Reply #4: It's a possibility. . . [View All]

[Journeyman]

for years, a friend's mother would get all twisted out of mind on the anniversary of Pearl. Her husband was in the Navy on that day, but here in the States on leave. My friend told me his parents saw film reports of the attack, saw some of their friends running and the explosion that probably killed them. She was never the same again, though her husband passed through the war without visible wounds.

I'd say your grandfather is definitely over 75, especially if he spent time at sea during the war after graduation from Anapolis. For those who fought, even though they may not have been at Pearl or had any direct connection to it, their experiences in the War could be made more vivid when the Pearl anniversary rolls around. For my Dad, there were other anniversaries that brought back the horror. For him, though his physical wounds scarred over his mental problems never lessened. He challenged the demons in his mind daily, and they contributed greatly to his early grave.

I wish your Grandfather -- and you -- nothing but peace.