So I was in a lil enlisted leadership development course for my squadron for about 3 days this past week. Just identifying the mistakes leaders make, the kind of qualities to recognize in yourself to become a good leader, all that fun stuff. Literally mandatory for everyone at each pay grade. Anyways, for the last day of our class we were assigned a short project to give a brief and background on an important individual from December 7th, 1941, and give the brief in front of our group at Pearl. I was assigned LT Rasmussen. I won’t go into the story of him here since most sources could do it much better justice than I ever could, but I did wanna say how important I think it is that people not just focus on the attack on the harbor itself, but also the event all around the island. While the events at Pearl can be the most striking and definitely the most significant portion of the attack, further air attacks took place at various airfields, barracks, and pillboxes spanning the entire island. I’m lucky enough to have been stationed in both of the original hangars on the short line of MCAS Kaneohe Bay Hawaii, one of which was almost completely destroyed, the other which holds incredible sentimentality of courage and significance through hero’s like John Finn. LT Rasmussen himself was stationed on Wheeler Army Airbase and has an individually incredible story that ended up nowhere near Pearl. I know I’m likely preaching to the choir here since many people here will already know this, and no doubt will know infinitely more than me, but I hope I managed to peak someone’s interest with this.