A date that will live in infamy

IN OUR MUSEUM: A monthly writeup from an artifact located in the Van Zandt County Veterans Museum in Canton, Texas. This week we visit FDR’s famous speech, “a day which will live in infamy.” (case #16)

FDR’s Historical speech on 78RPM record

Elvis Allen (L) Historian, Suzanne Bass (Historical Commission) and Tim West, (County Commissioner) present a 78RPM record of President Roosevelts War Message to Congress and the Nation on December 8, 1941. The famous speech entitled, “A day which will live in infamy,” was pressed a day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Later that day Congress gave our President permission to declare war on Japan and at the same time on Germany. Elvis Allen, local historian, saw a stack of records in a junk store while visiting Dallas back in 1965. “I found this old record in a box sitting under a table,” said Elvis. “It was amazing it was in such good shape because the box was not.

A lot of people used those records in skeet shooting,” he laughed. “I saw this record and immediately knew the historic value of it. I have held onto it for 55 years and always thought this record should be in a museum someplace. I am very proud to put this someplace where others can see it,” said Elvis.

The VZC Veterans Memorial Museum is open Tuesday thru Friday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Admission is FREE.