Pearl Harbor Day 2017

[Keith Outten]

A reminder to those of you who may not remember the significance of this day.

From Wikipedia:

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_strike) by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Japanese_Navy_Air_Service) against the United States (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States) naval base (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Station_Pearl_Harbor) at Pearl Harbor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_Harbor), Hawaii Territory (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territory_of_Hawaii), on the morning of December 7, 1941. The attack, also known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor, led to the United States' entry into World War II (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II). The Japanese military leadership (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_General_Headquarters) referred to the attack as the Hawaii Operation and Operation AI, and as Operation Z during its planning.

Japan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_Japan) intended the attack as a preventive (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preventive_war) action to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Pacific_Fleet) from interfering with military actions they planned in Southeast Asia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asia) against overseas territories of the United Kingdom (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom), the Netherlands (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands), and the United States. Over the next seven hours there were coordinated Japanese attacks on the U.S.-held Philippines (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines_Campaign_(1941%E2%80%9342)), Guam (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Guam_(1941)) and Wake Island (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wake_Island) and on the British Empire (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire) in Malaya (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_invasion_of_Malaya), Singapore (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Singapore#Outbreak_of_war), and Hong Kong (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hong_Kong).

The attack commenced at 7:48 a.m. Hawaiian Time (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Time) (18:18 UTC). The base was attacked by 353 Imperial Japanese aircraft (including fighters (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighter_aircraft), level and dive bombers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bomber), and torpedo bombers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torpedo_bomber)) in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_carrier). All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four sunk. All but the USS Arizona (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Arizona_(BB-39)) were later raised, and six were returned to service and went on to fight in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruiser), three destroyers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destroyer), an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minelayer). One hundred eighty-eight U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded. Important base installations such as the power station, dry dock (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_dock), shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Station_Hypo)), were not attacked. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midget_submarine) lost, and 64 servicemen killed. One Japanese sailor, Kazuo Sakamaki (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazuo_Sakamaki), was captured.

The surprise attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led directly to the American entry into World War II in both the Pacific (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_War) and European theaters (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_theatre_of_World_War_II). The following day, December 8, the United States declared war (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_declaration_of_war_upon_Japan) on Japan, and several days later, on December 11, Germany (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_declaration_of_war_against_the_United_State s_(1941)) and Italy declared war on the U.S. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_declaration_of_war_on_the_United_States) The U.S. responded with a declaration of war against Germany (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1941_United_States_declaration_of_war_upon_Germany ) and Italy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_declaration_of_war_upon_Italy). Domestic support for non-interventionism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_non-interventionism#Isolationism_shortly_before_WWII), which had been fading since the Fall of France (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_France) in 1940, disappeared.

There were numerous historical precedents for unannounced military action by Japan, but the lack of any formal warning, particularly while negotiations were still apparently ongoing, led President Franklin D. Roosevelt (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt) to proclaim December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infamy_Speech)". Because the attack happened without a declaration of war and without explicit warning, the attack on Pearl Harbor was later judged in the Tokyo Trials (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Military_Tribunal_for_the_Far_East) to be a war crime (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_war_crimes).

[Art Mann]

I appreciate your bringing this great tragedy to our attention. As some wise person said "Those who do not learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them".

[Mike Ontko]

I had the opportunity to make repeated visits to the Pearl Harbor Naval Base during my first couple of years in the Navy ('81 to '87). Aside from just the Arizona Memorial, it seemed (to me, at least) that there was still quite a bit of nostalgia left behind, in the buildings, markers, and just the general feel of the base. A few of us even made a trip up to Schofield Barracks to get a perspective on what that part of the attack must've been like.

[George Bokros]

I did not hear one mention of Pearl Harbor Day on the news today and I listen to CNN many times during the day.

[Keith Outten]

Fox News ran a piece at noon today showcasing a small group of WWII Veterans visiting the white House and President Trump. At 6pm Fox ran anther story about Pearl Harbor.

[Lee Schierer]

If you ever get to Hawaii be sure to visit the Arizona Memorial. It brings everything you knew about Pearl Harbor into focus.
373179373180373181

[Bill McNiel]

Thank you for remembering Keith,

Seems like we have so much bizarre behavior in DC and fires in Southern Calif. that there is no room left in the news for remembering the lives lost on this date. My parents were living on the Makai side of Diamond Head on Dec 7th and were eating breakfast on their Lanai when the attack started. My Father, who was the Chief Medical Consultant to the Pacific Armed Forces, left immediately for the Base Hospital. My Uncle, an Air Force pilot, was "shot down" before he even got his plane's engine started. My Mother's Godson had arrived in Hawaii just two weeks prior to the attack having been sent there by his parents to avoid the German bombings in England. My Mother's diary of the events of Dec 7th and life in the Islands during the war is most illuminating and interesting.

Had the Japanese launched their second wave of planes or invaded Hawaii following the attack or had our Aircraft carriers been in port the War in the Pacific would probably have been very different.

Regards - Bill

[Mark Blatter]

As you read the list of sailors that died on the Arizona, it is amazing how many sets of brothers served and died together. I have visited many times over the years, and always come away with a sense of awe for those that died fighting that day. I read many books about WW2 when I was in middle school and high school, books like Guadalcanal Diary, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, Midway and others. I waited every year for the annual showing of PT-109 around Christmas time. Not sure if that drove me to join the Navy or not, but my one regret from the service was picking to serve on the east coast and not the west. I have always agreed that that generation truely was the Greatest. They were tempered with the Depression in preparation for what was to come.

Thanks to all that served back then. Til the day he died, my father was proud that he was able to serve. He joined the Navy shortly after he turned 17 and was training for the invasion of Japan when they dropped the two bombs. He lost a brother in Europe and had another seving in Europe as well. Typical of so many farm boys from that time.

Thanks again

[Frederick Skelly]

Good post Keith. Thank you.

[michael langman]

Two of my uncles were threre, in the navy, the day of the attack and an aunt. They both survived, thankfully, but t was a sad day indeed.

[Ole Anderson]

My dad, who served in the Pacific, would never let us forget. Now it is easy as my oldest just celebrated his 50th on December 7.

[Mac McQuinn]

My dad was 15 at the time of Pearl Harbor and two years later at(17) had his mother sign for him to enter the Navy. He served in the Pacific as a Seabee. When he returned from the Navy, he enlisted a year later into the Army. This was just after the war and he served once again, mostly in the Pacifc. I have a bit of trench art he produced while in the Pacific, a ring made from a bit of a Japanese Zero, tooth brush handle materials for the "stones" and an unknown material for his initials. He always talked about the friends he made over there although never about what he saw or experienced.
Mac

[George Bokros]

My dad was 15 at the time of Pearl Harbor and two years later at(17) had his mother sign for him to enter the Navy. He served in the Pacific as a Seabee.
Mac

My Dad too served in the Seabee's in the Pacific.

[Stewie Simpson]

A reminder to those of you who may not remember the significance of this day.

From Wikipedia:

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_strike) by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Japanese_Navy_Air_Service) against the United States (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States) naval base (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Station_Pearl_Harbor) at Pearl Harbor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_Harbor), Hawaii Territory (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territory_of_Hawaii), on the morning of December 7, 1941. The attack, also known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor, led to the United States' entry into World War II (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II). The Japanese military leadership (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_General_Headquarters) referred to the attack as the Hawaii Operation and Operation AI, and as Operation Z during its planning.

Japan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_Japan) intended the attack as a preventive (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preventive_war) action to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Pacific_Fleet) from interfering with military actions they planned in Southeast Asia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asia) against overseas territories of the United Kingdom (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom), the Netherlands (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands), and the United States. Over the next seven hours there were coordinated Japanese attacks on the U.S.-held Philippines (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines_Campaign_(1941%E2%80%9342)), Guam (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Guam_(1941)) and Wake Island (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wake_Island) and on the British Empire (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire) in Malaya (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_invasion_of_Malaya), Singapore (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Singapore#Outbreak_of_war), and Hong Kong (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hong_Kong).

The attack commenced at 7:48 a.m. Hawaiian Time (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_Time) (18:18 UTC). The base was attacked by 353 Imperial Japanese aircraft (including fighters (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighter_aircraft), level and dive bombers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bomber), and torpedo bombers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torpedo_bomber)) in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_carrier). All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four sunk. All but the USS Arizona (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Arizona_(BB-39)) were later raised, and six were returned to service and went on to fight in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruiser), three destroyers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destroyer), an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minelayer). One hundred eighty-eight U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded. Important base installations such as the power station, dry dock (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_dock), shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Station_Hypo)), were not attacked. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midget_submarine) lost, and 64 servicemen killed. One Japanese sailor, Kazuo Sakamaki (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazuo_Sakamaki), was captured.

The surprise attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led directly to the American entry into World War II in both the Pacific (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_War) and European theaters (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_theatre_of_World_War_II). The following day, December 8, the United States declared war (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_declaration_of_war_upon_Japan) on Japan, and several days later, on December 11, Germany (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_declaration_of_war_against_the_United_State s_(1941)) and Italy declared war on the U.S. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_declaration_of_war_on_the_United_States) The U.S. responded with a declaration of war against Germany (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1941_United_States_declaration_of_war_upon_Germany ) and Italy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_declaration_of_war_upon_Italy). Domestic support for non-interventionism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_non-interventionism#Isolationism_shortly_before_WWII), which had been fading since the Fall of France (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_France) in 1940, disappeared.

There were numerous historical precedents for unannounced military action by Japan, but the lack of any formal warning, particularly while negotiations were still apparently ongoing, led President Franklin D. Roosevelt (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt) to proclaim December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infamy_Speech)". Because the attack happened without a declaration of war and without explicit warning, the attack on Pearl Harbor was later judged in the Tokyo Trials (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Military_Tribunal_for_the_Far_East) to be a war crime (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_war_crimes).

Keith; you may want to read the following; http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=1930

[Keith Outten]

Stewie,

I was aware that the US Government had imposed economic sanctions against the Empire of Japan. I can also understand why they may have felt that their existence was being threatened which is why Japan was negotiating with the US Government at the time. The two things I don't understand are why Japan decided to attack American soil without declaring war first since they were supposed to be a culture that placed great value in being an honorable people. Secondly I will never understand why President Roosevelt deliberately withheld military intell from our forces at Pearl Harbor and risked losing so many military assets. I doubt he was concerned with the loss of life, it was probably an acceptable loss in order to gain access to the war and help Europe...particularly the British.

Since we cannot discuss politics here the rest of the story will have to be told elsewhere.

[Mike Kreinhop]

... I don't understand are why Japan decided to attack American soil without declaring war first since they were supposed to be a culture that placed great value in being an honorable people.

The 14-part message that the Japanese ambassador was supposed to deliver to the White House by 1300 was delayed until after 1400 because the message took too long to decrypt. By then the attack on Pearl Harbor had already started and Admiral Yamamoto had no way of knowing the message had not been delivered as planned. While the content of the message didn't really pass as a declaration of war, the fact that the Japanese government issued the message likely meant it knew to comply with the Hague Convention.

[Mike Kreinhop]

If you ever get to Hawaii be sure to visit the Arizona Memorial. It brings everything you knew about Pearl Harbor into focus.
373179

I lived in Hawaii as a child in the mid-60s, and we used to go to the old Pearl Harbor to fish for barracuda. A lot of the original piers and equipment were still in place and oil was constantly seeping up from whatever was below. I remember seeing the oil on the surface of the water at the Arizona Monument.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Stewie,

I was aware that the US Government had imposed economic sanctions against the Empire of Japan. I can also understand why they may have felt that their existence was being threatened which is why Japan was negotiating with the US Government at the time. The two things I don't understand are why Japan decided to attack American soil without declaring war first since they were supposed to be a culture that placed great value in being an honorable people. Secondly I will never understand why President Roosevelt deliberately withheld military intell from our forces at Pearl Harbor and risked losing so many military assets. I doubt he was concerned with the loss of life, it was probably an acceptable loss in order to gain access to the war and help Europe...particularly the British.

Since we cannot discuss politics here the rest of the story will have to be told elsewhere.

Keith, thank you for posting the reminder.

Among the unmentioned (at least in that article) historical reasons for the sanctions were the unprovoked invasion of China (including the bombing of an American warship), the unprovoked invasion of French Indochina, and the generally barbaric way the Japanese conducted themselves (e.g. Nanking). It is also true that the United States was generally aligned with Britain, and there is no doubt that we wanted to discourage further aggression against the Dutch possessions, Singapore, etc., particularly after Japan formally joined the Axis in 1940.

Attacking without a declaration of war was pretty much the Japanese modus operandi at the time. They started the Russo-Japanese war with an attack on the Russian naval forces in the Far East three hours prior to the declaration of war.