I've posted this before so forgive me if you've heard it.
Dad grew up during the Great Depression in Wortham (we called it Worthless) TX, south of Dallas. As a teen he worked on road crews repairing highways. He would see planes flying above headed for Dallas airport & dream of being a pilot & seeing the world. His goal was to go to college, join the Navy & be a Navy pilot. He was able to go to a small college in San Antonio on a football scholarship but didn't graduate (I don't know why). So he enlisted in Navy with hopes of applying for Officer Candidate School after basic training. He applied but was turned down. Then he first assignment as a seaman was on an anti-aircraft gun crew aboard the battleship Maryland. He landed in Oahu Saturday 12/6 & the next morning the Japanese attached.
As the Navy brass was planning their war strategy they realized they would need more pilots so they decided to review the OCS applicants that had been denied entry but were close. As a result my Dad got into OCS & later went onto a 30 year career as a Navy pilot, fulfilling his dream.
He never talked about WWII much but told me this story on hot summer afternoon when we were fishing on the Chesapeake & the fish weren't biting. I had asked him why he was so complimentary & admiring of the Japanese when he had fought them. This is when I was a teenager in need of direction & moral guidance. He paused for a minute & then replied "I owe them a lot." He went on to say two things: "Forgive your enemies, life is too short to harbor hatred" and "Never give up on your dreams".
So thanks Dad for all you & your comrades did for me & the rest of our country.