Unforgettable Historic Moments:  A Retrospective
11/11/08
by William Hessell

November 4th, 2008.  The election of Barack Obama to become the 44th President of the United States is announced to the nation and to the world.  For many Americans this moment will be indelibly implanted in their memory as one of the truly significant historical happenings of their lifetime.  A new voice, a new vision has emerged on the national scene to re-energize the country and chart a new course as we deal with mounting, serious domestic and international difficulties.  For many, fear and depression is replaced by hope and activism.  A major step in making America a nation of true inclusion has been surmounted.  An impressive number of people, black, brown, and white, had tears in their eyes that a milestone has been passed, one they doubted would be achieved in their lifetime.  After centuries of slavery since early colonial times, and some 150 years of struggle since the Civil War and emancipation, another step towards true equality is reached. It is a victory for all of us.  It signifies not only victory in a presidential election, but also the victory of a majority of people overcoming differences, biases, and bigotry to become able to choose a leader based on internal qualities of clarity of judgment, strength of character, and soundness of experience.  As powerful feelings continued to be felt days after the initial celebrations, other occurrences of overwhelming and unforgettable historic events come to mind.  For me, during my 74 years, there have been seven previous events that rose to similar magnitude.   I feel fortunate and grateful to be able to add Obama's becoming President-elect to my own list of unforgettable historic moments.

Most people alive on Dec. 7th, l941 experienced a distinct unforgettable moment, when they became aware Pearl Harbor had been bombed and the US was at war.  Even for one who was seven years old at the time, the imagery remains vivid and detailed—the time of day, the initial reaction, and aftermath effects.  Interest in geography, foreign affairs, and military operations and hardware was triggered, and continues to this day.  More significantly, a desire to become involved in non-violent means of conflict resolution and working to foster peace, between nations, groups, and individuals, undoubtedly stemmed from this first unforgettable historic moment.

The events at the conclusion of the 2nd World War in 1945 constitute the second unforgettable moment.  Who alive then can forget the sight of a mushroom cloud spreading over the terrain, and knowing that the hundreds of thousands of people in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were being decimated, their images permanently engraved on the pavement beneath them?  A war was over, that was a welcome and positive development, but the horror of war was forever magnified, and the fear of a nuclear war was intensely thrust into everyone's mind for years, and continues to lurk in the recesses of our consciousness.

Jump forward to August 1963, the battle to end racial discrimination in southern states was being waged.  Courageous people were risking arrest, beatings, and death in confronting state authorities and angry, out-of-control mobs.  Martin Luther King was determined to use non-violent means to break down the walls of segregation, his movement was paying a high price in human sacrifice to reach its end, and gains were slow to be realized.  His "I Have a Dream" speech in Wash. DC moved millions, and became an unforgettable moment for countless millions more who read it or heard it's stirring passages and deliverance.  Emotions well up even today when phrases from it are played on TV or repeated by speakers in commemoration of Martin Luther King's life and meaning.  Out of hardship and struggle, a dedicated leader provided a positive unforgettable historic moment, which will forever give hope and inspiration to those needing to believe that inequality and oppression can be reversed, that the future can become better than the present.

Only a few months after this uplifting speech, on Nov 22, 1963, America's collective heart sunk to the depths with the assassination of Pres. John Kennedy.  Whether the result of individual hatred, domestic plot, or international intrigue, that such a young, vibrant, respected leader should be struck down early in his career left a wound in the nation's spirit that lasted for over a decade.  Most people can still recall exactly what they were doing when they heard the news, and a feeling of rage spread throughout the country and the world.  Other heart-breaking assassinations occurred during the next handful of years.  Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy both fell to the bullets of deranged individuals.  Few will forget the turbulent '60's, and the horrendous losses that we as a society experienced through wanton, politically-motivated violence.

A very positive, inspiring unforgettable moment occurred in July of 1969 when advances in the space program led to one of its early crowning achievements—Man's Walk on the Moon.  The words, "a small step for man, a giant step for mankind" will always be remembered as symbolizing that mankind can achieve the unbelievable if it has the will, the determination, the persistence, and makes concerted use of its resources to reach farsighted and worthy ends.  One of the goals of Kennedy's New Frontier culminated in a stunning success.

An unforgettable moment for many who believe that major conflict between nations can be resolved without resort to violence and war occurred in l989, with the end of the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the virtual collapse of the Soviet Union.  For fifty years, the enmity between the Soviet Union and the United States had been festering and threatening to break into open, direct hostility.   The possibility of nuclear destruction was real.  Could cooler heads prevail?  With a combination of quiet strength and resolute patience, they did.  The communist system in the Soviet Union was first tempered by more moderate leaders, and then collapsed under its own weight.  War can be avoided, societies in competition can, if they have the will, co-exist and deal with each other and their differences without resorting to war.  Leaders are needed who believe, and are committed to, this principle.

A recent unforgettable historic event in all of our lives needs no introduction.  The memory of 9-11 in 2001 is so recent, so indelibly pressed into our minds that the images return at a moment's notice.  Airplanes heading into buildings, buildings collapsing, people jumping from high stories, firemen entering burning buildings while others are fleeing through clouds of dust.  Society came to a standstill for days, all attention was directed to a frontal assault by terrorists.  A new form of warfare was thrust upon us in a concerted, well-organized way.  War on terrorism came to redefine life as we know it, effect civil liberties and privacy rights, change daily habits.  Fear became paramount in many settings which had been previously immune to it.  The administration accepted the war on terrorism as a way to life, and provided little inspiration or positive belief to counter its effects.  A real need existed for a breath of fresh air, hope, and optimism.  In our nation's past, strong and effective leaders have often emerged in the most difficult of times—notably Lincoln during the Civil War and FDR during the depression and WWII.  With the continued risk of major incidences of terrorism, together with the current world-wide economic collapse and unresolved conflict in tension spots in various areas of the world, the stage is set for an urgent need—a leader who can rise to the occasion, inspire the nation with confidence, strength, wisdom, and resolve.  That Obama's election has triggered such a powerful response, both nationally and around the world, raises the hope that he may become that person.  The early signs are positive, but it's a lot to ask of any mortal.  Time will tell, but his emergence has already given us our most recent positive unforgettable moment, one that many will hold near and dear for years to come.