A/N: Before I get started, I want to say that Lizzie McGuire is one of my
favorite shows, and history is my favorite subject in school. So do me a
favor, please. When you read this, think about the history of the United
States of America. Thank you.
(It is Thursday, December 6, 2001, and the class is just finishing up history class.)
History teacher: Okay, class. Your homework tonight is to finish chapter 8 in your workbooks.
Lizzie:(under her breath to Miranda) I can't wait to finish up this moronic chapter.
Miranda:(under her breath to Lizzie) Tell me about it.
History teacher: Don't forget, class. Tomorrow is the 60th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Miranda's grandfather was a World War II veteran. He volunteered to come in and share with the class about the events.
Miranda:(walking out the door with her friends) Don't remind me.
Gordo: Come on, Miranda. It's important to know about that stuff.
Miranda: True, but it's boring.
Lizzie: I'm at least eager to learn about it. I want to know about the comparison to December 7 and September 11.
Miranda: Are you kidding? September 11 was two times as worse as December 7.
Gordo: We lived through September 11, 2001 and we will remember it as our darkest day, but remember, if we have any children, they won't think much of it.
Lizzie:(shocked) Are you saying that I will have kids with you, Gordo?
Gordo: No! I'm just saying that if you or Miranda or I will go on start our own families, the kids that we have will say, "big deal."
Miranda and Lizzie:(together) I agree
* * *
(The next afternoon, everyone is seated in history class. The other classes gather up in the room, so the whole school was packed in the large room. Miranda was asked to come in with her grandfather to help him. When they arrive, he is walking under his own power while Miranda is holding a manila folder filled with primary sources from WWII.)
Miranda's grandfather: Good afternoon everyone. (Class says good afternoon in return) I'm glad you all came to listen to what I have to say. My name is Patrick, and during my early adulthood, I served nine years in the navy. Today is the sixtieth anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, which happened at 7:55 this morning, Hawaiian Daylight Time. I will never forget this day. (He goes into a flashback while he is speaking) I was in Hawaii doing work on a farm from about three miles from Pearl Harbor. I looked up and saw a bunch of airplanes flying over Pearl Harbor. I saw something fall from the planes. At first, I thought it was a piece of falling debris, but I guessed wrong. It was a bomb. The explosions could be heard from ten miles away. Until the eleventh of September of this year, it was the most devastating thing I ever saw. This was all planed by the Japanese Combined Fleet because the US and Japan could not reach an idea on what to do with Japan's expansion without hampering it. (Kate raises her hand) Yes.
Kate: How many people lost their lives in the attacks?
Patrick: To be honest, I can't remember by heart. But I read in books about it that an estimated 2,400 people were killed. It was an attack that hit seven ships in a neat row, sinking four of them, including two ships called the Arizona and the Oklahoma. There were ten other ships that either sank or became disabled. (Gordo raises his hand) Yes, Gordo? [He knew Gordo because he saw him and Lizzie play at Miranda's house every now and then]
Gordo: On April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City's Murrah Building was bombed, and until September 11, it was the worst terrorist attack ever in the U.S. Why was it not December 7, 1941 that was the worst terrorist attack until this year?
Patrick: Well, Gordo, there are two ways how I can answer that question. First, it was not an attack by terrorists. It was an act of war, a military attack. World War II started in 1939, and the US joined after the attack. That's why it lived to haunt people who lived at the time. The other reason is because in 1941, Hawaii wasn't a part of the United States. It was a dependency. It became part of the U.S.A. in 1959 along with what other state? Anyone?
Kate: Alaska.
Patrick: That's right. So those are the reasons why it wasn't a terrorist attack, Gordo. Anyone else have any questions? (No one else raises his/her hand) Good, because I have some documents that Miranda and I want to share with you. Miranda can you pull out some things in there and share them with your friends?
Miranda: Okay, Grandpa. [She pulls out a large paper from the manila folder] This is my grandfather's note from the navy informing him that war had been declared and that he should report for duty immediately. After he reported, he sent this back to my great grandparents. [She pulls out another paper] This is my great grandparents' letter from the navy informing them that my grandfather's brother had been killed in the war. [She pulls the last paper from the folder out] And this is a report that my grandfather over there wrote when he was about my mother's age about what had happened in his part of the war. He allowed me to hi-lite my favorite line, which is: "Good lord. It was the most ferocious story imaginable. Watching people die right before my very eyes. Can you think of anything more sad, infuriating and disrespectful?" This is my favorite part because it showed me just how deadly the war was.
Patrick: Thank you very much, Miranda. You did an excellent job. (Miranda takes her seat.) As we all know, the World Trade Center and Pentagon were destroyed on September 11, 2001 by Arab terrorists using airplanes. If you ask me, that day tops it all. (Lizzie raises her hand) Yes, Lizzie?
Lizzie: Do you think September 11 by itself will return to a normal day on the calendar like December 7 did? I ask this because I have a friend whose birthday is September 11.
Patrick: I don't think so, but I hope so. By September 11, 2009, it will still be a day of remembrance and pain. However, September 11, 2001 will live as America's Darkest Day, just like when President Roosevelt declared December 7, 1941, "a day which will live in infamy." So to answer your question, Lizzie, it took me about 25 years to think of December 7 as a normal day again. Maybe when you grow up, 25 years from now, you might think of September 11 as the same, though you will think about the attacks every year.
History teacher: Patrick, we want to thank you for coming in and kindly telling us about this historic day.
Patrick: You are quite welcome.
History teacher: Let's give him a hand, guys. (The students applaud Patrick as Miranda helps him get his stuff together)
* * *
(After school, Lizzie and Gordo take a little walk around the block before heading home. Miranda had to go help her grandfather get back home.)
Lizzie: Gordo, before you heard about it, did you think of today as a notorious day?
Gordo: Not the first time, but after a couple times, it got to my mind. How about you?
Lizzie: Before today, I didn't know anything about it.
Gordo: Why were you asking that question about Sept. 11?
Lizzie: One reason is because that's my cousin's birthday, and because September is one of my favorite months, and eleven is my favorite number. Now that it's being talked about so often, it makes me feel sad.
Gordo: I see your point.
(Then, they split up and head for their homes. Lizzie goes home and tells her family about school that day. Gordo does the same. All three now think of December 7 as a day of notoriety.)
(It is Thursday, December 6, 2001, and the class is just finishing up history class.)
History teacher: Okay, class. Your homework tonight is to finish chapter 8 in your workbooks.
Lizzie:(under her breath to Miranda) I can't wait to finish up this moronic chapter.
Miranda:(under her breath to Lizzie) Tell me about it.
History teacher: Don't forget, class. Tomorrow is the 60th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Miranda's grandfather was a World War II veteran. He volunteered to come in and share with the class about the events.
Miranda:(walking out the door with her friends) Don't remind me.
Gordo: Come on, Miranda. It's important to know about that stuff.
Miranda: True, but it's boring.
Lizzie: I'm at least eager to learn about it. I want to know about the comparison to December 7 and September 11.
Miranda: Are you kidding? September 11 was two times as worse as December 7.
Gordo: We lived through September 11, 2001 and we will remember it as our darkest day, but remember, if we have any children, they won't think much of it.
Lizzie:(shocked) Are you saying that I will have kids with you, Gordo?
Gordo: No! I'm just saying that if you or Miranda or I will go on start our own families, the kids that we have will say, "big deal."
Miranda and Lizzie:(together) I agree
* * *
(The next afternoon, everyone is seated in history class. The other classes gather up in the room, so the whole school was packed in the large room. Miranda was asked to come in with her grandfather to help him. When they arrive, he is walking under his own power while Miranda is holding a manila folder filled with primary sources from WWII.)
Miranda's grandfather: Good afternoon everyone. (Class says good afternoon in return) I'm glad you all came to listen to what I have to say. My name is Patrick, and during my early adulthood, I served nine years in the navy. Today is the sixtieth anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, which happened at 7:55 this morning, Hawaiian Daylight Time. I will never forget this day. (He goes into a flashback while he is speaking) I was in Hawaii doing work on a farm from about three miles from Pearl Harbor. I looked up and saw a bunch of airplanes flying over Pearl Harbor. I saw something fall from the planes. At first, I thought it was a piece of falling debris, but I guessed wrong. It was a bomb. The explosions could be heard from ten miles away. Until the eleventh of September of this year, it was the most devastating thing I ever saw. This was all planed by the Japanese Combined Fleet because the US and Japan could not reach an idea on what to do with Japan's expansion without hampering it. (Kate raises her hand) Yes.
Kate: How many people lost their lives in the attacks?
Patrick: To be honest, I can't remember by heart. But I read in books about it that an estimated 2,400 people were killed. It was an attack that hit seven ships in a neat row, sinking four of them, including two ships called the Arizona and the Oklahoma. There were ten other ships that either sank or became disabled. (Gordo raises his hand) Yes, Gordo? [He knew Gordo because he saw him and Lizzie play at Miranda's house every now and then]
Gordo: On April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City's Murrah Building was bombed, and until September 11, it was the worst terrorist attack ever in the U.S. Why was it not December 7, 1941 that was the worst terrorist attack until this year?
Patrick: Well, Gordo, there are two ways how I can answer that question. First, it was not an attack by terrorists. It was an act of war, a military attack. World War II started in 1939, and the US joined after the attack. That's why it lived to haunt people who lived at the time. The other reason is because in 1941, Hawaii wasn't a part of the United States. It was a dependency. It became part of the U.S.A. in 1959 along with what other state? Anyone?
Kate: Alaska.
Patrick: That's right. So those are the reasons why it wasn't a terrorist attack, Gordo. Anyone else have any questions? (No one else raises his/her hand) Good, because I have some documents that Miranda and I want to share with you. Miranda can you pull out some things in there and share them with your friends?
Miranda: Okay, Grandpa. [She pulls out a large paper from the manila folder] This is my grandfather's note from the navy informing him that war had been declared and that he should report for duty immediately. After he reported, he sent this back to my great grandparents. [She pulls out another paper] This is my great grandparents' letter from the navy informing them that my grandfather's brother had been killed in the war. [She pulls the last paper from the folder out] And this is a report that my grandfather over there wrote when he was about my mother's age about what had happened in his part of the war. He allowed me to hi-lite my favorite line, which is: "Good lord. It was the most ferocious story imaginable. Watching people die right before my very eyes. Can you think of anything more sad, infuriating and disrespectful?" This is my favorite part because it showed me just how deadly the war was.
Patrick: Thank you very much, Miranda. You did an excellent job. (Miranda takes her seat.) As we all know, the World Trade Center and Pentagon were destroyed on September 11, 2001 by Arab terrorists using airplanes. If you ask me, that day tops it all. (Lizzie raises her hand) Yes, Lizzie?
Lizzie: Do you think September 11 by itself will return to a normal day on the calendar like December 7 did? I ask this because I have a friend whose birthday is September 11.
Patrick: I don't think so, but I hope so. By September 11, 2009, it will still be a day of remembrance and pain. However, September 11, 2001 will live as America's Darkest Day, just like when President Roosevelt declared December 7, 1941, "a day which will live in infamy." So to answer your question, Lizzie, it took me about 25 years to think of December 7 as a normal day again. Maybe when you grow up, 25 years from now, you might think of September 11 as the same, though you will think about the attacks every year.
History teacher: Patrick, we want to thank you for coming in and kindly telling us about this historic day.
Patrick: You are quite welcome.
History teacher: Let's give him a hand, guys. (The students applaud Patrick as Miranda helps him get his stuff together)
* * *
(After school, Lizzie and Gordo take a little walk around the block before heading home. Miranda had to go help her grandfather get back home.)
Lizzie: Gordo, before you heard about it, did you think of today as a notorious day?
Gordo: Not the first time, but after a couple times, it got to my mind. How about you?
Lizzie: Before today, I didn't know anything about it.
Gordo: Why were you asking that question about Sept. 11?
Lizzie: One reason is because that's my cousin's birthday, and because September is one of my favorite months, and eleven is my favorite number. Now that it's being talked about so often, it makes me feel sad.
Gordo: I see your point.
(Then, they split up and head for their homes. Lizzie goes home and tells her family about school that day. Gordo does the same. All three now think of December 7 as a day of notoriety.)