As we observe and commemorate the 71st anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, it is appropriate that we pause to remember the extraordinary transformation that swept across this nation as a result of the attack on Oahu and America’s entry into World War II.

The America of 1941 was far different than the one we know today. Certainly that is not a statement of criticism but an acknowledgement of the accelerated dramatic changes of the social, political and economic fabric of American society.

The Great Depression dampened hopes and dreams of young Americans that sought new opportunities and jobs. Nearly 300,000 young men in 1933 joined the Civilian Conservation Corps. Sensing adventure, travel and pay to support their families, they enlisted in this "New Deal" experiment. Others attempted to enlist in the military but selection was difficult because the Army and Navy had reduced their needs with the shrinkage of military forces during those difficult years. But by 1940, the war had broken out in China and Europe. The Japanese had engaged China in all-out war and the Nazi forces from Germany were devouring the countries of Europe. America declared its neutrality but President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew that time was running out, stating: "This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny."

In an effort to prepare America for the possibility of hostilities, a draft bill was passed by Congress in 1940 under the title of the Selective Service Act. It required 16 million young men to register with their local draft boards. The president was aware that U.S forces numbered only 174,000 military personnel. The U.S. was ranked 19th on the list of military forces, just behind Portugal and Romania. The National Guard was nationalized, raising the force level to 400,000. Young men across the country anxiously opened their mailbox for the letter of "Greetings," notification to report for induction. In this early phase of mobilization, very few women or African-Americans were allowed to participate, but that would change dramatically in the next 12 months.

AS these young men filed into their basic training camps an alarming awareness of ethnic and regional diversity fell upon them. Most of these new recruits were from farms; most had never traveled beyond the county line; and most were homesick. In the first few weeks of rigorous training, their innocence was being stripped away. There was no privacy.

Their lives now swirled about them as drill instructors broke them down to reshape them into fine tuned instruments of war, a war seemingly just over the horizon.

In December 1941, the gathering storm of war turned into a storm unleashed upon Oahu. For the men and women serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, the attack on Pearl Harbor was a watershed moment in their lives. More than a change in America’s status from peace to armed conflict; it was a sudden shift from youthful innocence and dreams of adventure, to a searing awareness of the cost and consequences of war. Heroically, they did not back down.

For those of diverse ethnicities, the war offered the opportunity to fight for a freedom denied, and in one particular case, for a freedom taken. In an era of racial discrimination, African-Americans enlisted and were drafted into the service of their country. At Pearl Harbor, a young Navy mess attendant named Doris Miller distinguished himself under fire and received the Navy Cross — the first African-American to be awarded that medal.

For Japanese-Americans, the momentum of national concern about their loyalty to America was under suspicion. It had descended upon them like an angry cloud in the days following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In February 1942, Executive Order 9066 was used to exclude all people of Japanese descent from the West Coast. By May, the War Relocation Authority would bring about the establishment of 10 relocation centers that would eventually house more than 100,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry.

In Hawaii, nearly 1,800 were interned; approximately 62 percent were American citizens. The Army floated a questionnaire seeking volunteers among the mainland internees and Japanese-Americans in Hawaii.

In an oral history interview, U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, Medal of Honor recipient and a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, recalled: "Back then we had to prove to our neighbors that we were good Americans. Today’s generation may not agree with us, but at that time we felt that if need be, we must spill some blood to demonstrate this (loyalty). So we insisted that we be given the opportunity to fight."

HAWAII’S non-combatants also felt the sting of war from the beginning. Young men and women who worked at Pearl Harbor and the airbases and Army posts were under fire from the outset of the attack. Friendly fire rained down on Honolulu and its young citizens. Of the 49 civilians who died that day, more than half were under age 30. The wounded? Seventy years later we have no accurate accounting.

Innocence eroded among the young of Oahu. They began to realize the effects of a war brought to their doorstep. Everyday life in Hawaii had changed, and so had its people.

As Gwenfread Allen wrote in "In Hawaii’s War Years": After V-J Day, the barbed wire, gas alarms and first aid signs vanished overnight … Social changes which had been slowly developing for many years before were pushed ahead a generation. Racial, cultural and economic barriers were lowered and a middle class emerged. As the war progressed, islanders with previous mainland contacts became conscious for the first time of the vastness of the United States. …War’s aviation expansion brought Hawaii closer to the mainland and the islands closer to one another. … The influx of service personnel and war workers gave many Orientals, especially in rural districts, the first opportunity to meet Caucasians socially."

Many of the military personnel stationed at Pearl Harbor and the airfields at Hickam, Ewa, Bellows, Wheeler, Kaneohe and the Army posts at Schofield Barracks and Fort Shafter were young and inexperienced. Yet they fought back with indomitable courage. Their dedication to the nation to defend it against all odds was born that day on Dec. 7, 1941. The war in the Pacific left an indelible mark on them, by what they had seen, heard, felt and done. The crucible of war had enabled many to elevate themselves to achieve great deeds of heroism in the service of their country.

After the war, they celebrated momentarily and moved on with lives. Many went on to college, started businesses or raised families. Simply stated, they began to rebuild lives that had been interrupted by the war.

They have left us an enduring legacy that is embodied in the valor they displayed and the innocence they lost. They truly were the greatest generation of the 20th century.

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Editor’s note: This is an abridged version of the foreword for last Friday’s official Dec 7 program, "Remembrance," held at Pearl Harbor.