For sixty years it has been “a day that will live in infamy,” and for survivors of the Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor, they’ve lived long enough to see another such day cast its dark shadow on American history.

Just as on Dec. 7, 1941 the future became full of uncertainty for the men, it is difficult for Whidbey Island’s Pearl Harbor survivors to grasp the magnitude of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. on Sept. 11, 2001, and the long-term implications and ramifications the events of that day will have on America’s future.

The Pearl Harbor survivors lived through one horror long ago and they now watch as younger generations grapple with the aftermath of this year’s attacks, which the survivors say is even worse than that of Dec. 7, 1941. They also their offer words of wisdom and a thoughtful comparison and contrast between the two days in American history.

“From what I see I think it was a lot worse than it was at Pearl Harbor,” said Jack Rosebrook, and 81-year-old survivor who was aboard the USS Pennsylvania on Dec. 7, 1941.

“There was a lot more people killed…and there was an awful lot of damage done. Those were big buildings and there were other buildings, too. I think it was a lot worse than Pearl Harbor, because we knew who we were dealing with at Pearl Harbor, but here they’re not sure even yet, I don’t think.”

What made the events of Sept. 11 even more tragic, Rosebrook said, it that American civilians were attacked. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a military-to-military attack.

“That’s what makes it so bad. The military, we were taught to take care of ourselves and take care of people, too. But, here, when these people did what they did, well, who was on duty, ya know?” Rosebrook said.

Some of the Pearl Harbor survivors agreed that today politics is getting in the way of justice.

“At least we knew who our enemy was and we knew where to find ‘em and we went after ‘em,” said Jim Stansell, the 77-year-old president of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association Chapter 5. “We didn’t have a bunch of people telling us we couldn’t do this, we couldn’t do that, or we couldn’t do the other thing. They just turned us loose and we did it.”

Russell Hicks, a 77-year-old survivor of the USS Oglala, agreed. Hicks said the attitude was different 60 years ago. There was more action and less talk.

“You hear a lot of talk about what we should do, and I remember back on Dec. 7, it was no thoughts on our minds whatsoever but we had to get these people, and we did it. Now, you hear pros and cons about whether we should be doing this and doing that,” Hicks said.

Today’s military is fighting a different kind of war.

“These poor guys now, I don’t know how they’re gonna do it, but they’re gonna have to do it,” Stansell said today.

With a different kind of war comes a different way of facing it militarily and politically. This is something the old guard at times finds unpalatable.

“I deplore what (the terrorists have) done, and it was a terrorist activity. And it’s like Jim said, when we had World War II it was a professional people, the men of arms were fighting each other for their countries’ beliefs and their rights,” said Jack Young, an 86-year-old past president of the PHSA Chapter 5.

“And we didn’t have a bunch of bureaucratic people sitting back behind their desks telling us what the hell to do…The minute the yogurt hit the fan (during World War II) these bureaucrats hid under their desks because they didn’t want to get involved,” said Young.

Today, Young says, the “bureaucrats” are running the show, and they might not have the full grasp of what defending a nation may involve.

“When you get on the pointy end of the spear it makes a little bit of a difference, and we’ve all been there,” said Jack Young.

Today the American government is hampered by trying to deal delicately with other nations and seem to have a fear of angering other governments and organizations, the survivors said.

“And now we’ve got to beg to get a base to land an airplane,” Stansell said. “When we wanted one we went in there and took it.”

Additionally, the people have more of a say in military matters because they know more now.

“Now, we’ve got instant news,” said Glenn Lane, which makes military missions, such as going in to take an airstrip, public knowledge immediately.

Lane is one of only 30 remaining survivors of the USS Arizona. He was literally blown off the Arizona during the first wave of the Japanese attack, and he swam for the USS Nevada. After he boarded the Nevada, it was then hit by the Japanese airstrikes as well.

Overall, the survivors are a source of inspiration to younger generations today. They not only survived the horrific surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, while hundreds of their shipmates perished, but they then went on to lead productive lives.

Young, Rosebrook and Lane stayed in the military for full careers, retiring at the ranks of Lieutenant Commander, Warrant Officer and Master Chief, respectively. Stansell and Hicks stayed in the Navy for a couple of tours and left the military to pursue civilian careers.

All the men married and most have children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren.