Being a history buff means that I take a great deal of interest in world events, the impact they left, and how they influenced the world I grew up in. As it pertains to this blog, the events and topics I write about are not necessarily world-changing or paradigm-shifting, but they've had some sort of impact on someone's life, at some point in history. As I write about junk food reviews, I think back to "iconic" foods from decades past, such as McDonald's McDLT or the pizza they had in the 80's, and I want my little corner of the internet here to stand in remembrance of things like The Travis Scott combo or the Chocolatey Payday bar. It's not life-altering history, but it's a bit of nostalgia. As I write about thrift store golf clubs, it's coming from a point where someone before me loved and enjoyed the clubs; part of the mystery is wondering which courses the clubs played on: Had they played on my favorite West Michigan courses? Had they travelled abroad, and played big-name courses like Torrey Pines, Pebble Beach, or Bethpage? When I've written This Day In History articles, it showcases a peek into average daily life in Holland. When I've written about the 1918 Spanish Influenza, it's given me valuable insight into the current, ongoing CoViD-19 pandemic.
There are some events in history that are so world-shaking that they have direct impacts on daily life, decades after they've happened. As I listened to the most recent episodes of Dan Carlin's Hardcore History podcasts about World War 2 in the Pacific Theatre, I was honestly moved to tears. My grandfather served in the Navy, in the Pacific, during WWII, and sadly, never got to talk to him about his experience - I'd have been barely old enough to comprehend and understand anything he talked about, as he died when I was 11. But, he never spoke about his experience to anyone. Carlin's podcast put a lot of things into perspective, and gave me a glimpse of what my grandfather might have experienced during his time in the Service. But, there's a pretty direct line to be drawn from my Grandfather's service in the Navy, to him meeting my Grandma, to me being here today.
Pertaining to the Holland City News archive (cited below), there was no grandiose headline, no bold print, not even any pictures of Pearl Harbor in the December 11, 1941 issue. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, of course, occurring on the "date which will live in infamy," Sunday, December 7, 1941. What was highlighted, though, was volunteering, calls to service, and requests for support from local civilians:
The front page makes note of "Special Precautions Are Taken Here As War Opens," talks about a few local boys who'd already enlisted, the special requirements of the Coast Guard in the Great Lakes as resources were sure to be siphoned off for Naval efforts, and a Naval Drive for enlistment.
The second page highlights a local Army Air Corps reservist who'd taken on a new assignment as an instructor, and the third page touches more on Navy recruitment efforts by writing about a Kiwanis Club meeting held at the Warm Friend Tavern. Page Three has the largest piece of information about the Navy, in the form of a large recruitment ad in the bottom right corner.
It isn't until Page Six that we get a profile on nine Holland residents in the Navy, including Radioman Frank Varano - who was actually at Pearl Harbor during the attack. This section is where the Holland City News comes to life, and starts talking about how great the citizens are, and they exude an uncharacteristic amount of pride in the article.
I'd encourage any of my readers to take a look at the Holland City News archive cited below and take in a historical view of what our fathers and grandfathers experienced.
Works cited:
Carlin, Dan, narrator. "Supernova In The East." Hardcore History. 2018-2020. https://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-history-series/
Holland City News, "Holland City News, Volume 70, Number 50: December 11, 1941" (1941). Holland City News: 1941. 49. https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/hcn_1941/49
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