Trout Republic: A day that will live in infamy

Very soon we are to honor those who gave their lives in the service of their country on Dec. 7, 1941.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with that date, it’s the day the Imperial Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor and launched the United States into World War II.


The attack was a surprise airstrike by the Japanese and killed 2403 U.S. personnel and destroyed or damaged a total of 19 Navy warships. The Japanese had hoped to destroy our Navy and thereby keep us from helping the people they were subjugating all over Southeast Asia and China but as luck would have it, our aircraft carriers were at sea and were not damaged and could prosecute the war, thus we and our allies would go on to win that conflict.


The President at the time, Franklin D. Roosevelt, gave a famous speech and called the date of the attack a “date that will live in infamy.” And he was right about that. I find it interesting that his speech was only seven minutes long and Abraham Lincoln’s infamous Gettysburg Address was only three minutes long.


It would appear that a whole lot can be said in a short amount of time by politicians if they so desire. That skill has definitely been lost to time and a new breed of glad handers have been gifted with diarrhea of the mouth when it comes to long winded speeches about nothing.


I was born in 1956 and so I grew up knowing many men and women who remembered WWII in detail and quite a few who had actually been at Pearl Harbor on that fateful day. Their lives were changed forever and they spoke often tearfully of the men and women who lost their lives then and in the years of war that followed that event.


I will always stop on that date and silently honor those who fought and died on that horrible day. This year, yet another new event falls now on that date to be celebrated in its own right. For Dec. 7, is also the last day of open enrollment for Medicare.


I don’t know about you all but Ol’ Dutch has grown weary of the constant barrage of salespersons on the television begging and pleading me to choose their company to represent my interest in getting a Medicare provider and warning me of that impending due date.


You would think the Japanese are sneaking on us again but this time we are getting more than adequate warning of the impending doom should we “fail to make that call.”


I was a child of the 60s and can recall good old “Willy” Joe Namath performing his Sunday football magic for the Indianapolis Colts year after year. And although he was not my favorite football player at the time, I did kind of liked his free spirit attitude and new approach to the game. But of late Old Joe and I mean “old,” is getting on my nerves as he is on television every few minutes telling me about using his company of choice as my Medicare provider. Something tells me that Joe doesn’t really need a ride to the doctor, discount drugs or help with a wheelchair but you get my drift.


So next week we cannot only honor those who gave so unselfishly of their lives to this great Nation but also can celebrate that Joe Namath can stay home and enjoy some of that retirement without having to appear every 11 minutes and 23 seconds on the television about Medicare. Poor old man has to be about worn-out too.


If only Tom Selleck were so lucky. Poor man will be selling reverse mortgages until he dies. I think he needs to concentrate more on NYC police work and get that family of his in line for another season.

Kevin Kirkpatrick and his yorkie, Cooper, fish, hunt, ATV or  hike daily. His email is [email protected] . Additional news can be found at www.troutrepublic.com  or on Twitter at TroutRepublic