By Stephen Schein
My father, Meyer Schein, and I were in his pickup truck on our way to visit my grandmother who lived at 175 Ribaut Road early on a Sunday afternoon. His truck radio, which was mounted on the steering wheel shaft, suddenly announced that the Japanese had attacked our naval facility at Pearl Harbor, and were inflicting great damage and loss of life. My father pulled to the side of the road to listen, then said, “Son, our country is about to go to war, and with God’s help, we will prevail.” At age 5, I wasn’t sure what that meant, but it was clear to me how concerned and serious my father was.
This moment in Beaufort’s history is an excerpt from the book “Beaufort … Then and Now,” an anthology of memories compiled by Holly Kearns Lambert. Copies of this book may be purchased at Beaufort Book Store. For information or to contribute your memory, contact Holly at lowcountrymemories@hotmail.com or beaufortmemories@gmail.com.
