On a clear tropical dawn in Oahu 78 years ago, America suffered a grievous attack by a fascist enemy without warning all the while as they were negotiating to keep the peace. An brazen attack without honor.

It did not succeed.

Although it hurt and many of the Brave were lost that day and our Pacific Fleet was woefully damaged, and at that moment we were plunged into a World War which we tried to avoid, but by a stroke of Providence, all of our aircraft carriers were at sea and remained unscathed. They became the platform to rebuild the Navy around and the next innovation in naval warfare.

Evil never sleeps. Not at Pearl Harbor, Verdun, the Ardennes, the Chosin Reservoir, Auschwitz, Nanking or south Manhattan and countless places and times in the history of Mankind. In the blink of an eye, the world changes and we must always be vigilant and prepared to guard what is good. To protect those we love who would be subjugated by hate and greed and for that, we need to call on God Almighty.

William Whiting penned these words, the refrain of the Navy Hymn,

“O hear us when we cry to thee, for those in peril on the sea.”

O God may you hear us and uphold us as we prepare to protect those we love and our way of life and may we bring glory to you as we go forth.

December 7th is a day to reflect on such things. Keep this in mind as you get about your day and make it great, because the world can change in moment as it did on this day that will live in infamy.