Tuesday marked the 80th anniversary of the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and University of North Georgia Commandant of Cadets retired Col. Joe Matthews said it is important to remember the legacy of that deadly day.
Matthews, who was stationed in Hawaii for three years from 2016 to 2019, said the history behind Dec. 7, 1941, permeated into his specific career field.
"While I was there, I was the senior intelligence officer for the Army's 94th Air and Missile Defense Command, so, interesting when you find out that that unit draws its history back to World War II, to shooting down airplanes," Matthews said. "[I was] in a job that reflects directly back to Dec. 7, and what could we do as intel professionals better than what we did back in 1941."
During his time there, Matthews was able to see the remnants of the destruction that resulted in the death of over 2,400 Americans.
"I had the opportunity to walk by bullet holes that were caused by the Japanese airplanes on an old Army Air Corps barracks," Matthews said. "I say that because I worked at the Pacific Air Force headquarters, and the Pacific Air Force Headquarters is the old Army Air Corps barracks still there from World War II ... when I would walk into my building, I would see several bullet holes in the concrete and remind myself of what happened that day."
Matthews said his role in the 94th Air and Missile Defense Command involved working with a senior Air Force intelligence officer, as well as with those in the Navy. He said he believes the Pearl Harbor attack taught the military branches the importance of cooperation and communication.
"As I looked back on Dec. 7, the challenges that our Army and our Navy had on Pearl Harbor, just communicating with each other and trying to understand what was going on, we've learned from that as services," Matthews said. "We learned that we have to have inner-service cooperation."
Naturally, Matthews and his family were able to visit various museums and memorials during their three years in Hawaii, including the USS Arizona Memorial.
"Once the boat stops and you actually see the memorial, and then you hear the explanation, and you look up and see the ... USS Missouri battleship over watching the Arizona, you start to realize the sheer magnitude of the battleships that were located there," Matthews said. "So to me, it tells me about the sacrifice of the sailors and their families."
Matthews said seeing Pearl Harbor and thinking about the devastation that was wrought on the harbor in 1941 evoked memories of September 11, 2001, and the aftermath that followed.
