Posted on 12/07/2005 8:04:14 AM PST by MNJohnnie
The 7 December 1941 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor was one of the great defining moments in history. A single carefully-planned and well-executed stroke removed the United States Navy's battleship force as a possible threat to the Japanese Empire's southward expansion. America, unprepared and now considerably weakened, was abruptly brought into the Second World War as a full combatant.
Eighteen months earlier, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had transferred the United States Fleet to Pearl Harbor as a presumed deterrent to Japanese agression. The Japanese military, deeply engaged in the seemingly endless war it had started against China in mid-1937, badly needed oil and other raw materials. Commercial access to these was gradually curtailed as the conquests continued. In July 1941 the Western powers effectively halted trade with Japan. From then on, as the desperate Japanese schemed to seize the oil and mineral-rich East Indies and Southeast Asia, a Pacific war was virtually inevitable.
By late November 1941, with peace negotiations clearly approaching an end, informed U.S. officials (and they were well-informed, they believed, through an ability to read Japan's diplomatic codes) fully expected a Japanese attack into the Indies, Malaya and probably the Philippines. Completely unanticipated was the prospect that Japan would attack east, as well.
The U.S. Fleet's Pearl Harbor base was reachable by an aircraft carrier force, and the Japanese Navy secretly sent one across the Pacific with greater aerial striking power than had ever been seen on the World's oceans. Its planes hit just before 8AM on 7 December. Within a short time five of eight battleships at Pearl Harbor were sunk or sinking, with the rest damaged. Several other ships and most Hawaii-based combat planes were also knocked out and over 2400 Americans were dead. Soon after, Japanese planes eliminated much of the American air force in the Philippines, and a Japanese Army was ashore in Malaya.
LOL! A Swiftboat gift basket!
Kerry responds:
These aren't paper cuts...they're purple hearts!
Hi, Springman. It's good to see you. It hasn't gotten to 20 degrees yet here today and we have an 80% chance of snow tomorrow. Jack Reed is on C-Span giving the dem response to the President's speech to which he apparently did not listen. What is the matter with the people in this party?
Hey Mc, you like this title?
http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/141675.php
LOLOLOL. Good one.
You didn't know? I forgot the percentage of stock he owns.
Running late today, hope I did not miss very much. I will have to check that out tonight when my husband listens to him.
Yummy!!!
18 in Detroit, thought you would be warmer in St. Louis?
Rush is on a roll, I think I might get a few donuts for lunch.
Remember that John F'n was oupointed in a spirited debate with Triumph the Insult Dog! Kerry is a nitwit.
Holy hell, rush is on a tear! he said of Donuts, "I don't eat donuts, I eat Boston cream-puffs! But I usually spit em out because they taste like ketchup!" or something approximately.
He's nailing em hard on how the extreme kook left is not playing well, and even the myopic, in-crowd msm are afraid of the backlash. They don't even want to cover Reids rebuttal today or give headlines to Kerry's latest label applied to soldiers. Meanwhile Hillary takes fire from both sides.
But forewarned, she will use the nutz to make herself appear moderate without really changing much.
If it falls flat and is cancelled, I would applaud.
Democrats Now Working for Enemies of US
http://www.michnews.com/artman/publish/article_10667.shtml
FRAUD IN LOUISIANA: NEW ORLEANS
http://www.michnews.com/artman/publish/article_10666.shtml
Plan B Activist Admits Easy Access Has Not Reduced Pregnancies or Abortions
http://www.michnews.com/artman/publish/article_10661.shtml
Deans comments remind people how weak the Dems are on defense.
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1296654/posts
Above URL was my post 12/7/2004
Thank You
"FRAUD IN LOUISIANA: NEW ORLEANS "
Spent four yrs at Tulane in mid-seventies, for me Fraud in NOLA is NOT news LOL.
Applauding Samuel Johnson. A true American, A True Hero. GOD Bless him.
Levin said yesterday that Rush eats doughnuts with ketchup, maybe he's listening to the Great One.
"Deans comments remind people how weak the Dems are on defense."
Zell's "Spitballs" comment drove that point home.
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