You all know what that date is: December 7th, 1941 when the naval base of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was surprisingly attacked by the Japanese navy. This attack brought the United States into World War II.
At 6:09 a.m. on December 7, six Japanese carriers launched the first wave of 183 planes that included: dive bombers, horizontal bombers and fighters. The Japanese hit American ships and military installations at 7:55 a.m. That first wave attacked Ford Island. At 8:30 a.m. the second wave of 180 Japanese torpedo bombers, attacked the fleet anchored in Pearl Harbor. The battleship Arizona was hit with an armor piercing bomb that penetrated the forward ammunition compartment. The bomb blew the ship apart and it sunk within seconds.
All together nine U.S. fleet ships were sunk (two of them were raised out of the ocean and returned to service later in the war) and twenty-one ships were severely damaged. Three of the twenty-one were irreparable. The Japanese sank and damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, one minelayer, and 188 aircraft. The power station, shipyard, maintenance, fuel and torpedo storage facilities, the submarine piers, and the headquarters building (home of the intelligence section) of Pearl Harbor were not hit.
The death toll of the attack reached 2,350, including 68 civilians, and 1,178 injured. The loss of military personnel at Pearl Harbor was1,177 and they were from the Arizona. The Japanese losses were minimal with 29 aircraft, 5 midget submarines and 65 servicemen killed or wounded.
This attack by the Japanese was intended to subdue the US Pacific Fleet and protect Japan’s advance into Malaya and the Dutch East Indies. Both the US and Japan had long standing plans for war in the Pacific that were always updated as strains between the two countries constantly increased during the 1930’s.
The attack was an important encounter of World War II. Though the US has already been planning to deliver a formal declaration of war, this event brought it to pass sooner than the government had intended and pushed the US public assessment from isolationism of war to the acceptance of participating in it as being inescapable. The lack of warning led President Roosevelt to call December 7th “a date which will live in infamy.”
December 7th has lived in infamy for 68 years. The living survivors, of whom the numbers are dwindling, remember that day with sadness because of the comrades they lost and the heavy blow it left them.
Remembering our veterans is a very important task that shows we appreciate their service to our country. So on “the date that will live in infamy” take a moment to remember the 2,402 killed and 1,282 wounded at Pearl Harbor and if you know a veteran who was there, let them know that you appreciate their service!
©AmandaDixon2009
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Tags: 1941, A Date That Will Live In Infamy, America, Arizona, battleship, bomb, December 7, dive bombers, editorials, fighters, fleet, Hawaii, Japan, Japanese, killed, military, Navy, Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, president, Roosevelt, United States, war, weapons, World War II, WWII
December 7th, 2009 at 1:41 am
Great post, Amanda! Our troops past and present deserve so much more gratitude than they’ve been getting…they need to know how much we appreciate their sacrificial service to this great country.
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December 7th, 2009 at 8:02 am
Thank you for that, Amanda. I will be reading this to our children today!
Love in Christ,
Michelle
Michelle´s last blog ..WhyThe Sword and Rose?
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December 7th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Thank you for posting this to remind folks the importance of this sad day…
Jeannie´s last blog ..Step Back
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December 8th, 2009 at 9:29 am
Dear Amanda,
Thank you for taking the time during this busy season to memorialize one of the most devastating attacks in our country’s history. It is so important now, more than ever, to remember the sacrifice so many have made so we can continue to live and worship in freedom. Thanks for your post.
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December 12th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Thank you for taking the time to write this.
I enjoyed reading it.
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