On this day when Islamic terrorism is once again inside the boundaries of our national thought, I find myself torn between the words of a president unquestionably removed from not only the reality of the situation, but also the gravity of it, and the heroism and self-sacrifice of a people who understood a threat and stepped forward without hesitation to defend what was just and right. Have we truly come so far from the time of those selfless heroes?

PEARL HARBOR,HAWAII: The USS Shaw exploded after being struck during the attack on Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941.

1:23 p.m. EST (7:53 a.m. in Hawaii): The first Japanese bombs fall on Pearl Harbor.