THIS TIME, THE ATTACKS WERE PERSONAL.

AMERICA had its heart broken Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941. Almost 60 years later another cowardly act of infamy - this time leveled against civilians - occurred Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, to break her heart again.

While many American lives were lost at Pearl Harbor, in retrospect, the attack to some seemed less personal since it occurred in distant Hawaii, which had not yet been granted U.S. statehood.

It was by design, not by coincidence, that the terrorists this time picked the crown jewel of the American mainland - New York.

In shattering the twin World Trade Center buildings they also shattered the illusion that no harm could lap upon our shore.

Following the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans closed ranks in unity behind President Roosevelt as he declared war on Japan. Americans moved quickly from being sad to being mad and swiftly fielded a large citizen army that was rapidly trained and deployed overseas.

At 18, I reported to Fort Custer, Michigan, to begin military service. I would return home almost three years later.

In the spring of 1944, I disembarked from a troop ship at Liverpool, England, to begin a journey that took me from England to France, Holland, Luxemburg, Belgium and Germany.

Along the way I saw what the ravages of war can do. I saw the same images on my television this past Tuesday.

Coming from a country that went through World War II virtually unscathed, the damage in England was striking by comparison. The big cities of England were bombed unmercifully during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz. By the time of the Normandy invasion, the damage had been tidied up, but reconstructing the damaged buildings would come later.

During the invasion of France, additional damage was caused by the German V-2 rockets, also called buzz bombs, hurled against England from coastal ports in Belgium. These deadly rockets looked like miniature airplanes. While many were shot down, many others found their way to populated cities and towns where they wreaked physical and psychological damage against innocent civilians. They were fired destructively at nonmilitary targets.

Damage to France, Luxemburg, Belgium, Holland and Germany was newer as a result of the invasion and the drive into Northern France and subsequently Germany. The damage was not confined to structures alone. Even the earth showed signs of hurting. In 1944, the fields of Northern France were disfigured with shell-pocked holes from the first World War fought some 30 years earlier.

These thoughts and more came rushing through my mind on this bloody Tuesday as I sat transfixed in front of the television.

I must confess that the sadness of seeing fellow Americans suffer physical and mental wounds was overwhelming and brought tears to my eyes.

At the sight of Palestinians reveling at innocent people being slaughtered in New York, my sadness turned to anger at people who could take any pleasure in another human being's misery.

Sixty years earlier, I sat in front of a table radio listening to the news flash that Pearl Harbor had been bombed. On bloody Tuesday, television made me a witness to this dark chapter in our nation's history.

I don't think any of us will ever forget the sight of a jet airliner seeming to glide almost serenely into the World Trade Center's second tower and the resulting fire ball that erupted upon impact.

While the damage suffered in New York was less compared to what Europe suffered during six years of war, it remains catastrophic considering this was a one-time assault.

America has weathered tough times before and emerged from them stronger than before. It is gratifying to see our political leaders united to fight not each other but whoever bears responsibility for what was done to intimidate and frighten us.

For whatever we do, for whatever action we take to avenge the deaths of thousands of our people, the big question remains: Will we have the stomach for warring against the terrorists responsible for this blood bath or will we turn tail and run?

We showed a limited resolve during the Desert Storm War. We easily overran the Iraqis but stopped short of capturing Saddam Hussein for fear of incurring additional casualties. If we stop short again, we will come to regret our failure once more.