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Second World War: December 7, 1941 – A Sleepy Sunday Morning

By Capper's Staff
Published on August 21, 2012

Our furnished one-room apartment was unfamiliar to me. I slowly turned over and my back touched the warm body next to me. I reached out and switched on the radio to some sleepy Sunday morning music. It was December 7, 1941, right before our entry into the Second World War.

Without warning, a crackling of static interrupted, and “Japan has attacked United States,” blared out.

I sat right up in bed. How could a tiny island such as Japan attack a country of such enormity as the United States? It must be a joke like the “War of the Worlds,” a program by Orson Welles.

Bill awakened and drowsily said, “What’s going on?”

“Pearl Harbor is being bombed by Japan,” I said.

“I don’t believe it,” said Bill.

I turned to Bill and said, “I’m not even used to being married yet. The world can’t do this to us.” Stunned disbelief, anger, frustration and anxiety took over our thoughts.

“It can’t be true,” I remarked. But it was!

Ruth Carroll Foster
East Hartford, Connecticut


Back in 1955 a call went out from the editors of the then Capper’s Weekly asking for readers to send in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first My Folks title – My Folks Came in a Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine other books have since been published in the My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from Capper’s readers, and we are proud to make those stories available to our growing online community.