Pearl Harbor Day

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor 73 years ago today and sadly but inevitably most of the guys who answered the call to arms and sacrificed everything have either passed on or are rapidly headed in that direction. God Bless 'em!

I turned 7 years old after the Pearl Harbor attack. I remember listening to the radio reports on that Sunday and listening to FDR"S speech later.

We lost neighbor kid (2 brothers) on the Arizona that day.

We have a few left in this area, click below
Link

Thank you for the reminder.

I was thinking of my grandfather that was there.Still have a picture of one ship trying to get out of the harbor he gave me. Said he saw the Arizona jump out of the water. Everyone said he was seeing things. Later photos showed he was telling the truth.

Sadly in today's world most have no idea what those guys went through. Are care.

My father joined up in 1944. Navy Fleet tug. Got through the Kamakazi attacks with only a few wounds.Never really talked about it until later in life.

Our local newspaper today has some short stories of 6 guys that lived through the bombing. They are all late 80 to early 90's in age. Just reading their story is horrifying.

We must never forget.

December 7, 1941 was my seventh birthday, too.

Tragic event indeed. Too bad our president betrayed the US and blamed Admiral Kimmel was left holding the bag.

Just finished reading an updated history of the Arizona. Of the 335 that survived the bombing, only 9 remain. Youngest is 91, oldest is 100. Too soon, they also will slip beneath the waves.

(quoted from post at 07:19:19 12/07/14) I was thinking of my grandfather that was there.Still have a picture of one ship trying to get out of the harbor he gave me. Said he saw the Arizona jump out of the water. Everyone said he was seeing things. Later photos showed he was telling the truth.

Sadly in today's world most have no idea what those guys went through. Are care.

My father joined up in 1944. Navy Fleet tug. Got through the Kamakazi attacks with only a few wounds.Never really talked about it until later in life.

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The ship trying to get out of the harbor was probably the battleship Nevada. She was damaged. Her captain was headed for the entrance to the harbor, but was afraid that if the Nevada sunk in the entrance that it would bottle up the harbor for a long time. So he didn't want the ship to sink, and intentionally ran it aground. Normally, grounding you ship is the end of your career, I would say he was given a medal instead.

Gene

Gene I just dug it out. Picture is of the USS Phoneix CL-46. If you look it up. The picture shown with the smoke rising. Is the one I have. Plus the negative for it. I know it is not rare but I am proud to have it.

May god bless them. Bob

Lost a 1st cousin that day, they didn't find any remains of him anywhere.
He was a farm boy from Nebraska, just turned 18, had never heard of Pearl Harbor till he joined the Navy.
When my uncle found out the gov. version and the real truth were two different things, he quit being a nnalert.

Many of the survivors of the USS Arizona have, upon passing, chosen to be forever interred with their shipmates in the wreckage.

Dean
USS Arizona Internment Ceremony

The HECK those men went through is unimaginable. They ALL deserve the utmost respect. It is sad that there are getting to be very few left. We need their council on today's issues.

I hope and PRAY that we are vigilant but my gut tells me we are not as prepared as we should be.

The scary thing to me is that we seem to heading toward having the same thing happen to us again. The political class want to police the world but with a smaller and smaller military.

I trust China about as far as I could throw them. An Russia is getting full of themselves again. Then you add in this nnalert State group and you have a world that is just about as dangerous as it was in 1941.

I was reading about the salvage of the sunken ships. Many were floated again within a few months. Most went back into service. I wonder if this could be accomplished today with all the regulations? Stan

I lived in Hawaii for several years back in the sixties, visited Arizona memorial several times, teared up each time I read the plaque and list of names there. Worked for the company that did the sound recording for the movie "Tora Tora Tora"

(quoted from post at 09:55:17 12/07/14) The HECK those men went through is unimaginable. They ALL deserve the utmost respect. It is sad that there are getting to be very few left. We need their council on today's issues.

I hope and PRAY that we are vigilant but my gut tells me we are not as prepared as we should be.

The scary thing to me is that we seem to heading toward having the same thing happen to us again. The political class want to police the world but with a smaller and smaller military.

I trust China about as far as I could throw them. An Russia is getting full of themselves again. Then you add in this nnalert State group and you have a world that is just about as dangerous as it was in 1941.

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We were not ready in 1941, they sent the Marines into Guadalcanal unprepared. We really were not ready to fight WWII until some time in 43. Just like today. We don't have the military might to fight 2 small wars without increasing the size of the active force and calling up the National Guard. We are about in the same boat as we were in Nov 41.

After 9/11 people were lining up to enlist. Just like they did in Dec 41 and early 42. Plus back then they had a rigidly enforce draft. I think should the need arise we can and would do it again. We had a completely volunteer force for both Iraq and Afghanistan. That speaks volumes about our young people today.

Rick

Old tanker I agree with you on the warm bodies BUTTTT we do not make much of the stuff they would need to fight with.

How would we manufacture much of the stuff that has gone over seas to China and India??? It is not as simple as switching products on a existing assembly line. The skill set needed to do much of the manufacturing is just not here anymore.

Like it or not a computer can't BUILD anything. It takes someone with the skills and knowledge to get the job done. That is what is in short supply.

I remember my first grade teacher telling the class about the Japanese attacking Pearl Harbor. Didn't really realize what that meant.

The bombing of Pearl was forgotten many, many years ago. That is why they are buying Japanese cars and equipment, because they do not care what the Japanese did in 41. Every time that Japanese car or piece of equipment is started up they are saying Thank You to Japan.

Very true.

Looked up USS Phoenx. She survived the war, was sold to Argentina in 1951, later named the General Belgrano, sunk by a British nuclear sub during the Falklands War. Only ship sunk by a nuclear sub.

KEH

As a high school student in Canada (1969)I had the chance to take electives. My passion was history and geography.As a neighbour,I had a fascination with my neighbour, "USA" (my great Grande Parents were married in Washington Sate Dec,22,1897)As time passed (1988)I was at the very emotional site of the ARIZONA. Such a horrific loss!
Bob...

Google will do a google doodle for some obscurely famous person who has been gone for 300 years, or will mark the day that some locally famous holiday exists. Pearl Harbor Day? Nope, once again, no google doodle.


It's a shame.

I always think of how depressing this Country must have been in 1942.....nothing went right for us in term of victories....so much catching up to do, so unprepared. And JD S is so right about the next time around, with too much of manufacturing having gone overseas in recent decades. What do we make anymore?

(quoted from post at 18:50:55 12/07/14) The bombing of Pearl was forgotten many, many years ago. That is why they are buying Japanese cars and equipment, because they do not care what the Japanese did in 41. Every time that Japanese car or piece of equipment is started up they are saying Thank You to Japan.

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How long do you carry a grudge? The Germans, Japanese and Italians all took part in WW2. Ireland refused to participate and we don't hold anything against them. Russia was on our side and they are still the enemy. In WW1 Italy was on our side and so was Japan. The Spanish fought us in the Spanish American war and in the war for Texas int he 1830's. We fought in Nicaragua and Hondouras in the 20's and 30's and Cuba in the 50's. The North and South fought in the 1860s and we fought the British in the 1770's/80's and again in 1812. We fought the French in the 1750's and all those indians too. Go back further and my family was forcibly removed from their ancestral lands in Scotland by the British and Scotish gentry and long before that were killed by the Germans, French, Irish, English and Vikings at different times when they were known by different names (my folks were Picts). Just how long do you hold a grudge? Trust me, I've lived in Japan and there's lots of Japanese that hate America more than you hate them. What does it get you in the end? There's lots of Americans right now that were never held in slavery that want reparations for it. Same thing.

Of all the wars you mention how many were sneak
attacks, at 8:00 on a Sunday morning. In WW I
and WW II Germany had the decency to warn us to
stop doing something that was benefiting their
enemy and we continued.

We even warned Japan that something terrible
was going to happen if they did not sign a
peace treaty. After the first present was
delivered by air mail on August 6th and they
did not want to sign, they were told they would
get a second gift by air mail, and they made a
bad decision. It was too bad they did not have
a plane that would fly or a ship that would
float in August of 1945.

I refuse to say thank you to Japan, many
Americans say thank you every time they start
their Japanese car, motorcycle, boat motor or
piece of equipment, your choice.

There is a movie based on a true story about
what happened when the Japanese invaded Guam.
The movie is No Man Is An Island. Watch it and
see the nice Japanese at work.

"CL" That would have been a cruiser I think. There were probably a good number of ships that made it out after the fact. What I said about the Nevada was just something I remember reading. Most people associate the bombing to have sunk mostly battleships, but there were ships of all shapes and sizes there that day.

Any way you can let us see that pic? It sounds like you have a very neat piece of history there.

Gene

The USS Missouri is barred by law from even firing up its engines in Pearl Harbor (to much pollution) - getting something like the Oklahoma out of the mud would be impossible.

Yep. Moved the Pacific fleet to Pearl against the advice of senior admirals (even sacked one for saying it) that warned Pearl Harbor was not the place to base the fleet given its exposure and difficulty in keeping supplied. Putting the fleet in Pearl Harbor in 1940 was like jutting you chin out in prize fight and daring the other guy to punch it.

All the major repairs and refits had to be done state side - meaning half floating ships had to be towed from Hawaii to the west coast for repairs. Oklahoma was lost in tow and other major ships were just lucky (like the California).

The fleet sent to Pearl was in a sad state of repair. The newest battleships were nearly 20 years old - the oldest nearly 30 years old. The ENTIRE antiaircraft suite on the Oklahoma consisted on 4 50 caliber M2 machine guns - a joke under any condition - even during WW1. Even worse is the fact the US couldn't send it battleships into battle zones months after they had been updated (like the Maryland) they were held back from the fighting because the US couldn't keep them fueled - not enough fleet oilers existed. Lacking heavies cruisers fought the bloody gun battles in the Solomans while battleships cruised off the west coast on training missions.

(quoted from post at 12:04:56 12/08/14) Of all the wars you mention how many were sneak
attacks, at 8:00 on a Sunday morning. In WW I
and WW II Germany had the decency to warn us to
stop doing something that was benefiting their
enemy and we continued.

We even warned Japan that something terrible
was going to happen if they did not sign a
peace treaty. After the first present was
delivered by air mail on August 6th and they
did not want to sign, they were told they would
get a second gift by air mail, and they made a
bad decision. It was too bad they did not have
a plane that would fly or a ship that would
float in August of 1945.

I refuse to say thank you to Japan, many
Americans say thank you every time they start
their Japanese car, motorcycle, boat motor or
piece of equipment, your choice.

There is a movie based on a true story about
what happened when the Japanese invaded Guam.
The movie is No Man Is An Island. Watch it and
see the nice Japanese at work.

Click to expand...

"Sneak attack"? Maybe. More like "Ignored warning signs". The US gov't ignored the obvious with Japan prior to 12/7/41. The only real reason the Japnese attack was successful was because of American political arrogance. All Japanese were 5'2" buck toothed dummies that wore Coke bottle glasses. As with so many other events, like 9/11 or the Iranian Hostage Crisis, we (our gov't) just couldn't believe anyone would dare attack the USA. Stupidity is what brought Pearl Harbor to us. Dans post above covers some of that.

Yes, the Japanese were ruthless in war. While it's been glossed over and ignored, our guys did some nasty stuff too. No, not as bad as executing unarmed prisoners or running death camps, but there are no innocents in war. Our own people gave us a lot of our problems. Read "Left for Dead" about the story of Wake Island and how the supposed hero, Commander WS Cunningham, gave up and put his men in the hands of the Japanese. Maybe it's the Marine in me, but that was inexcusable IMO.

If you don't want to buy Japanese that's fine by me. I prefer not to buy products from any communist nation or any non US made products if I can. That's awfully hard to do these days.

Bret: To the Navy brass it was a complete surprise. Until Dec 7 1941 they did not believe that aircraft or the carrier were or would become the major striking force of the Navy. In 1925 they pushed the Army to court martial Billy Mitchell because he had accused the Navy brass of "treasonous" actions for buying battle ships instead of developing carriers. The Navy was run by senior officers who really thought that major seas engagements would be fought by battle ships. The battle ship admirals were the true power in the Navy just like the true power in the Army was infantry.

With the ships at Pearl the navy brass thought they would have plenty of time to spot an enemy task force and put to sea to meet it. They thought that if the Japanese Navy was to attack Pearl it would be them trying to sail into the harbor and using the cannons of the fleet to destroy as much as possible. By then Billy Mitchell was dead and the rest of the aviators, both AAC and Navy were being very careful of what they said and to who.

The fact the brass didn't want the fleet in Pearl is evident in the fact that the newest battle ships were not assigned to the Pacific Fleet.

One attack, lasting just a couple of hours, made the battle ship obsolete (even their shore bombardments later in the war were largely ineffective) and changed how navies planned to fight the next war. It also saw the senior brass change from being battle ship officers with a few submariners in there to being lead by aviators and sub guys.

Armored warfare in Europe saw Armor officers achieve high rank. The Army went back to infantry officers being the leaders because of Korea and Viet Nam but the cold war of the70's and 80's saw armor offices get back into some control. We expected a war with the Soviets that would have major armored battles.

The big thing with the Japanese in 1941 is that we knew very little about their Navy. Between WWI and WWII most of our intelligence was produced by the Army and Navy. Both only told the president and congress what they wanted them to hear. They used their Intel to justify their budget request. The Army's interest at the time was a larger force and completing the change over to the M1 rifle. That's why, even though they knew it the P40 was the primary fighter of the Army Air Corp in 41. The brass believe in bombers but paid scant attention to fighter. Money was tight. The Navy was in the same boat. They had performance data on the Zero but were not worried about aircraft. Heck everyone with a brain knew that aircraft couldn't sink a battle ship. The Marines at Midway were just starting to get the new, already obsolete F4F Wildcat in Jun 42. Most of the Marine fighter pilots who flew cover for the first attack on the Japanese fleet were flying the Brewster Buffalo bi wing fighter. None of them survived. And we had been at war for 6 months by then. That should give you an idea just what he brass thought about aircraft. The battle of Coral Sea was the first naval battle ever where the ships never got within sight of each other. Then Midway. Took the Navy a while to admit that the battle ship was obsolete as far as most surface engagements go. There was very few gun surface action battles and then only because aircraft were not there.

Rick

Bret: To the Navy brass it was a complete surprise. Until Dec 7 1941 they did not believe that aircraft or the carrier were or would become the major striking force of the Navy. In 1925 they pushed the Army to court martial Billy Mitchell because he had accused the Navy brass of "treasonous" actions for buying battle ships instead of developing carriers. The Navy was run by senior officers who really thought that major seas engagements would be fought by battle ships. The battle ship admirals were the true power in the Navy just like the true power in the Army was infantry.

With the ships at Pearl the navy brass thought they would have plenty of time to spot an enemy task force and put to sea to meet it. They thought that if the Japanese Navy was to attack Pearl it would be them trying to sail into the harbor and using the cannons of the fleet to destroy as much as possible. By then Billy Mitchell was dead and the rest of the aviators, both AAC and Navy were being very careful of what they said and to who.

The fact the brass didn't want the fleet in Pearl is evident in the fact that the newest battle ships were not assigned to the Pacific Fleet.

One attack, lasting just a couple of hours, made the battle ship obsolete (even their shore bombardments later in the war were largely ineffective) and changed how navies planned to fight the next war. It also saw the senior brass change from being battle ship officers with a few submariners in there to being lead by aviators and sub guys.

Armored warfare in Europe saw Armor officers achieve high rank. The Army went back to infantry officers being the leaders because of Korea and Viet Nam but the cold war of the70's and 80's saw armor offices get back into some control. We expected a war with the Soviets that would have major armored battles.

The big thing with the Japanese in 1941 is that we knew very little about their Navy. Between WWI and WWII most of our intelligence was produced by the Army and Navy. Both only told the president and congress what they wanted them to hear. They used their Intel to justify their budget request. The Army's interest at the time was a larger force and completing the change over to the M1 rifle. That's why, even though they knew it the P40 was the primary fighter of the Army Air Corp in 41. The brass believe in bombers but paid scant attention to fighter. Money was tight. The Navy was in the same boat. They had performance data on the Zero but were not worried about aircraft. Heck everyone with a brain knew that aircraft couldn't sink a battle ship. The Marines at Midway were just starting to get the new, already obsolete F4F Wildcat in Jun 42. Most of the Marine fighter pilots who flew cover for the first attack on the Japanese fleet were flying the Brewster Buffalo bi wing fighter. None of them survived. And we had been at war for 6 months by then. That should give you an idea just what he brass thought about aircraft. The battle of Coral Sea was the first naval battle ever where the ships never got within sight of each other. Then Midway. Took the Navy a while to admit that the battle ship was obsolete as far as most surface engagements go. There was very few gun surface action battles and then only because aircraft were not there.

Rick