On 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, Berks historians speak of the day’s impact

Though there are no longer any veterans of the Pearl Harbor attack left in Berks County, it’s still important to commemorate that infamous day from 80 years ago Tuesday, as it changed the nation and the world forever, local historians say.

And the Dec. 7, 1941, surprise attack in Hawaii should be remembered not only for leading the United States into World War II, but also for the many American service members who paid the ultimate price that day, Berks veterans director Ken Lebron said.

“The recognition of and the remembrance of Pearl Harbor Day and the attacks on this country on that fateful day are important because it is, yet again, another example of and testament to the might and resolve of America and its citizens,” he said.

“The attacks on Pearl Harbor inspired this nation and motivated the American people to wholeheartedly commit to the victory in the Second World War, ” he said. “As Americans we will never stand down or stand idly by whenever our country and its citizens are attacked. It is a day that will live in infamy. The 2,403 military and civilian lives lost during those attacks will never be forgotten.”

Alvernia University history professor Dr. Tim Blessing grew up in Huntingdon County hearing stories about the Pearl Harbor attack and World War II from his parents, who spoke about rationing meat, gasoline and even nylon stockings to help the war effort.

As a professor teaching about that day, he’s had many students who could name only two historical dates from the last 100 years — Sept. 11, 2001, and Dec. 7, 1941, he said

“It was a day that changed the country forever,” he said of Pearl Harbor Day. “It’s a dividing line like the Grand Canyon ripping across the American historical landscape.”

The U.S. was somewhat isolated prior to World War II, but the Pearl Harbor attack spurred it to become an international force and the so-called arsenal of democracy, he said.

“It was a great awakening for America,” he said. “Psychologically it brought us more into the world.”

At the start of the 21st century, Berks was still home to several dozen veterans who survived the Pearl Harbor attack,

But by 2010, when a luncheon for survivors was held in Berks, there were only believed to be five remaining.

Now it appears there are none left.

So Jody Reidenhour of Kutztown, an Army veteran, is working to keep their stories alive in part through the Pearl Harbor presentation she gave Sunday at the Kutztown Area Historical Society.

She plans to give similar programs annually, and she is working to interview Kutztown-area veterans and family members for an upcoming history book. It will include the two late Pearl Harbor veterans from the community — George Bordner and Robert Ritzman.

“Since many of the veterans are gone, it’s up to us to pick up that responsibility of sharing their histories,” she said. “We need to remember them.”