Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941

For those of you out and about today you may have noticed that flags are flying half-mast in memory of those who gave their lives for their country at Pearl Harbor 68 years ago. This single act was the foremost reason why the United States of America entered World War II. How could one event so alter the mindset of so many Americans who, up until this, were largely opposed to any kind of war after the devastation seen from The Great War.

General Isoruku Yamamoto and Captain Minoru Genda of the Japanese army began heading up plans for an attack on Pearl Harbor in the very beginning of 1941. Despite a lengthy training process, the attack was not approved by Emperor Hirohito until November of 1941 and authorization was given December 1st. Although suspecting some kind of attack to come from Japan, U.S. intelligence didn't believe that Japan had the manpower or the guts to pose an attack on Pearl Harbor.

Why did Japan do it??

Their first aim was to destroy America's presence in the Pacific, preventing any American interference in their goals to take over the Dutch East Indies. Secondly, the Japanese wished to buy time and increase the strength of their navy before the newly built battleships sanctioned by America's Vinson-Walsh Act were completed and made operable. It was also intended to crush American morale, trying to show the Americans that the Japanese were far superior to American military and think that any form of retaliation would be futile.

How did Japan do it??
If America is the great nation of defense that it is, how did the Japanese submarines and fighter planes get so close to Pearl Harbor without any detection?

On November 26, submarines set out from Japan en route to Pearl Harbor. Loaded with enough artillery to wipe out the entire island, the Japanese embarked on what, for many of them would be, a suicide mission. The aircrafts took flight not 20km off of the Oahu shore. Although the Japanese aircrafts were actually spotted a fair distance away, they were thought to be USAAF arriving from the mainland. This terrible mistake would prove incredibly costly.

At 0748 hours Hawaii time, the first wave of 353 Japanese fighter planes attacked. Some of the first planes were instructed to induce the most crucial of blows, attacking U.S.S. battleships with torpedoes while the others, the kamikazes, were to dive-bomb into the U.S. air bases of Hickham and Wheeler. While still other planes attacked the Air Corps' Bellows Field.

Disoriented soldiers awoke to the sounds of sirens and bombings, the infamous words "Air raid Pearl Harbor. This is not a drill" echoed through their minds as they tried to push through the mist of their bleary-eyes and get to their stations. The airplanes that they had were stocked so close together, in order to prevent sabotage, it took hours to get any kind of aerial counter-attack going.

Ninety minutes after it started, the attack was over. Devastation littered the shore as 2,386 Americans were killed and another 1,139 wounded. Eighteen ships were sunk or run aground, five of which were battleships.

Countless U.S. battleships were hit:
The U.S.S California was sunk by two bombs and two torpedoes. It may have been able to have been kept afloat but the crew was ordered to abandon ship. 100 soldiers were lost and 62 wounded.
The U.S.S. West Virginia was hit by seven torpedoes, the last of which tore apart her rudder and sent her to the bottom. Captain Mervyn S. Bennion was on the bridge of the ship when it was attacked. Despite being struck in the abdomen by a sharp fragment of one of the bombs, he fought against death and commanded the ship until she was abandoned, saving the lives of many of his crew. He was awarded the Medal of Honor. Doris Miller, a cook onboard, carried the Captain to safety and manned an anti-aircraft gun without having ever done so before. He was the first African American to be awarded the Navy Cross. 66 bodies were found dead in the ship. 3 of which showed evidence after the ship's sinking to have lived on emergency rations until December 23rd, trapped in the sub, unable to escape.
The U.S.S. Oklahoma was hit by four torpedoes, the final blow proved fatal, causing it to capsize. An estimated 429 men were killed or lost upon her sinking. Although many of the other battleships were salvaged and restored, the Oklahoma was not.
The U.S.S Nevada was bombarded with fire upon trying to exit the harbor. Since she was already damaged due to a torpedo before, the Nevada was intentionally run aground to prevent blocking of the harbor's entrance.
The most desolating of these sinkings was, without a doubt, the U.S.S Arizona. Of the American casualties, nearly half were caused by the cataclysmic explosion of the forward magazine of the Arizona. Lieutenant Commander Samuel G. Fuqua was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery and calmness under fire. His rationale and forward thinking allowed for many of the people onboard to escape.

Though meant to have been sent just prior to the attack, the Japanese declaration of war on America was not received until the following day, December 8th. President Franklin D. Roosevelt formerly declared war on Japan that same day during his speech, December 7, 1941 - A Day that will Live in Infamy.

If you happen to know someone who served at Pearl Harbor, be sure to give them a call or a word of thanks, in appreciation for what they did all those years ago that is likely as vivid in their minds as yesterday.