Honoring September 11th: Days of Infamy by Burt Prelutsky 11 Sep 2009 post a comment Share This: There are certain dates that are indelibly etched in our minds because they were drummed into us in school, such as the 1066 Battle of Hastings; some because they commemorate joyous events such as July 4th, December 25th or the births of our children; and some because they remind us to never forget how quickly everyday life can be turned into something horrific. The first of three such dates for Americans is 12/7/41. That was, as FDR put it, a day of infamy. It was a Sunday between Thanksgiving and Christmas when, without warning, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, killing 2,335 servicemen and 68 civilians. The second of the nightmarish dates was 9/11/01 when 19 Islamics hijacked four airliners and murdered 2,998 human beings, most of whom were Americans. The third such date was 11/4/08, when 64,385,746 American voters decided it would be a fine idea to vote for a man who said that if push came to shove, he would side with Islamics. If you lost loved ones in Hawaii 68 years ago or in Manhattan 8 years ago, I can fully understand why you would disagree with me when I insist that the third of those dates is the most tragic. The reason I voice that opinion is because, aside from the 5,401 innocent lives lost, ships, planes and skyscrapers can always be re-built. But once lost, freedom and liberty can not always be regained.