December 7th marks 63 years since Japan attacked Pearl Harbor
We are approaching an important day in the recent history of the United States. Recent because all of our senior citizens were born when World War II began. On December 7, it will have been 63 years since Japan launched its attack on our country and plunged us into World War II. That event launched our nation on a new course to an unforeseen level of power and greatness.
It was a day of death or sorrow and heroism. It was a day of temporary defeat for one nation and of temporary victory for another. The beginning of World War II was an event that would immediately change many American’s lives, eventually before it was over, it would change the lives of every person on the face of the earth.
The attack on Pearl Harbor, as predicted by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto would “Awaken a sleeping tiger.” It set the stage for future wars and accelerated the quest for knowledge in a host of scientific fields.
The sneak attack brought an immediate reaction of unprecedented unity from the American people. Families from every class sent their sons and daughters to war, women joined the industrial work force, and no one was untouched by the effort to bring all of United States resources to bear for the war effort. The U.S. war plans strategy had been “Europe first,” but the Japanese attack caused a far greater effort to be directed early on to the Pacific than would otherwise have been expected and fueled the will of the U.S. to completely defeat Japan regardless of the cost.
Most everyone who was of grammar school age or older on that day can remember exactly what they were doing, where they were and what their immediate reaction was. For those who were eyewitnesses to the events of that day, the memories are vivid. For others, the memories are of interest because they would soon become players in the many dramas that would follow over the course of not years, but decades.
The raid began that Sunday morning at 7:58 a.m. with the first wave of Japanese aircraft, consisting of 49 high-level bombers; 51 dive bombers and 51 fighters. By 8 a.m., two battleships had been dealt fatal blows and hundreds of American sailors had been killed. In harbor were 26 destroyers, five cruisers and eight battleships. Most of the officers and men of the battleship Arizona were aboard when the first bombs and torpedoes began to rip it apart. Of its crew of 1,400, 1,103 were killed. The Oklahoma was next in line and by a few minutes after 8, it rolled completely over, destroyed by three huge torpedoes in its hull.
The Tennessee and West Virginia were next in line. The West Virginia, outboard of the pair, took six or seven torpedoes but it was saved from the Oklahoma’s fate by an exceptionally alert and well-trained crew. By the time the sailors discovered what was happening, it was almost too late, but hundreds of men were brought topside and saved. The California was the southernmost and least prepared for war. It was considered completely unprepared for an admiral’s inspection. Its magazine was hit and it rapidly settled into the mud.
Within two hours, the navy lost 2,000 men killed and 710 wounded, while the army and marines lost 327 killed and 433 wounded. Also killed were 70 civilians, mostly airfield workers, as were a few Honolulu residents.
The total military active duty personnel of the U.S. Armed Forces during the Second World War reached 12,123,455. Of that number, 292,131 were killed and 671,278 were wounded. Over 78,000 still remain missing in action and unaccounted for yet today.
The memory of Pearl Harbor on that fateful December 7, 1941 must remain in the mind of succeeding generations as a symbol of the price we had to pay for a lack of alertness and preparedness. Pearl Harbor must ever be the symbol of the consequence of underestimating the threats to peace and world stability. It’s a lesson that the men and women of this country do not want to see repeated. We must ensure that the nation remains strong enough at all times to preserve and defend its freedom. Peace through strength.
This information is presented here for the purpose of bringing back memories to those old enough to have been living at the beginning of the Second World War by The American Legion, Department of Missouri, David Shafer, Commander in conjunction with your local Bazan-Bailey American Legion Post 6, Kevin Bartholmey, Commander. Play bingo with us every Saturday night. Proceeds go towards community youth and veteran programs.
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