SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Thursday marks 82 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor. San Diego communities still feel the impact of this tragedy.
Karl Zingheim is the staff historian at the USS Midway Museum.
"Dec. 7th, 1941 was when Japan attacked the U.S. fleet in Hawaii," said Zingheim. "Of course, it was the entry of the United States into the Pacific War. But it must be remembered, too, that Hitler declared war on the United States four days later. So those vital days was having the United States join World War II completely."
World War II kickstarted massive investments into San Diego, so much so that some historians call San Diego "the city the Navy built."
"Basically, the Navy’s steady investment in Southern California meant that San Diego was starting to transform from a sleepy border town into a modern metropolis," said Zingheim. "By the time World War II had actually started, San Diego had attracted high-tech industries."
That military tradition never left. The Navy is still the biggest employer in the city. But Zingheim says Pearl Harbor teaches us another lesson.
"The takeaway from all this is that nothing really changed," said Zingheim. "It can still be a dangerous place."
But it's much safer, thanks to our men and women in uniform.
"You have to stay prepared," said Zingheim. "You have to stay on your guard, and you have to be realistic about the world we live in."
The USS Midway Museum hosted a remembrance ceremony this morning, with a flyover and wreath-laying ceremony to honor those who served.
