Pearl Harbor veteran, 101, returns on 80th anniversary of attack – National & International News – TUE 7Dec2021

Pearl Harbor veteran, 101, returns on 80th anniversary of attack. DOJ closes Emmett Till probe with no new charges. Fears rise Russians will invade Ukraine.

NATIONAL NEWS

Pearl Harbor veteran, 101, returns on 80th anniversary of attack

On December 7, 1941, U.S. Navy Seaman 1st Class David Russell was serving aboard the USS Oklahoma, anchored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. When the Japanese began their bombardment, Russell and other seamen first rushed to seek refuge below deck. But at the last second, Russell changed his mind. “They started closing that hatch. And I decided to get out of there”. That decision saved Russell’s life. Shortly thereafter, the Oklahoma capsized and sank, taking 429 souls with her. The loss of life aboard the Oklahoma that day was second only to that aboard the USS Arizona, which lost 1,177.

Russell managed to escape and board the nearby USS Maryland safely and helped her crew continue the battle from there. When the battle was over, Russell recalls visiting a makeshift triage center and seeing his battered and badly burned brothers lining the walls. “Most of them wanted a cigarette, and I didn’t smoke at that time but I, uh, I got a pack of cigarettes and some matches, and I lit their cigarettes for them,” Russell said. “You feel for those guys, but I couldn’t do anything. Just light a cigarette for ’em and let ’em puff the cigarettes”.

Today, Russell and other survivors are in Hawaii to mark the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. About 30 Pearl Harbor survivors and 100 other WWII veterans will be taking part. At 7:55 a.m., the minute the attack began, the group observed a moment of silence to remember more than 2300 people lost that day.

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DOJ closes Emmett Till investigation with no charges against accuser

In 2017, the Department of Justice opened an investigation of the 1955 murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Sunflower County, MS. Till was from Chicago, but was in Mississippi visiting relatives. He was tortured and beaten to death when a white woman, Carolyn Bryant of Money, MS, accused him of making a sexual advance to her. At the time, Bryant alleged that Till grabbed her, whistled.

Years later, author Timothy B. Tyson published, “The Blood of Emmett Till,” in 2017. Tyson claimed that Bryant, now in her 80s and known as Carolyn Bryant Donham, admitted to lying about Till touching her. Donham’s relatives have since denied that Donham recanted her testimony. Tyson was unable to produce any recordings or written statements from Donham corroborating his claims.

The announcement from the DOJ was a disappointment to many, including Till’s living relatives, who hoped someone would finally be held accountable for his slaying. The DOJ issued a statement: “In closing this matter without prosecution, the government does not take the position that the state court testimony the woman gave in 1955 was truthful or accurate. There remains considerable doubt as to the credibility of her version of events, which is contradicted by others who were with Till at the time, including the account of a living witness”.

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INERNATIONAL NEWS

Fears rise Russians will invade Ukraine

Russia has amassed at least 90,000 troops on its border with Ukraine. By January, U.S. intelligence believes that number may swell to 175,000. Western countries and Ukraine itself fear that his is a prelude to a full-scale Russian invasion. Seven years have passed since Ukraine’s pro-Russian president was removed from office, triggering unrest which Russia took advantage of to annex Crimea.

Since then, Ukraine’s ties with the West have only strengthened, which seems to have put the Kremlin on edge. Ukraine has become a NATO partner but is not yet a full member. Russian fears it may only be a matter of time before NATO infrastructure and assets arrive on its doorstep.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Ukraine not to be baited into a full confrontation by Russian aggressions. President Biden is now holding virtual talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in hopes of heading off hostilities. Both Blinken and Biden have warned of punishing sanctions on Russia in the even of an invasion.

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