Americans know the story of Pearl Harbor well; at least, we know the story from the moment planes showed up in the skies over Oahu. But many of us don't know the decades-long, building pressure that compelled the Japanese to attack. We also sometimes forget how those pressures and decisions affect real-life human beings. One of those affected was a neighbor living down the street from me when I was fifteen. When I found out Glen Peterson had survived the attack at Pearl Harbor, I excitedly asked him to share the story with me. The conversation I had with him changed my life forever, and I've never looked at Pearl Harbor, World War II, or any history in the same way since.
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| Glen Peterson |
