Witness to Pearl Harbor

Ruby is an elderly women of 90 who has witness her fair share of history from WW2 to Korea to the Kennedy assassination to Vietnam and so much more, but what Ruby remembers the most, what is stuck in her memory and won't ever let go is what Ruby witness on that December morning in 1941, Pearl Harbor.

Ruby was ten years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked and she still remembers waking up to see her father off to work at Pearl Harbor, her mother cooking breakfast, the beautiful sunny day of Hawaii, the Christmas decorations all over the house and than in an instance Ruby's innocences was shattered.

Ruby can still remember the horrific look on her mother's face when she saw planes flying over their house and dropping bombs onto Pearl Harbor. Ruby can still feel her mother's hands on her grabbing her and running back to their house for safety.

Ruby can still feel tears falling from her face scared thinking that the planes are going to drop on their house. Ruby can still see the panic look on her mother's face knowing her husband Ruby's father works at Pearl Harbor. Ruby can still see her mother frantically calling her father to no avail. Ruby can still see more planes flying to Pearl Harbor. Ruby can still herself standing by the window and looking at Pearl Harbor being bombed.

DECEMBER 7th 1941

Ruby is a vivacious ten year old girl. Ruby loves to cook with her mother, she loves to play with her friends, but most of all Ruby adores her father. Ruby's father is her hero. Every night Ruby's reads her a bedtime story. Ruby loves her bedtime stories with her father.

On the morning of the 7th of December 1941 Ruby's father wakes up early to head to his job at Pearl Harbor and just like every single morning Ruby wakes up early to say goodbye to her father. Ruby kisses her father goodbye, he leaves for his job and Ruby goes to help her mother cook breakfast.

A little before 8 am Ruby and her mother hear a rumbling coming from outside. Ruby and her mother go outside to see what it is. What they see are planes. Ruby and her mother believe it's American planes, but upon further inspection they see that it's not American planes, they don't know whom the planes belong too until a neighbor tell them it's the Japanese.

Ruby's mother looks at their neighbor and all he can do is nod his head and then a loud boom is heard. Ruby's turns back and sees a cloud of smoke coming from Pearl Harbor. Ruby looks on scared and terrified. Then another loud boom is heard. Ruby's mother grabs her hand and they both run to their house. Ruby hides behind the couch. Ruby's mom frantically calls her father to no avail. Ruby gets up from her hiding place and goes to the window. Ruby pushes the curtains away and sees the devastation. Ruby's mother calls her to get away from the window, but Ruby doesn't listen.

Ruby sees more and more planes at Pearl Harbor, more and more smoke, people running everywhere to hide. Ruby wonders if anyone one of them is her father. Ruby hears her mother still trying to call her father, yet again nothing. Ruby turns back and sees the on going attack at Pearl Harbor. Ruby sees the mighty ships turned upside down, she sees the sailors in the water. Ruby sees the planes flying over the sailors in the water, and she sees the sailors in the water trying to swim away.

While her mother is on the phone Ruby sneaks out of her house. Ruby walks down her neighborhood watching the attack. Ruby sees her neighbors watching the attack, she asks each one of them if they seen her father, but none of them have. Ruby doesn't even know what her father does, but her mother did tell her that her father saves peoples lives which can only mean that he works at the hospital. So Ruby begins to walk to the hospital in search of her father.

Ruby's house and Pearl Harbor is in short walking distance, the roar of the planes can be heard through out Ruby's neighborhood, but that doesn't Ruby from going to find her father. She is a determined little girl. Ruby reaches the hospital. She sees so many injured soldiers and many more coming in. One of the nurses spots Ruby, she goes to Ruby and asks her "Why she's there?" Ruby replies "I'm looking for my father. The nurse takes Ruby to a safe place in the hospital. The nurse hides Ruby inside a closet. The nurse returns to tend to the injured.

Ruby stays in the closet for an hour when she hears a familiar voice, it's her father. Ruby peeks out of the closet and sees her father. Ruby runs out of the closet and calls "daddy." Ruby's father turns around and sees his daughter. He's in completely shock. Ruby's father asks her "Why are you here?" Ruby replies "I was scared and so is mommy. We didn't know if you were alive." Just then a loud boom rocks the hospital. Ruby's father grabs her and shields her from the explosion. When the attack is over Ruby's father hugs her tightly. Ruby begins to cry. Ruby's father shields her from the dead and injured soldiers, he takes her outside and asks on of the nurses to take Ruby home.

Ruby grabs hold of the nurses hand, she takes one last look at her father, he smile at her, Ruby smiles back. Ruby and the nurse walk back to her house. Ruby is still shaken by the explosion. Ruby's mother sees Ruby with the nurse. She comes running out to Ruby and hugs her. Ruby's mother sees Ruby is all dirty. The nurse tells Ruby's mother that "their was an explosion at the hospital, but Ruby is okay." Ruby's mother thanks the nurse. Ruby's mother is not happy that Ruby left. Ruby tells her mother "Daddy is okay." Ruby's mother smiles, but is still angry.

It's noon and the attack on Pearl Harbor is over. Many soldiers and sailors are injures and dead, the hospital is overrun with so many patients. It is not until 9 pm that Ruby and her mother finally get to see her fathe. Ruby's mother runs to her husband and hugs him. Ruby runs to her father and hugs him. They are all relieved and happy that he came home. While Ruby and her mother and father are all happy to be together, many other wives, sons, and daughters are never going see their husbands and fathers ever again. Today the 7th of December 1941 is a dated that Ruby and her parents will never forget.

Ruby's innocences were shattered that day, she has never forgotten what she saw that day, the many injured and dead soldiers, the mighty ships turned up side down, nor has she forgotten her mother's panic face at not being able to contact her father, and her father's face when she appear at the hospital, but most of all Ruby would never forget the hug she gave her father when he came home alive.