Student Reactions:

What does Pearl Harbor mean to you?

“I feel like it doesn’t affect me today. There isn’t anything that would really remind us other then the actual day it happened on. My experience differs from others because I never had family who took part in it.”
—Austin Fernandes, senior
“Well, I’ve been to Hawaii, but not the Arizona memorial, and it’s weird how peaceful it is there. In a lot of ways that’s kinda what Pearl Harbor represents, right? The contrast between the pure violence and calcified hatred of that morning in 1941 and today’s world, where Japan is one of our greatest allies, and Hawaii is a beautiful state. I guess that’s what Pearl Harbor means to me — the violence of the past contrasted with the opportunities of today.”
—Ian Gibbs, senior
“It was the site of a surprise Japanese attack on America. As an American, any such attack targeting American soil is infuriating. the attack on Pearl Harbor is especially so because it was without warning, in the midst of discussion. It was Pearl Harbor that led the nation to decide to enter WWII. I would demand justice against Japan, but I feel that they have already paid their dues for that attack, considering the aftermath of WWII.”
—Joseph Gu, senior
“…Pearl Harbor as a place is probably pretty nice. But as for the attack on Pearl Harbor and taking the time to recognize it, I’m all for it. I have a lot of respect for anyone in the military and who is willing to fight for our country, and I think it’s awesome of America to take the time to recognize it. The day itself is kind of like a second Veterans’ day, which I think is cool, because they deserve all the respect in the world. It doesn’t “mean” much to me, personally. It doesn’t particularly affect me past the fact that I take the time to pay my respects to those who lost their lives.”
—Elizabeth King, senior
“I just think about a lot of death and destruction. I think that even though people may not think about it every day, it’s still a part of what made American history, and people are aware of that.”
—Emma Robinson, senior
“It’s a really devastating event in America’s history. To me, it’s an attack that killed thousands of people, and that in itself is something that can’t be forgotten, even if we weren’t alive to see it.”
—Katy Shi, junior
“I guess what Pearl Harbor means to me is that it was a turning point in American history; it was a shock to many when it provoked us into WWII. My great-grandfather served as a construction engineer and built things for the Navy during the war in the Pacific against the Japanese.”
—Caleb Schrier, senior
“I think it’s a symbol of how united we really are as a nation. We really came together after Pearl Harbor, and we ended up winning the war. I think that how we act in the face of disasters like that is what shows our true spirit as Americans.”
—Corie Wilhite, senior
Interviews by Raj Satpathy