Pearl Harbor: as told by Norma Lufkin Burke

**

Below is an excerpt taken from my Great Grandmother,
Alice Ann Heaps Lufkin's
Life Story, 

as written by her children back in the 1980's.
I thought it would be appropriate to share on this
Sunday, December 7th, 2014.
**

(Norma Lufkin Burke in 1940 - holding Marlin)

Norma has written up a report on World War II years to give future generations a glimpse of what we faced as a family and how Mother viewed it and her concern.

The morning of December 7, 1941, President Roosevelt announced over the radio that Japanese war planes had attacked Manila in the Philippines and Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack came out of the sky above the still sleeping city of Honolulu about 8:00 A.M. on a beautiful Sunday morning. In the United States it was early afternoon and a million Americans were glued to the radio sets listening (no T.V. sets then) to their favorite football games, then suddenly the dramatic announcement that America’s principal Naval Base had been virtually destroyed by the Japanese. Pearl Harbor had been the home of the largest and greatest Navy in the world. Many Americans did not know where Pearl Harbor was located, some thought it was in China.

President Roosevelt later addressed the American people and called December 7^th a day that will live in infamy.

America was completely caught off guard. 2,330 Americans were killed and 1,145 wounded. It was the most humiliating defeat ever suffered by American Forces. Japan had won the most smashing victory ever achieved at the start of Modern War.

The attack had tremendous consequences. The European War instantly became a global conflict and the immense resources of the United States were now thrown against Germany and Japan. All America was alerted and every man of eligible age was ordered into uniform. History tells that the first five months for the United States seemed to be a losing battle, but a Japanese General was heard to remark that they feared they had awakened a “Sleeping Giant”.

At the time of the attack peace talks were being made in Washington, D.C. No declaration of war had been made, yet in the final summation the calculated treachery did not pay. The war ended in crushing defeat for those who started it. Just 1,364 days after it began it ended on the deck of a United States Battleship, “The Missouri”, not in Pearl Harbor but in “Tokyo Bay”. Terms of the surrender were signed September 2, 1945 by Admiral C. W. Nimitz who represented the United States.

On the home front December 7, 1941, a number of the family had gathered at Mother’s home. The womenfolk and children were left to visit while the men went to Mud Lake on a rabbit hunt. Gene, Ryland and Ellwood Lufkin were in the group, also brothers-in-law Bill Price, Dean Hanni and LaMar Burke. It was late evening when they returned. The women had later congregated at the home of Maxine and Dean Hanni, who were living in Annis where the home of Ellwood and Wanda Lufkin is now located. The men returned after an enjoyable day, to some anxious and upset women, only to hear the news of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

The war continued to be of great concern to Mother. Two of her grandsons, Blaine and Dean Rose, their son-in-law Clarence Barney, husband of Edith Rose and two nephews, Lawrence and Douglas Lufkin, sons of Quill and Maggie Lufkin were just the right age to be called into the service. Blaine served in the Pacific Theatre under the command of General Douglas McArthur and Dean in the European Theatre under the command of General George Patton, commonly known as “Blood and Guts” Patton (their blood and his guts) and General Omar Bradley. Clarence Barney also served in the European Theatre (we’re not sure about the command).

Lawrence saw action in New Guinea and the Philippines with the 11^th Airborne Division. Plans were made to invade Japan, had not the atom bomb been dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Douglas was too young to serve when the war started, but enlisted in the Navy about one year before it ended. He served or saw action at Okinawa and the Pacific Islands and was sent to Japan after the atomic bombs had been dropped.  

Mother grieved a great deal over these young men, they were her constant concern. Much to our  

sorrow, she passed away on July 28, 1945, just one month before the unconditional surrender of Japan.

America rallied to the cause. Thousands of acts of patriotism have been recorded and thousands more have gone unmentioned. I never tire of hearing of the bravery and courage shown in all areas.

Rationing books were issued and many important items such as gas, sugar, butter, shortening, sheets, canvas, denim overalls or anything needed for the war effort, we were called on to sacrifice. The hardest part of all was seeing choice young men called to serve their country, not knowing whether they would come back.

The dropping of the atomic bomb was a terrible decision for President Truman to make, but as Mrs. Truman stated, “Harry always placed high value on the life of a single American boy. If the war with Japan had been allowed to continue it would have claimed the lives of at least a million American soldiers and many more would have been maimed for life. It is difficult to calculate the number of Japanese lives that would have been lost, as many or more, undoubtedly as there were civilians that died at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Even though it is hard to look at it this way, the atom bomb was the lesser weapon.”