A day that still lives in infamy

Franklin Delano Roosevelt's address to Congress on Dec. 8, 1941, in the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7 -- his "day of infamy" speech -- is among the most iconic messages ever delivered by an American leader.

But FDR was not the first Roosevelt to speak to the nation about the events of that tragic day.

On the evening of the attack, FDR's wife, Eleanor, was preparing for her weekly Sunday evening radio address when she learned of the attack. This is part of what she said that evening:

"By tomorrow morning, the members of Congress will have a full report and be ready for action. In the meantime, we, the people, are already prepared for action. For months now the knowledge that something of this kind might happen has been hanging over our heads and yet it seemed impossible to believe, impossible to drop the everyday things of life and feel that there was only one thing which was important, and preparation to meet an enemy, no matter where he struck.

That is all over now and there is no uncertainty. We know what we have to face and we know that we are ready to face it."

Eleanor Roosevelt's confident tone was optimistic, at best.

Prior to the Japanese attack, the U.S. was in no mood to join what many viewed as a European war, with Germany marching across the continent. There was no U.S. war machine.

That changed after the Japanese killed 2,400 Americans and destroyed or damaged 21 Navy ships at Pearl Harbor.

Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto foresaw the future when he said, "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."

Indeed, that is what the attack did.

The U.S. entered World War II on the Allied side, joining Great Britain, France, Russia and others to defeat the Axis powers.

That great war fundamentally changed the world beyond the unimaginable death and destruction of its battles across Europe, Asia, Africa and in the world's oceans.

The U.S. emerged from World War II as a superpower, and the massive production capacity that had propelled armies and navies to victory then turned to civilian industry and fueled economic growth on a scale never before seen.

After the war, the U.S. funded the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe. This generous move not only lessened post-war resentments but also provided markets for U.S. goods. Europe remains an important trading partner.

The horrors of World War II led to a generation of peace, and the world has not seen such a war between major powers since. Today, Germany, Japan and Italy are among our nation's closest allies.

But none of those things were certain on Dec. 7, 1941.

When we mark Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we not only honor those who died there but also those who followed on battlefields across Europe and on the seas. Their sacrifice altered the course of history.

At 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, members of the local Joint Veterans Council will hold a ceremony to mark the occasion by tossing a wreath into the Mississippi River. The event will be at the riverfront flood gate at the end of Broadway.