Merton I. Staples, a Biddeford man, was the first Mainer to be killed in World War II. It’s an unfortunate first for the city to claim, made even more horrible by the multitudes who followed Staples in death during the war.
Staples was killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor, while stationed there as a volunteer for foreign service, according to “A History and Stories of Biddeford.” The 1946 historical account, compiled by then-librarian Dane Yorke, notes that Biddeford sent nearly 3,000 young men and women into military service after the attack of Dec. 7, 1941. In the early morning hours, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the Honolulu, Hawaii naval base, destroying 20 ships and 200 airplanes. The next day, the U.S. declared war on Japan. Staples was one of 2,400 Americans killed in the surprise attack ”“ a “day that will live in infamy” ”“ which sent the entire nation into a war effort for the next four years.
For a year after the Pearl Harbor attack, Biddeford’s streetlights and lights in windows along the shore were dimmed as a precaution against an attack from the sea, according to the history. Yorke’s memory of the day the precautionary measure was relaxed were fresh at his writing, and still inspire to this day:
“The effect on Main Street, as storefronts and street lamps were suddenly turned on, was literally magical. The end of the war was still far off; victory was not even then in sight. But the coming of the lights meant that the turn had come and that victory was on the way. It was a dramatic moment for Biddeford.”
Those who did not live through the stunning and brazen attack on Pearl Harbor, or the war that followed, are hard-pressed to truly understand the country’s reaction, the feeling of that time in history. The shock, anger and feeling of being called to action, however, is not so far from our grasp ”“ particularly for those who lived through the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
Some light is shone on that dark December day through the recordings and writings of the time, in particular. Still ringing in every history student’s ear is President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s address to the nation on that fateful day 72 years ago:
“Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us,” he stated, describing the attack as “unprovoked and dastardly.”
So much has changed since WWII, and so many lessons have been learned, but we have not forgotten, and in the intervening years, have become far more prepared for unexpected attacks. As well, the war in Europe had already been under way for two years before we became involved, and it’s rare nowadays that this nation stays so far removed from the world’s affairs.
On this day, we remember the attack that thrust our nation into WWII, that built up the mystique and honor of the Greatest Generation and led to our ultimate victory over the Axis powers and the liberation of much of Europe.
Today, in our page A1 feature story, we share the memories of a few of those who experienced Pearl Harbor Day. We remember Merton Staples and all the others from Maine who lost their lives in the war, and seek to honor those who survived it ”“ especially those who are still with us today.
And even when the last of our WWII survivors are gone, we as a nation will never forget this anniversary, this attack that “woke a sleeping giant,” because its significance in the history of our nation cannot be overstated.
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