december 7th.

i remember watching good morning america with my mom once... i think i was in 3rd grade...

way back in joan lunden + charlie gibson time.

it was pearl harbor day, which didn't mean anything to a 3rd grader who was more concerned with keeping the mousse in her perm than anything on the morning news.

but she stopped me, told me to pay attention, and i watched the segment all about

mervyn s. bennion

captain of the u.s.s. west virginia

the ship parked next to the u.s.s. arizona

equally attacked during the japanese bombing at pearl harbor

my grandpa's uncle

making him my great great uncle? 

yada yada, you're thinking.

but.

let's put this in perspective:

remember when ben affleck and josh hartnett made that movie?

and cuba gooding, jr. played the black cook who just wanted to shoot a gun?

and remember the scene during the guts of the attack when the white haired man was shot

and he allowed sweet cuba gooding, jr. not just shoot his gun, but take over for him?

THAT was mervyn s. bennion.

that's my {great, great} man.

i would trek the long trek back to hawaii for no other reason than to visit the pearl harbor memorial.

so touching. so sobering.

god bless america.

and the brave people who fight for it.