Pearl Harbor

A DAY OF INFAMY

Today, we’re going to travel back in time, more than seventy years ago.

The bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was intended as a preventive action to keep the US Pacific Fleet from interfering with Japan’s military actions in Southeast Asia. Simultaneous attacks by the Japanese were also carried out on the US held Philippines and on Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

At 7:48 a.m. Hawaiian Time, Pearl Harbor was attacked by 353 Japanese fighter planes, bombers, and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers.  Eight US Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk.  All but one, the Arizona, were later raised, and six of the eight were returned to service to be deployed in the battle. 

More than two thousand Americans were killed that morning, with nearly two thousand more wounded.

Ironically,  the attack, designed to intimidate and to force the United States from entering World War II, had the opposite effect.  On December 8, 1941, just one day following the attack, the United States declared war on Japan and Germany.  Up until that time, support for the War had been lukewarm, and, in fact, support for “non-intervention” had been strong. 

No longer.  The American people were beyond angry; they were incensed.   Japanese Admiral Yamamoto put it, “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”

May God bless you and the United States of America,

Jane