=============================== Posted on 12/07/2004 6:10:50 AM PST by M. Espinola
December 7th, 1941 -Pearl Harbor Remembrance!
============================================================
Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto planned the Pearl Harbor attack. Two things inspired Yamamoto's Pearl Harbor idea: a prophetic book and a historic attack.
The book was The Great Pacific War, written in 1925 by Hector Bywater, a British naval authority. It was a realistic account of a clash between the United States and Japan that begins with the Japanese destruction of the U.S. fleet and proceeds to a Japanese attack on Guam and the Philippines. When Britain's Royal Air Force successfully attacked the Italian fleet at Taranto on November 11th, 1940, Yamamoto was convinced that Bywater's fiction could become reality.
On December 6th, 1941, the U.S. intercepted a Japanese message that inquired about ship movements and berthing positions in Pearl Harbor. The cryptologist gave the message to her superior who said he would get back to her on Monday, December 8th.
On December 7th, a radar operator in Oahu saw a large group of airplanes on his screen heading toward the island. He called his superior who told him it was probably a group of U.S. B-17 bombers and not to worry about it.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor began at 7:55 A.M. on December 7th, 1941. The entire attack took one hour and 15 minutes. Captain Mitsuo Fuchida sent the message, "Tora, Tora, Tora," to the Japanese fleet after flying over Oahu to indicate the Americans had been caught by surprise.
Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.
Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.
As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.
Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.
I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.
Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.
With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounded determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December seventh, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire."
You'll note that a lot of them have Skerry stickers on them.
You're not kidding. I saw "Tora, Tora, Tora" many years
ago myself.
Correct me if am I wrong but are we not approaching the actual time 63 years ago today when the attack began?
I'm watching the part when the Jap mini sub gets sunk. Damn frustrating watching it. I've always wondered if the fleet had been alerted an hour earlier and had been ready.
Pearl Harbor ping.
Quite different. Radio only and the local newspaper. Both the press and Hollywoood were flag wavers during WWII.
I was sitting at breakfast with my grandmother, and an uncle, home on leave when an announcement came over the radio. " All military personell regardless of your present asignment report back immediately to your last assigned base. Immediately" The attack on Pearl Harbor was not mentioned,but yo knew something big had happened. They kept this up on the radio.
My uncle finished breakfast and left for his military base and I didn't see him for 4 years.
Every eligible abled bodied male in my family enlisted and ended up in the service. Some had disasterous consequences. - tom
Excellent as always! Thanks!
ping..
I know Hollywood was behind the war %100 back then but I think some of the print media was still doing the same second guessing and nitpicking that today's media does. Obviously not on the same scale. I can imagine how today's press would have covered Pearl Harbor.
That might have been true with some papers, but people then read mostly local newspapers and couldn't care less about newspapers outside their geographic location.
If the local paper had anything derogatary to say about America they would incur the physical wrath of the locals. Males today in the general population (not the military)are so emasculated compared to then, that you had to have live it to see the changes. - tom
For the information of any freepers in the high desert Lancaster/Palmdale area, we have some Pearl Harbor Survivors in our midst.
One (I'm having difficulty rememberig the correct name but very similar to the D.I. turned actor from full metal jacket) was part of the aircrew of the B-17s that flew into Hickam Field during the attack. As a zero came in to attack his plane, he leaned out a waist gunner's position with a brownie box camera to take a picture of the plane that was going to kill him (the B-17s were unarmed at the time). The zero pilot apparently thought he was being fired on and veered off.
The other is my friend Ken Kreese. His skipper had spent the night ashore, and couldn't get back aboard until 1330 that afternoon. Ken said that his ship did not get hit, it was across from the Utah. He told me that to him, his worst memory was of the Jappanese pilots strafing the helples men swimming to get away from their sinking and burning ships. He said it didn't seem like it would ever stop (the strafing).
When we see history we recall our own and men like your 1st scout master. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you.
That's true. The big city papers wouldn't have had the national influence back then they have today.
"Also remember the elected officials who orchestrated the move overseas of the greatest manufacturing capability on the globe and the environmentalists who aided them. The invisible hand guides the consumer to the least expensive acceptable substitute good. Nippon has been eclipsed by South Korea which is being eclipsed, for some types of goods, by less affluent Asian countries. Today I will only play my American made guitar but my Korean electric semi-hollow body sings much better than the Fender."
true...i was just being factitious
But still nothing plays like a Gibson
I should get a copy of this...but I'll not forget the article on Doolittle and his raid
from The Smithsonian Magazine that ran in the early 1990s (IIRC).
Doolittle said that after he crashlanded in China, he was stunned and thought he was
likely to be court-martialed for destruction of American property!
No doubt on that basis the New York Times editorial page would today declare the mission a failure!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.