Once upon a time, America was protected from invasion by foreign governments just by nature of its geography. America stood alone. European and Asian countries were far away and the possibility of an attack on American soil was not sound military strategy. Also, the two oceans surrounding the country provided a natural barrier from a direct attack.
Indeed, the only country to invade America was the British during the War of 1812. However, since Britain already had a military presence on the Continent, this was hardly an invasion.
Then on December 7, 1941, the safety net disappeared, the world became smaller, and life in America changed forever. Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor and almost destroyed the entire Pacific fleet.
Map of Pearl Harbor
The Attack – December 7, 1941
Just before 08:00 on December 7, 1941 (a Sunday morning), hundreds of Japanese fighter planes descended on the U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
At 08:10, a Japanese fighter dropped a 1,800 – pound bomb on the USS Arizona. The bomb smashed through the deck of the battleship and landed in the forward ammunition magazine. The ship exploded and sank with more than 1,000 sailors trapped inside.
Soon after the USS Arizona sank, torpedoes pierced the shell of the battleship USS Oklahoma. The USS Oklahoma lost balance, rolled, and went underwater with 400 sailors aboard.
The battle raged for a little over two hours. When it was over, every battleship in Pearl Harbor sustained significant damage. These battleships included: USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California, USS West Virginia, USS Utah, USS Maryland, USS Pennsylvania, USS Tennessee, and the USS Nevada. More than 2,400 Americans perished in the battle, including civilians, and another 1,000 were wounded.
The U.S. was somewhat lucky. The Pacific U.S. Carrier force was out to sea during the attack and did not sustain any damage. Also, the above listed battleships, with the exception of the USS Arizona and the USS Utah, were salvaged. Yes, the U.S. persevered and lived to fight another day.
America was shocked. How could this have happened? We entered, and won, WWI without an attack on American soil.* Although the threat of an attack from Japan was possible, the reality never set in.
The Day After – “Day of Infamy Speech”
The very next day, Monday, December 8, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress. The speech was delivered only 24 hours after the attack.
In his speech to Congress, Roosevelt acknowledged that America was under the pretense Japan was still negotiating.** However, he boldly stated that Japan had been deceiving the U.S. and was planning the attack while they were at the negotiating table.
“It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.”
Then Roosevelt turned to the American people. He separated fact from fiction and defined what was at stake.
“The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our Nation…There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.”
Once Roosevelt separated fact from fiction and defined what was at stake, he closed with a line bringing the American people together.
“With confidence in our armed forces – with unbounding determination of our people – we will gain the inevitable triumph – so help us God.”
The Aftermath
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan celebrated the success of the battle. However, Japan’s Admiral who planned the attack, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, did not feel a sense of celebration. He later wrote in his diary concerning the attack, “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”***
The U.S. ramped up industrial production of trucks and jeeps, tanks, half-tracks, artillery, heavy bombers, fighter planes, and ships of different classes and sizes.
On April 18, 1942, came the Doolittle raids. These raids involved launching B-25 bombers from the deck of the USS Hornet. The intent of these raids was to bomb Tokyo and make the Japanese people feel a sense of insecurity. It also gave the American Navy a needed boost in morale.
On June 4, 1942, the Battle of Midway was fought in the Pacific Theatre and stopped the Japanese Navy from ever invading another Pacific Island. Yes, it was one turning point in the battle for Naval superiority in the Pacific. From this point on, the U.S. was in a position to shrink the Japanese Empire by a strategy called, “island hopping.”
An End That Must Be Remembered
I don’t have to go into detail over how the story ends. If we paid attention during our high school history classes, we know the U.S., Britain, and Russia defeated the Axis Powers.
However, I do feel we have forgotten the great sacrifices made by our grandparents and parents. It was not a matter of political party or political beliefs. They worked together for a common cause and to defeat a common enemy. I hope that today, December 7, 2021, just 80 years after we were attacked, we truly stop and wonder what could have happened if these great men and women did not rise to the cause or carry the burden. Please stop and reflect.
Notes:
*Except for what occurred in Mexico during this time period (WWI), the threat of an all out attack on American soil from the Central Powers never existed.
**Japan declared war on China in 1937 resulting in the Nanking Massacre and other atrocities. American officials responded to this aggression with numerous economic sanctions and trade embargoes. The U.S. and Japan were negotiating the opening of trade between the two countries.
***At one time, it was believed Admiral Yamamoto spoke these words soon after the battle on his aircraft carrier. However, this was proved to be false (but it did produce some great Hollywood sensationalism). Later, it was believed Admiral Yamamoto wrote these words in his diary, and this belief was never disputed by his family or Japan.
Documents from the Battle:
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