Free Republic

HONOLULU, Aug. 28 — Researchers said Wednesday they found a Japanese midget submarine sunk more than an hour before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Discovery of the 78-foot vessel could provide the first physical evidence to back U.S. military assertions that it fired first against Japan in World War II and inflicted the first casualties.>p> THE SUB was sunk by a Navy destroyer on Dec. 7, 1941. Two Japanese crewmen are believed still inside the submarine. “It’s the shot that started World War II between the Americans and the Japanese,” said John Wiltshire, associate director of the Hawaii Undersea Research...

Richard Thill's high school education was interrupted by the largest war the world had ever seen. But Wednesday — almost 70 years later — it came full-circle for Thill, when he was awarded an honorary diploma from Humboldt Senior High School. The honor came as a surprise to Thill, and he was visibly grateful — his voice began to shake, tears welled in his eyes. It was something he had been thinking about for a very long time. 'I'm really proud — boy, you can't believe,' said Thill, 85, holding the diploma. 'I'm going to frame this and have it...