ASSOCIATED PRESS
The battleship USS Arizona belches smoke as it topples over during a Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
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As the fighting on Dec. 7, 1941, went on, children witnessed the attack by themselves, without radio or telephone, frightened by the planes firing their guns. Yes, the children in Aiea Heights were told to hide in cane fields. But the ones in Kunia, with neighbors a mile away, just stood frightened and watched from inside their homes, knowing not what to do.
Some of us were outside and saw the planes fly by with the pilots waving at us. Some of our neighbors died from shrapnel wounds. There was no counseling or discussion with parents. No support system existed. Our schools were closed, our elder brothers joined the Army. Martial law set in. It strengthened our love for our country. The Pledge of Allegiance and our flag were highly respected.
Ileina Elaine Funakoshi
Pearl City
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