or would you quickly be turning to Google and YouTube to supply answers? A Hollywood movie is a start, but never enough. The work begins with us, the adults. In this day and age, with the wealth of information available to us – literally in our pockets – it means reading books, it means watching history videos and documentaries, it means going back to the source material and newsreels.

But it also means going there, if at all possible. Go to Pearl Harbor. It means making the effort to go, and taking the next generation with you.

[After watching people insist on disarming the victims of repeated sneak attacks — Israel — I’d say the kids don’t know much and most the adults aren’t much better. That was my point earlier today. — Ed]