DECEMBER 7, 1943: 70 YEARS LATER

December 7, 1941

As AC, my brother-in-law, was organizing family photos today he saw a date scribbled on the back of this one--70 years ago today. Pearl Harbor Day. Stunned, he called my dad to get more information.

My 90 year-old father recalled, "I was working in Peoria (IL) and Russell was at Western Illinois University in Macomb. Lawrence was 10. I took the bus down there (Bowen, IL) and we had the picture taken on a Sunday afternoon. It wasn't until I returned to Peoria and my roommate said, 'We're almost at war.' that I learned about Pearl Harbor. It's funny that you called because I was just thinking about that photo this morning."

That's my 20 year-old dad--upper left--and 18 year-old Russell next to him. In front on the left is my grandma--Dessie Linita Todd Jacobs--with Lawrence, and grandpa--Oren Lester Jacobs.