I’ve made so secret of my controversial position that modern day arguments about pronouns have less of an impact on society than World War II. Today, 63 World War II vets flew into DFW from across the country.

American is then flying them on to Honolulu. Tuesday marks the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Among the 63 they’re taking to Hawaii are 12 people who are at least 100 years old and six who were serving at Pearl Harbor at the time.

“You don’t get to shove a microphone in the face of a Pearl Harbor survivor every day,” I thought to myself. “I’d better go talk to them.”

Navy Lieutenant Cass Phillips says his first thought was that it was a drill, that the Army had painted a plane to look Japanese.

“The Army’s making this look real,” he explains.

An associate I worked with in Houston would say, when something unplanned and unpleasant occurred, “They Pearl Harbored you.”

Phillips really had been Pearl Harbored. And he learned from that: the Boy Scout motto is one we should all keep in mind.

<< Edited to add: I got an email from American about two weeks after writing this, on Dec. 16. Phillips had passed away at 101. As much as he was looking forward to reconnecting with people, that can show the importance of a trip like this. >>

I’ve made no secret I’d want these 100 year old men on my side in case a fight breaks out. We had to pass through security, and a TSA agent encouraged one of the veterans to sit in his wheel chair.

“No, I’m getting up,” he said.

His son was pushing the chair and put his hand on his dad’s shoulder.

“Hands off,” his dad responded. “I’m getting up.”

The agent explained the wheelchair would have to come through screening anyway, so why not just keep sitting in it?

“You can screen it after I walk through. I can walk through that machine myself. Then I’ll get back in it.”

And that’s how it went down:

Loyal Scaiaholics will recall I was in an alleged calamity about seven years ago. My sources report I was also insistent about standing up when the ol’ noggin was still a bit foggy. I just wasn’t as good at it as the World War II veteran. While I succeeded in being more belligerent than him, I allegedly toppled to the floor when trying to make my point. So we can all learn from the Greatest Generation.

Even one of the pilots had a connection. First Lieutenant Nancy Wudtke’s dad was in World War II, and he was on the plane.

He hadn’t been back to Hawaii since 1946.

One of the reasons I enjoy talking with World War II veterans is their message is very clear.

“We didn’t enjoy it,” one described his experience. Then he thanked me for the opportunity to have a microphone shoved in his face.

Another described his service as a privilege, saying the American people wanted to win the war, and he was glad they “did a damn good job.”

Even some passengers just showing up for flights joined in. The USO had a guy handing out American flags to everyone, one of which is now tying the Christmas decorations together at the ol’ Scaia Place.