Before I die, I will go to Pearl Harbor and pay my respects by visiting the USS Arizona.
I am always haunted by the black and white photo of that ship blowing up with one of the largest fireballs (short of a nuke) that I have ever seen. To realize that thousands lost their lives at that very instant is sobering.
I was also saddened about the lack of coverage of the Dec 7 attack on the news, but eventually you have to expect that the media will let that go (not folks like us though). The same will eventually happen regarding Nov 22 and the Kennedy assassination, etc.
Fate had to intervene so many times that it isn't funny during WWII. We are very fortunate that we are not speaking Japanese or German today (no offense meant to either country). I visited the National Air and Space Museum this month and they had a V2 from 1945 and the best rocket that we had at the time (Corporal I believe) right next to it. We were so far behind the Germans regarding guided missiles that it wasn't funny. They also had a fully restored, mint condition Me-262 on display as well. Amazing technology...
Bring some tissues because visiting the Arizona memorial is an heart wrenching experience...
The 262 was the first operational Jet powered aircraft... but the first pure jet
power flight of an aircraft happened in 1939... Hans von Ohain was granted a
patent for his turbojet engine in 1936 and Ernst Heinkel immediately saw the
advantage even though the piston power fighter was all the rage so married
the turbojet with his He 178 and was the first to fly in 1939... the jet didn't
perform right out of the box better than the piston power fighters of the day
but some saw it as a clear game changer and worth investing in its future...
He 178