Pearl Harbor Day

[Bird]

My wife was watching Fox News this morning and while they were talking about the attack on Pearl Harbor, she said one of the young newsmen made a comment about wondering what people thought when they got up that morning and turned on their TV. Of course, she said he appeared to be about 30 years old. I guess these young folks can't imagine a world without television, but I don't recall ever even seeing a television before 1953 and we got our first one in 1954. My wife says her family got their first TV in 1958. She and I were married in 1964 and got our first color TV in late 1968.

 

[jinman]

Bird, I think you are quite right. Youngsters these days cannot imagine a world without TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, or hundreds of other conveniences. Wikipedia has a history of television. If you scroll down a few pages, it lists when commercial TV broadcasting started in US states and Canada. Texas, for example, had it's first broadcast in 1948, long after Pearl Harbor and the end of WWII.

History of TV

 

[Bird]

Jim, here's another History of TV that says CBS did broadcast news of the attack on Decmber 7 but doesn't say from where, what the coverage was, or how many TVs existed back then. I found some indication that it may have only been in New York City, since the first two licenses were issued in July, 1941, in New York.

 

[JB4310]

Wow that's right Dec 7, 1941, "a date that will live in infamy"
I forgot all about, read the paper and didn't see a single storey about it, watched the news, nothing there ether. nothing on my browser's news briefs, ???, in past years there is at least some mention of it, where's Tom Brokaw. Hope this is not a trend.

Thanks for the reminder Bird.
JB.

 

[Bird]

That's surprising, JB. Fox News has been running stories all morning about it, our local newspapers have stories about it, and my ISP's news page has stories about it.

 

[Sigarms]

Youngsters these days cannot imagine a world without TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, or hundreds of other conveniences.

Funny, my wife and I (were both in our mid 40's) were just commenting on how far cell phones have come.

One of the most worthless classes I took in college (IMO for my "real life" work experience) was also one of the most interesting classes I took, by examining society and how that society "evolves" through technological advances and what effects those advances has on our behavior. Case in point, the dating habits of teenagers (high school) and how those habits changed with both the introduction of the automobile and telephone.

That said, per the topic at hand, the Memorial in Hawaii is a must for any visitor. To see the Arizona laying in the water is hard to put into words when you realize that the ship is the resting place for many of our servicemen.

 

[Sackett2]

Funny, my wife and I (were both in our mid 40's) were just commenting on how far cell phones have come.

One of the most worthless classes I took in college (IMO for my "real life" work experience) was also one of the most interesting classes I took, by examining society and how that society "evolves" through technological advances and what effects those advances has on our behavior. Case in point, the dating habits of teenagers (high school) and how those habits changed with both the introduction of the automobile and telephone.

Saw something to the same effect, showed how the average male, pre-horse era would marry a women within a mile of his birth place, the horse moved it to 20 miles (or so) and farther as travel became easier.

 

[Sackett2]

My wife was watching Fox News this morning and while they were talking about the attack on Pearl Harbor, she said one of the young newsmen made a comment about wondering what people thought when they got up that morning and turned on their TV. Of course, she said he appeared to be about 30 years old. I guess these young folks can't imagine a world without television, but I don't recall ever even seeing a television before 1953 and we got our first one in 1954. My wife says her family got their first TV in 1958. She and I were married in 1964 and got our first color TV in late 1968.

I, being younger than you, cannot recall not having a TV. But I do remember getting our first color (WITH REMOTE!) huge console in 1969. Still only got 3 channels (sucked when the president came on) We still have it, I put a new TV in it in the 90's (that will be obsolete in Feb)
The wife and i were watching the game show network and the question was what came first.

Audio Cassette
Video Cassette
Color Television
Pong video Game system

Took some thinking for me to come up with the correct answer (the wife got it wrong)

 

[mjarrels]

Was at Pearl Harbor many times... we always stood the rails while passing.

mark

 

[LBrown59]

My wife was watching Fox News this morning and while they were talking about the attack on Pearl Harbor, she said one of the young newsmen made a comment about wondering what people thought when they got up that morning and turned on their TV. Of course, she said he appeared to be about 30 years old. I guess these young folks can't imagine a world without television, but I don't recall ever even seeing a television before 1953 and we got our first one in 1954. My wife says her family got their first TV in 1958. She and I were married in 1964 and got our first color TV in late 1968.

My wife and i married on 12/26/64

 

[Bird]

One of the most worthless classes I took in college

I had a couple of college classes in the use of the slide rule. And now I wish I'd kept one of my slide rules.

our first color (WITH REMOTE!) huge console in 1969

When we got married, we didn't have much of anything and I wasn't making much money, so for the first three and a half years, we were assistant managers of a 104 unit apartment complex. The first TV remote I ever saw was when the apartment manager bought a new TV with a remote control. And after a week or two, they sent it back for one without a remote because the telephone ringing, the doorbell ringing, or just dropping a key on the floor would cause the TV to either change channels or turn off.

My wife and i married on 12/26/64

You're not far behind us; we married on 4/28/64.

 

[shvl73]

The first TV remote I ever saw was when the apartment manager bought a new TV with a remote control. And after a week or two, they sent it back for one without a remote because the telephone ringing, the doorbell ringing, or just dropping a key on the floor would cause the TV to either change channels or turn off.

Bird, when I was a little kid, we had an old B/W (Zenith?) that had a mechanical remote, no batteries! It worked well!
Back on topic, I'm a bit dismayed that my local paper had their story about Pearl Harbor on page 11! How sad!
When I lived in Manchester, my neighbor Tim O. was a veteran from WWII, Battle of the Bulge. He didn't speak of his experience much but, one day he opened up. I was in awe. It's hard for many of us (I never served) to imagine what they (and others) went through. I don't think I'll ever forget him.

 

[mjarrels]

My first with color TV was with Johney Quest in the early 60's... lame by new HDTV. Sure loved that jet!

mark

 

[frank_f15]

Bird you are right, most folks today can't remember a time when there was not TV i on the other do remember as i was born in 42 we got our fist Tv about 1952, only 2 station and they were only on for a few hours at different times , many hours with no roadcast so we would go back to the old radio. GOD NOW I REALLY FEEL OLD

 

[Bird]

Bird you are right, most folks today can't remember a time when there was not TV i on the other do remember as i was born in 42 we got our fist Tv about 1952, only 2 station and they were only on for a few hours at different times , many hours with no roadcast so we would go back to the old radio. GOD NOW I REALLY FEEL OLD

You feel old? I'm a couple of years older than you. And even in the early to mid-60s, before we had cable TV and satellite TV, in a city as big as Dallas, all the TV stations played the National Anthem and shut down for the night at midnight. So there was NO TV from midnight to 5 or 6 a.m. How things have changed in the last 40 years or so. In the mid-60s, 7-11 stores meant just that, open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and after that there was only one grocery store open; just one open all night in Dallas. And there was only one drugstore open all night in the whole city. And there was only a couple of service stations open at night. So the only other businesses open in the city was a few small hamburger joints and cafes and at least 4 bowling alleys.

 

[johnk]

I remember the peacock on the TV to set your colors on the first colored TV's and used a slide rule in college that cost over a $100 dollars back then to do your rounded off calculations. Whew... Times have changed. If the power grid goes out that will be like the movie " The Day the earth stood still. " Nobody will be able to function. Scary when kids can't do the basics and depend on technology to solve their problems.. I liked the ole days better...

 

[LBrown59]

i was 1 year old.

 

[RadarTech]

Today comes as bitter sweet to me..
As a former US Marine, December 7 holds a few very special memories..

You see 18 years ago today, I was on Parris Island to graduate as a Marine.
It was a cool and slightly breezy Friday morning.

As I am sure some of you know, for Marines history and upholding the traditions of those that went before is a very big deal.

The morning of graduation was something special, our Senior Drill Instructor reminded us of Pearl Harbor and the traditions that we as Marines must now carry on. He spoke of the uniqueness of graduating on a day so entrenched in the history of our country and our Corps. While it seems so long ago, I can still remember the tone of his voice and the moment of silence before we headed off for graduation. His comments overshadowed the entire graduation for me.

Now I don't know if it was at 7:55 or not as I did not have a watch. But the memory has stayed with me. Ever since then, not a year goes by that the memory of SSgt Hammond stirring motivation of our Platoon fails invoke a few moments of reflection.

Today, I think it is fitting that we all reflect on what we have gained as the result of all those that have served and continue to serve.
In addition to this, just over a week ago I attended the funeral of a WWII Marine. This made this years remembrance a little closer to home.


While I know some may not agree with where the leadership has sent our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines but think of them and their families this Christmas.

Semper Fidelis and God Bless,

J. M.
former SSgt USMC
1990-99

 

[toy]

I have several family members in the military now, I think they have all been in Iraq several times , and at least two of the have also been in Afganistan, one of them has been in every conflict that we have had for the last 20 years. Two of my brothers was in Vietnam and I lost two friends over there. My dad and several uncles and my father in law were in ww11. One of my uncles was shot and parralized during that war. One of my uncles fought in new guinnea, he died this year he was a great man. I was talking to my father in law today and he told me that when Pearl Harbor was bombed he was at the movies when they came in and told them what had happened. He said that when he left the movies he went out and bought a newspaper that told about the bombing and that he still has that paper. My dad was wounded in that war. I am glad that we are remembering our soldiers past and present, they are worth our honor and praise. I remember our first tv, it was in the fifties, it was black and white, and it had a voice activated remote control. It took three of us to work the remote control system. One would watch the tv, one would stand in the doorway, and one would be outside. The one watching the tv would be hollering keep a turning it keep turning it, wait, back up a little, no keep a going, the one in the doorway would relay those messages in real delayed time efficiency and the one outside would be turning the antenna, and that was our voice activated remote control. We could only partially get 2 channels but I believe that we had better tv cable service then than we do now, well at least I remember that service better and more fondly than I do the service we get now.