Pearl Harbor - Your Point of View is Important

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

Recently, I had the opportunity to revisit Pearl Harbor. It had been some sixteen years since I was last there and very little has changed. It is a well-maintained memorial to our fallen heroes and the tragedy that occurred there on December 7^th, 1941 at 7:55 AM. I will tell you it seems to me each time I have visited I have come away with a different perspective of the tragedy. I discovered I wasn’t the only one.  

Visiting the book shop there I was overwhelmed by the great number of books about the event. Bookshelves full of books stand in place covering a large portion of the gift shop. Judging by their titles, each approaches the event from a different viewpoint. Most cover the actual attack. Being able to look back on it and the additional knowledge gathered over the years provides the writers of today with an insight many did not have. The shock of such an attack happening on US soil overwhelmed many and made it hard to be objective early on. Many have taken a second look, see more and can deal with more of the stories.

One book I found great interest in was one written by Rodney T. West, MD. Honolulu Prepares for Japan’s Attack, May 15, 1940 to December 8, 1941. I had the good fortune of meeting Dr. West in 2003. He was doing what writers do, signing his book at the Memorial site, and taking time to speak with each of us. Dr. West had served on several committees preparing for the possibility of such an attack. He shared with me even with all the preparation, they were overwhelmed. He said he could not imagine how things would have gone without the preparation and planning they had in place. Dr West’s title of his book gives a definite timeline.  

Preparation was some 18 months but on December 8^th it was over. It then became time to recover and rebuild. Dr West died in March of 2008. Well known on the island for his service to the community as a veteran and MD he had one other note of fame prior to death. During the Obama Presidential Campaign his name was brought to light as the Dr who delivered Barack Obama. Dr West touched history a second time. The conspiracy continues to be debated.

I hope writers when writing about a known event realize there are many  different viewpoints. Many are different. If you think yours is important, most likely it is important to others. Don’t hesitate to share it with us all.

Unforgettable Moments

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

Do you remember where you were when you heard of the assassination of President Kennedy? November 22^nd, 2013 marked the 50^th year since his death. Many of you were too young to remember. Those of us that do remember that day remember it clearly. For another generation the same impression was made with the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7^th, 1941 and yet another generation the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. Those moments are unforgettable.   

Unforgettable moments tend to stick in our minds. We think back on them and can remember clearly where we were, who we were with, how we felt and the sudden impact on our lives. Those events mentioned above are moments shared by millions of people around the world but were experienced individually.   

The same is true for other events we hold near and dear to our hearts. The many “first” in our lives can be unforgettable. The circumstances surrounding your first bike, first car or first home can be extraordinary. 

Your first kiss, first love, first child, first grandchild is an enduring memory. Your personal success in your education, job or career is significant as well. All these things seem to be personal but we must remember these events, just as the great disasters of our time, are also unforgettable moments shared by millions of others like us. It connects us all.

It is true not everyone has the same experience but we all do have a common experience. Just as the great disasters touched each of us collectively it also touched us personally. Each personal experience has its own story unlike any other. Sharing those moments can touch others because they are connected by the common experience and understand how others could feel as they do. As writers we must realize these unforgettable moments are great connectors to our reader. Don’t hesitate to use them. As I was writing this I received a text from an associate announcing the birth of his first child, a son. You see, your numbers to share with are expanding every day.