REMEMBERING PERAL HARBOR

Fifty-four years ago today, in the "day that will live in infamy," more than 3,000 Americans lost their lives in the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

As U.S. troops head to Eastern Europe there are stark contrasts between this mission and that of Americans in 1941. Unwilling to intervene in Europe in 1941, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into World War II. In the words of former President George Bush, Pearl Harbor wiped away "the notion that the United States could stick its head in the sand and ignore the rest of the world."

Through the heroism of American and allied troops, World War II ended in the defeat of evil forces that sought literally to rule the world.

Unlike the war in Bosnia, Pearl Harbor was a direct attack on the United States. Unlike Bosnia, the threat and this nation's interests were unambiguous. And yet the threat to young men going to Bosnia -- of spilt blood on foreign soil -- is no different than the threat our boys faced in Europe and in the Pacific five decades ago.

If nothing else, Pearl Harbor must always remind us that propelling ourselves into conflicts around the world requires resolve and the will to go the distance. We came through, with great courage and sacrifice, in World War II where the objectives and our national interests were clear. The jury is still out in Bosnia, where the objectives are murky and our nation's interests are uncertain.