Pearl Harbor anniversary shows global threats still exist today

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The United States marked Pearl Harbor’s 83rd anniversary on Saturday amid global uncertainty, where established adversaries crumble while new threats emerge.

The landscape of international relations continues to shift dramatically, much like it did in 1941, bringing both promising developments and concerning challenges.

.#PearlHarborRemembranceDay
Most likely none of us were alive 83 years ago when our Pacific Fleet faced devastation at Pearl Harbor.
Today we remember the courage, bravery, and ultimately the sacrifice of so many on that day and in the years to come.
Listen to the words of FDR! pic.twitter.com/vCKN3QeKr1

— 🌴♥️🇺🇸Dixie ♥️s America & Trump🇺🇸♥️🌴 (@DixiDarlen) December 7, 2024

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As the day unfolded, reports indicated the collapse of Iran-backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government, with opposition forces moving toward Damascus – an unexpected turn of events that few anticipated mere weeks ago.

Yet this development brings its own complications, as the advancing rebels include groups hostile to American interests, such as Al Qaeda and ISIS, creating uncertainty about Syria’s future trajectory.

This transition could either pave the way for Middle Eastern peace or spark new conflicts.

Like the clear-cut adversaries of World War II, the morning of December 7, 1941, held its own uncertainties.

Bob Fernandez, one of the attack’s few remaining survivors, recounted the fateful day:

“We lost a lot of good people, you know. They didn’t do nothing,” Fernandez said. “But we never know what’s going to happen in a war.”

Serving as a mess cook aboard the USS Curtiss that morning, Fernandez witnessed the attack firsthand. After spotting a Japanese aircraft through a porthole, he rushed to assist with ammunition distribution. His ship successfully shot down two enemy planes, though one crashed into their crane and another exploded on their deck, resulting in 21 casualties and nearly 60 injuries.

That night, exhausted from clearing debris and standing guard, Fernandez unknowingly fell asleep near the fallen sailors until a shipmate woke him.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “day that will live in infamy” remains a significant moment for Americans to honor, remember, and appreciate those who defended freedom’s cause.