Today I asked my father-in-law, now a 90 year old disabled WWII Vet, to describe where he was and what he remembers. Like most people who lived through it he remembers exactly the circumstances of hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor. What he remembers most is the solemn expression on his own father's face. "I knew this was coming," he said. My father in law enlisted as soon as he was old enough to get in.
My own dad was already an Army Air Corps pilot by December 7, 1941. He is long gone now but of course had vivid memories. The Army sent his unit to Alaska when the Japanese invaded and he spent the war years in the frozen north. Luckily for me, who probably would not be here if Dad had seen the combat he wanted.
The aircraft carrier Hornet is a floating museum here in Alameda, at the former Naval Air Station, and is a central component of Alameda life and culture. Many events are hosted there, there is an aircraft museum on the flight deck and in the hanger bays, and one can get a good idea of the life of WWII sailors. There was a special program with WWII vets speaking today, including a double-ace who shot down both Japanese and German aircraft. The traditions of Naval Aviation are strong here. Doolittle's Raiders sailed out of Alameda under cover of darkness in early 1942 on their way to Tokyo.