To Whom it May Concern, I am a high school teacher in California and while I was perusing the
internet on tragedies that have taken place on American soil I stumbled upon
this diary. I am trying to initiate discussion in my Freshman classes on
their feelings about today's tragedy that shocked all of us to our cores. I
think this diary is incredibly valuable as a first-hand account of what
happened at Pearl Harbor. The fact that it happened on U.S. soil and that
everyday life was recorded should be a treasured resource for students
today. So many students are out of touch, and understandably so, with what it might
actually be like to be under attack with chance of war in their hometown. I
know for a fact that my students have no way to connect with what this
situation might be like. Yes, we have The Diary of Anne Frank, but still
they claim, "Oh, this could never happen in America." Well, unfortunately,
today they ate their own words. For the first time in their lives they were
witnesses to an attack on our country; the heart of our business world: the
terrorist bombing of the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon. I wonder what their journals will look like tomorrow and I wonder if they
will have a greater idea of what the person who wrote this diary
experienced: confusion, loss of friends and relatives, utter destruction and
chaos of "home". I applaud you for "getting this out." Keep at it. As cliche as it sounds,
our children are our future. They need to be able to relate to those all
over the world who don't have the fortune to live in a safe environment.
They need to do more than turn an apathetic shoulder to war, death,
malicious intentions, and loss. They need to know how and why they should
become active voices in our society on political topics. This diary is a
resource for American students to look to to provoke in-depth thought about
being empathetic to the atrocities of war on the homefront and form an
understanding that we, as Americans, are not excluded from the same kinds of
things that happen in other countries every day, every hour. They, and all
of us, need to understand that our freedom and safety can never be taken for
granted. This diary could be a key in opening the door to understanding America's
history and how history happens everyday. We need to learn from resources
like this and not ignore the fact that the present and future are not exempt
from historical reoccurrences. Our children need to know how to avoid such
atrocities. Thank You, E.F. NOTE TO E. F: I have tried to reply to this wonderful message, but your email address was not valid. I'd be very pleased if you'd write again so I can reply ... BZ
Hello, I am 24 years old and a WW II buff. I was
also born on Dec, 7th. I love hearing stories of the war from the people
that were there. I really enjoyed the diary site. I like to think what it
would like to be there. I have a question I hope maybe you can help me with.
My Grandmother tells of a story back during early 1941 she had a pen pal
stationed at Hickam field. SHe wrote to him alot but after December she
never heard from him again. I am wondering if there is a list of the
soldiers that were killed there. She remembers his name clearly as if she
had wrote him yesterday. She has wondered for 60 years as to what happened to
him.
Any help will be greatly appreciated!
P. M.
You really saw history in the making! I saw mine in Europe when I was a
mere 5 years old. My father leaving for the army in 39 . His return from
Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain and subsequent bombings. Saw the Americans
come over to train for D_Day. Then the victory, what a day that was. My
father made it back from North Africa, and we made it intact ourselves. I
also lived in Hawaii 61 to 65 , hope to go back to see the Missouri. The
base we were at was Barbers Point which is now closed. J.
i went through the diary..and i think it's really
cool!! loved it!!
(no sig)
I thought that Ginger's Diary was very informative. It seems Ginger was a very happy person and everything she believes and wants she gets. On December 7, 1941 I believe it has frightened Ginger, and also believe that anybody who hasn't read this and is interested in WW2, should read this!
K.
Have recently seen the movie and was delighted to find your real life account .. Thank you. I always admire people who can keep a diary. I have never been able to.
Cheers, A. B.
I read Gingers Diary tonight and thought what a brave 17 year old she
was. I was not even born until 12-44 but this diary brought the
reality of life on Oahu to me. In 1976 I stood on the Arizona
memorial in Pearl Harbor, watched the oil slowly rise from the Arizona
and cried like a baby. My father fought in WWII and was in the South
Pacific during the war. I feel a strange kinship with all who were
there at the beginning of the war or went there during it because I
probably would not even be alive if it were not for the war as my
parents would have never met. Out of all tragedy comes some good.
Thank you for posting the diary.
C. M.
Have just finished reading your diary forwarded to me by J. M.
Now I know what you as a civilian went through. I myself was aboard the USS
West Virginia which was sunk. Found this to be very interesting reading and
will forward it to every survivor that I know. God bless and good luck.
B.
I found the pages from Ginger's Diary interesting. Was surprised she
did not talk more about the men who died on the boats in the harbor.
She only mentioned 350 casualties. There were many more on the boats.
My first cousin was killed on the Arizona. He was 19 or 20 yrs. old. I
was only 5 at the time so do not remember very much. I had an uncle
who was drafted into the army. We sent him cookies in the mail which
arrived in crumbs but he wrote back to say they were delicious.
Sincerely,
L. P.
Thank you for sharing your diary entries. It makes those early days of
the war more real as seen and experienced from a family's point of view.
R. K.
Loved
reading the diary. Found it interesting and informative. When
my husband was alive we were stationed at Pearl Harbor during the Korean War.
Our navy housing was on 19th street across from the Hickam back gate
so it all sounds familiar.
L. M.
I
enjoyed reading the Ginger's Diary for its child's-eye view of the attack on
Hickam Field and Pearl Harbor. It give a good chronology of the events and
how families were in limbo while their stay or departure was decided. We have
a cousin who was on leave in Pearl Harbor from a ship when the attack occurred.
What impressed me about this girl's telling of the story is the lighter
touch given to the events by the irrepressible ability of youth to bounce
back from, or to withstand, trauma while relating the ordinary along with
the extraordinary. Thanks for putting this on the Internet!
M.
was
wondering if this was all she wrote or is there more?
Regards,
D.W.
Have
recently seen the movie and was delighted to find your real life account
... Thank you. I always admire people who can keep a diary. I have
never been able to.
Cheers,
A. B.
I
read Gingers Diary tonight and thought what a brave 17 year old she was.
I was not even born until 12-44 but this diary brought the reality
of life on Oahu to me. In 1976 I stood on the Arizona memorial
in Pearl Harbor, watched the oil slowly rise from the Arizona and
cried like a baby. My father fought in WWII and was in the South Pacific
during the war. I feel a strange kinship with all who were there
at the beginning of the war or went there during it because I probably
would not even be alive if it were not for the war as my parents
would have never met. Out of all tragedy comes some good. Thank you for posting the diary.
C. M.
Very much enjoyed reading the diary! It seemed so real because she worried about the kinds of things kids think of even during times of crisis (school graduation, friends, gifts). Any idea what happened to her afterwards?
K.
I found your diary very interesting as I wasn't born until 1945. I write
for the local VFW newspaper and trying to encourage and promote patriotism
through knowledge of what others have gone through and experienced during
the war periods. Your diary has given me insight especially since it comes
from one not actually a militant from the past. M .G.
To
whom it may concern,
We are 11 year old girls, and are very interested in Pearl Harbor. We have
seen the movie twice and LOVE it!!!!! Do you know of any survivors (Nurses
or soldiers) that would be willing to talk about the experience? We also want the city
of Pearl Harbor's address please. Also Ginger's diary was great. We liked
all the cool pictures and information.
Thank you, K and A
Hi,
I am emailing you from Australia.
I found this website through Yahoo.com during a search for information on
Pearl Harbour. I have always had a keen interest in history and the
effects of war. This diary account gave me a unique insight into the
effects of the bombing of Pearl Harbour on those who were there, as well
as providing a window into the interests and lifestyle of youth during
1941.
While I was reading, it occurred to me that technology has changed so many
aspects of daily life, providing so many opportunities yet also directing
people away from community/family involvement towards more individual
pursuits. It also occurred to me that our experiences in life often seem
slightly insignificant at the time, yet for others looking back into the
past they are fascinating, maybe because when we try to think about what
something may have been like, we don't have to limit our imaginations with
lots of facts.
Thank you for enabling me to stand in the shoes of an "eyewitness".
Kind Regards,
S. R.
I thought this diary was really interesting. I teach history and recently saw the movie Pearl Harbor, which of course made me even more interested in the subject. I had some extra time on my hands and decided to look up some info on the internet. This diary let's people feel the emotions of someone that survived the tragedy. This would be a neat teaching tool to use in school. Thank you!
B. W.
Dear Sir or Madam!
During my research for a term paper on the Pearl Harbor raid I came across
your site and read the eye witness accounts in Ginger's Diary on what
happened that day. I read it and must say that this account on the Pearl
Harbor raid is one of the most interesting I have come across during all of
my research.
Therefore I would like to quote one or two excerpts from your page and
kindly ask your permission to do so...
J. S.
I found Ginger's experience interesting as I was in Jr. High at the time of the attack - living in Kaimuki, attended Robert Louis Stevenson. Her reactions are so typical of a teenager. I was surprised to read that she and her mother stood and watched at the windows. In all that chaos I would have been too scared and probably found that under the bed was a more comforting spot. My dad, brother and uncle were at Red Hill working on
construction of the navy underground storage area just above Hickam and the harbor. My dad phoned us as soon as the attack was under way and warned us to stay inside and turn on the radio for information etc. We experienced none of the horror of the bombing as Ginger did at Hickam and stayed for a year after the attack so experienced a war time Hawaii under a military governor- gas masks, innoculations, shortages, blackout and air raid warnings etc. Her snap of the family in gas masks looked just as I had remembered all of us looked. We had no underground shelters, just zig zag trenches on the school grounds. I wondered what high school she attended, Roosevelt or Punahou. Kind of interesting to hear how her life differed from mine. The military definitely looked after their own. Civilian dependents were urged to return to the states as well. We did, later and unescorted. We returned on the Lurline fitted out as a troop transport - none of the fine meals and luxerous cabins she experienced. We had
originally gone to the islands on the Lurline. The comparison between the two trips was interesting. We docked at San Diego where red cross ladies met families with sweaters, mittens and caps for the island children who walked down the gangplank with barefeet and "go-a-heads". Memories,
memories. Thanks for allowing us to read Ginger's diary it took me back to experiences I thought I had forgotten. (no sig)
Thank-You for your site, I would like to read more of the diary, covering all the war years.
My own father served on Luzon Island, in the Philippines. He trained for the invasion of Japan, but 6 weeks before pushoff we A-bombed Hiroshima and the war was over.
He spent the remainder of his tour of service at Fort Eustis, Ky.
He was never proud or ashamed of what he did, it was WAR and he did his part. EVERYONE did.
I think that's why a lot of people of his generation never talked of what went on, the war affected everyone, no one was spared, therefore no one considered themselves heroes. They just did what had to be done.
The sad result of this silence is that their children,- our generation- don't realize the sacrifices made to preserve both America and the free world.
He passed away in 1999, and I miss him every day.
I hope that we as Americans never forget their legacy, and that those who served and died never die in vain due to our negligence.
D. H.
Hello,
I'm 18 years old and I was reading your diary. I think it was well written.
You should get it published. It was wonderful, of course the event was just
terrible. I can't imagine how I'd be able to deal with such a devastating
life-threatening event like that. I saw the movie of Pearl Harbor 3 times. I
loved it. Of course the movie wasn't exactly like the real thing. I cried so
much cuz it's so sad to think that this really happened. How old are you now,
if you don't mind me asking? Always, A.
I just saw the movie "Pearl Harbor" earlier this afternoon. Good movie. I served in the Navy for 7 years and I was in Desert Storm. Ginger's Diary gave me a different perspective about that fateful day of 7 December 1941.
For the first time, I've read about Pearl Harbor from a civilian point of view. We should all remember Pearl Harbor not just "a day that will live in infamy" but also as a day that brought America together. (no sig.)
Loved it. I didn't want it to end.
I teach US History and love to include personal items like a diary entry into
the material for the students to read. Is the diary in print to purchase?
Thanks,
M. S.
Shattered innocence is what I think of it. A young girl, prior to December 7th thinking about what young girls should, and then suddenly forced to have her mind occupied by fear, change and the unknown. It was touching and sad. Very telling of what Pearl Harbor must have done to the American psyche in microcosm. Peace and happiness and family severed by terror. The diary was moving. (no
sig.)
It's so sad that you had to live through that. Your Diary touched me. I feel so bad for all those people who lived in that time period and lived in Pearl Harbor. You were so brave by the way you wrote your Diary, you really didn't
sound that scared. I know if I was you I would have been under my bed crying. But that's just me. I'm 17 at this point. If I would have saw that like you did I would have went to be a army to get those japs back. once again your Diary touched me. (no sig.)
You and I were neighbors in the islands. My father was in the Navy and we
lived at Pearl Harbor on December 7th. I had just turned
12 the week before the bombing. I, too, have written my 'story' but how fortunate for you that you kept a diary.
I certainly enjoyed reading it. You are the only child that I have had any communication with that lived there during the attack. In my case my father was on Ford Island. Our family was not evacuated until the end of February when we then went to my mother's family and my father went to Australia for over one year.
Yours truly, B. M.
It was very touching and insightful reading the diary - thank you so much. Is Ginger still with us? Are you related to her? Thanks again- D. B.
Hi, You sure sound like a typical teenager of the 40's. I was born in 1940. My Dad survived the attack at Pearl Harbor and the rest of the war.He died in 1956 and I never got to talk to him about his career. It makes me feel very sad, he was overseas for five years. I never really got to know him. I was five when he returned from the war. I guess we both missed a lot. Enjoyed your dairy. Thanks C. M.
Hi,
I read your diary and found it very interesting and amusing. I never
even considered what the civilians went through that day. I always thought
of it from the eyes of a sailor. It must have been surreal. Almost too much
to believe. I hope it never happens again.
Have you found yourself receiving more feedback since the release of the
Pearl Harbor movie? I have not seen it yet, but I hope to soon. A. L.
Hi there...It must have been horrific for you to experience the United States' entry into WWII.
I recently saw the movie,"Pearl Harbor" and it was a very moving experience.It will always be
"a day that will live in infamy." C. C.
what a interesting story and place to be in 1941, i was born in 1941. that year my dad was in the service (canadian army) i remember a lot of the early forty's in this country. it still has very special memories for me and reading your views of that time was great. All the best to you, D. R.
I enjoyed reading Ginger's Diary. It was very insightful. Having lived at
Schofield Barracks for 3 and 1/2 years I can definitely relate to the "military setting". My Grandad flew B24 bombers in WWII....he was stationed in Italy. I find her account very informative and interesting. Thank you for sharing your view of this horrific time in American history. A. S.
Hi, i thought the diary was very interesting. What happened to the girl who
wrote it. Thanks, T.
Hello! i just read a bit a gingers diary and i printed the rest to read at home and it was pretty touching. I was reading and at the same time i was putting myself in her position. Must of been hard to live at that time and the things that she said were so touching for me. I'm gonna go see the movie on friday (Pearl Harbour) and i can't wait!!
thanx!! J. B.
My
mother was 16 at the time Ginger's Diary was written. She had certain
stories to tell of wartime experiences; such as being a worker in an aircraft
production facility in Cleveland during the height of the war. While
her perceptions of what was going on in the world by way of radio and newspaper
was great, Ginger's diary left me feeling as if I witnessed this moment in history with my own eyes. Thanks for publishing this document on the web. I found it an exceptional raft in an ocean of flotsum (not to mention jetsum) Thanks
again. J. L.
This
was a very interesting way to learn more about the Bombing of Pearl Harbor. Thank you for sharing this. I have a few people that will be interested in reading this. I will pass this on to them!! Thanks. J. B.
What
struck me is how contemporary she sounds. It really makes history come alive. thanks for htmling it, scanning her photos and putting it up on the web. J. L.
Very
interesting. R. O.
Comments? Questions? Please send Mail!
To return to Splash Page, please click HERE!
Copyright© 1996-2001 BZLeonard. All Rights Reserved
Copyright© 1996-2001 BZLeonard. All Rights Reserved