Reuben James

Yes, It's a great song by Kenny Rogers, but Reuben James is also a historical figure. James was a sailor who served during the First Barbary War and is credited with saving the life of his commander Lieutenant Stephen Decatur. For his gallantry, three ships have been named in his honor. The first is the subject of tonight's post.
The first Reuben James was a Clemson Class Destroyer laid down in 1919 just after the end of the war to end all wars. DD-245 was sunk by a German U-boat on this date in 1941 near Iceland prior to the U.S. entry into WW2.
What?
Yes, we were attacked on multiple occasions prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Back in 1941 Americans held a pacifist view of world politics. While FDR wanted to get us into the fight, Congress and many of the population wanted nothing to do with Europe's problems nor with China and japan's conflict. Today such an attack would spark outrage and culminate in a harsh retaliation.
If we had responded in 1941 like we tend to do today, Pearl Harbor would not have seen the loss of life we honor. There would possibly be no day of infamy.
So, tonight, remember Reuben James, both the hero of the war to stop radical Islam, and the ship and 100 crew who perished in the Atlantic working to stop nazism, communism's nasty brother.