December 7th

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Napoleon Solo rested his feet on his desk, leaning back in his office chair while he took a break from the tedious job of doing his paperwork and simply enjoyed a sip of his coffee.

The staff in the commissary had finally made a good brew, not the usual bitter swill they tried to pass off as Maxwell House.

The office door opened with a little squeak...it’d been doing that for weeks now and Napoleon reminded himself yet again to call maintenance.

Illya walked in, as usual, his nose buried in some sort of reading material. This time it was the Daily News.

“Not exactly up to your standard of reading," Solo commented.

“I was looking at an article about the anniversary of your Pearl Harbor, I was unaware that 2,400 Americans died in the attack.”

                           

“And many wounded as well,”Napoleon said. “ I believe close to 1,200. I can remember as a child like it was yesterday, listening to FDR on the radio, we were visiting my grandfather, the Admiral.”

"Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy. The United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." Napoleon quoted FDR word for word, imitating the Presidents voice.

“We did not have radio, but I remember an infamous day in Kyiv, when 33,000 people were gunned down by the Nazis, simply because they were Jewish.” Illya added. "There were many horrors that took place across Europe as well. So many that one date to honor those who suffered. died...and fought, does not seem enough."

"I suppose that’s why we have our jobs tovarisch, to try and stop things like that from happening again. We may not be able to prevent all such inhumanity, but we’ll stop some of it. We have already.” Napoleon sighed, lowering his feet from his desk.

“Many that the world does not know what almost happened.” Illya added.

“Better they don’t,” Napoleon sipped his coffee again. “Better they don’t.”

“Ignorance is bliss? I hardly think that is a good idea,”Illya countered.

“Think about it, if the world knew about every plot, every scheme and potential catalyst for war, there’d be nothing but worry and panic.”

“Still should they not be prepared?”

“Oh I think at least governments are for the most part, but why keep people in a constant state of fear...like the Cold War is doing. I mean, imagine little children having to practice ducking for cover under their desks at school in case of a nuclear attack?  That’s gotta scare the heck out of them, you know. Could you imagine if the world knew pf every little T.H.R.U.S.H. plot we’ve thwarted on top of all that? I shudder to think of the neuroses that would abound.”

“Yes I do know, as I am a child of war. Knowledge of such things can scar you both inside and out.” Illya spoke softly.

That was a rare admittance for the Russian, but given the mood of the conversation Napoleon held back, saying nothing to acknowledge his partner's personal aside.

“Well, how about you and I go for drinks tonight and we’ll toast to the honored dead all over the world...the brave and the innocent, as well as our ability to keep protecting people from the evil they can’t see.”

“A worthy excuse to drink, but we should toast to world peace as well and may we both live to see it,” Illya added.

“Amen to that my friend.”


_____

Next year is the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor. There are very vew survivors left...

Last survivors of the USS Arizona meet perhaps for the last time to ring the ship's bell.

Comments

[ssclassof56.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this story and reminder. I played FDR's speech for my students today,

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

After reading the article (to which I gave the link) it struck me that there was nothing on the news marking the day. It was terribly sad. So that's why I reposted my story. I wrote it and posted it on the 7th 2 years ago.