The island of Oahu is truly paradise. The warm breezes blow in from the northeast and are blocked by the mountains. On the north shore, these trade winds whip up the big waves the surfer's love. These same wet winds bring in the lingering clouds and rain. To the south and west, you will find the magical beach know as Waikiki. Just a short drive from the sun-soaked tourist you will find a lump in your throat, Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor is a working naval base just as it was back in 1941. In addition to being a place where our nation's Navy strives to protect us from evil doers around the world, Pearl Harbor also stands as a silent memorial to this day in 1941. A quiet Sunday morning that erupted into a hellish nightmare of smoke, fire, death, and destruction and catapulted our nation into World War II.

In February of 2012, I had the honor of visiting Pearl Harbor. There is an eerie quiet that consumes you the moment you step off the bus and walk through the gates. Gone is the laughing and horseplay of a family on vacation. Instead, there is a quiet respect for those whose final resting place is this hallowed ground.

The day we toured Pearl Harbor the water was too rough for us to be ferried out to the Arizona Memorial. Instead, I watched from a distance and thought about the events of so very long ago and how those events shaped the very world in which we all walk today. Walk with me now to a place that lives in infamy because of what happened on this day in 1941.

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