Today is December 7th.......remember?.... it's Pearl Harbor Day!See...There is a reason a bunch of channels are for some reason showing old World War II movies like Tora!Tora!Tora! today...
So here's your history lesson for today:
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Japanese navy against the US at the naval base of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941. This attack later resulted in the United States becoming militarily involved in World War II. It was originally intended as a preventive action to keep the U.S. from influencing the war Japan was planning to wage in Southeast Asia. The attack consisted of two aerial attack waves totaling 353 aircraft, launched from six Japanese aircraft carriers.
The attack sank four U.S. Navy battleships (two of which were raised and returned to service late in the war) and damaged four more. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, and one minelayer, destroyed 188 aircraft, and caused personnel losses of 2,402 killed and 1,282 wounded. Japanese losses were minimal, at 29 aircraft and five submarines, with 65 servicemen killed or wounded.
The strike was intended to neutralize the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and hence protect Japan's advance into Malaysia and the Dutch East Indies, where Japan sought access to natural resources such as oil and rubber.
The attack sank four U.S. Navy battleships (two of which were raised and returned to service late in the war) and damaged four more. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, and one minelayer, destroyed 188 aircraft, and caused personnel losses of 2,402 killed and 1,282 wounded. Japanese losses were minimal, at 29 aircraft and five submarines, with 65 servicemen killed or wounded.
The strike was intended to neutralize the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and hence protect Japan's advance into Malaysia and the Dutch East Indies, where Japan sought access to natural resources such as oil and rubber.
In 1940, the U.S. halted shipments of airplanes, parts, machine tools, and aviation gasoline, which was perceived by Japan as an unfriendly act. The U.S. did not stop oil exports to Japan at that time in part because prevailing sentiment in Washington was that such an action would be an extreme step, given Japanese dependence on U.S. oil, and likely to be considered a provocation by Japan.
Following Japanese expansion into French Indochina after the fall of France, the U.S. ceased oil exports to Japan in the Summer of 1941, in part because of new American restrictions on domestic oil consumption. As the Japanese high command was certain any attack on the United Kingdom's Southeast Asian colonies would bring the U.S. into the war, a preventive strike appeared to be the only way for Japan to avoid U.S. naval interference.
Following Japanese expansion into French Indochina after the fall of France, the U.S. ceased oil exports to Japan in the Summer of 1941, in part because of new American restrictions on domestic oil consumption. As the Japanese high command was certain any attack on the United Kingdom's Southeast Asian colonies would bring the U.S. into the war, a preventive strike appeared to be the only way for Japan to avoid U.S. naval interference.
The attack was an important engagement of World War II. Unintentionally occurring before a formal declaration of war (which had been scheduled to be delivered shortly prior to the attack beginning), it pushed U.S. public opinion from isolationism to the acceptance of participation in the war being unavoidable. The lack of warning led President Roosevelt to call it "a date which will live in infamy".
The bottom line is, we got caught by surprise and the Japanese beat us up pretty badly. At the time, the Empire of Japan had quite a large war machine and they decided to use it on us. The result that day for us was disastrous.
However, many in the Japanese navy at the time knew this would undoubtedly bring the U.S. into the war against them and predicted their ultimate demise. Japanese Admiral Yamamoto upon learning the fact that America did not receive the declaration of war until 55 minutes after the attack started, noted that nothing would infuriate the Americans more. He is quoted as saying "I fear that all we have done is awakened a sleeping giant, and filled him with a terrible resolve." Later, Admiral Hara Tadaichi summed up the Japanese result by saying, "We won a great tactical victory at Pearl Harbor and thereby lost the war."We should remember Pearl Harbor Day. There is a lesson to be learned here and we could be in trouble if we forget it. The attack was the 9/11 of its day. We have to be vigilant and prepared. Most importantly, we should remember those men and women who, without any warning, were killed just for being American and for defending our freedom. Occasionally, I'll see a guy wearing a shirt or hat that says Pearl Harbor Survivor. You used to see it on some licence plates but I doubt even very few of those people are still driving. However, when I do see it, I think about what kind of hell that day must have been and how that one single day changed those people's lives forever. It could happen again... I hope it doesn't.
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