December 7, 1941 - A Day In Infamy

I agree......

I remember every year. I was born at Queen Kap. Hospital just minutes away from Pearl.

I also asked my wife to merry me on Dec. 7th, 8 years ago..... So it can be a happy day as well.....

 

Its a shame how things like this tend to not be remembered so well after time. I did not see one thing on CNN's website about it being the anniversary of the attack on pearl harbor. I wasnt alive for it, so it didnt have the same impact as it did for those who actually remember it. As much as i hate to say it the same will probably happen to sept. 11, a day that is unforgettable to me, in 60 years.

 

I agree that we should never forget the sacrifice, of the service members and civilians.

o/t - It is amazing. They more I read, the more I realize how little the Japanese got for bombing Pearl Harbor. Oh yes they took out our offensive option for a year. - Our offensive option at the time (what was anchored at Pearl, and what was tied down at Hickam/Wheeler) was mostly obsolete equipment. What did Roosevelt get ? - A galvanized nation that had been against the war. - Anyway alot of the capital ships from Pearl, were repaired and modernized.


For an industrialized and competent race, the Japanese really dropped the ball in attacking the U.S. - There was no way to win. Yes they were not trying to occupy the West Coast. It was not like the Japanese could land troops in Califonia. Did they really think we would quit; if they occupied HI ? The wooden guns of 1940 did not help. Hopefully the Chinese of today, will never see any wooden guns in our military.

 

Yes, thankfully the carrier fleets were out to see at the time.

 

Yeah...not much mention of Pearl Harbor in the news the last couple of years. Here's a good article from a Hawaiian newspaper. It's from 4 years ago (December 7, 2000) but it discusses all the interesting stuff found out in recent years including the restoration of Kimmel's record by congress and the McCollum memo. It's a good read in that you can see the similarities between Pearl Harbor and 9/11.

http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=103

 

With a due respect for those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor, I prefer to remember the Battle of Midway that happened roughly 6 months later. If your knowledge of this battle is limited to the movie, which wasn't bad for a movie, I highly suggest some further study.

As just one example, below is a pic of one squadron taken shortly before the battle. Only one aviator, Lt. Gay, survived.

Anchors away, my boys.

Dale
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of course you've all heard the late breaking news of the first shots of the american involvement in WWII were made by Americans, and not Japanese?

A destroyer, I believe, firing upon midget subs spotted in the increased perimeter outside of the bay a full hour before the Japanese planes hit the harbor. Unfortunately, a delay relaying the message through the chain of commands prevented the Americans from avoiding the disaster within the bay. 3 of 5 submarines were recovered easily, #4 washed on to shore with the FIRST EVER JAPANESE POW choking down surf and sand that morning. But #5 was recovered earlier this year, i believe, too deep for recovery vehicles of that era to venture. Amazing twist of fate!

 

Apparently you've missed the even more late breaking news of the mid-1990s when all the FDR intelligence memos were released through the Freedom of Information Act. Read the article I posted above, or else do a google search for "McCollum memo". This may be even more socking to you than the finding of that Japanese submarine.

 

thanks for the pointer, never knew that until you showed me, thanks!

 

TTT

 

I'm glad not the only one who remembers. Sad day, but 4 years later the world was better off.

 

"I fear that we have awakened a sleeping giant."

 

At least Yamamoto got it. Too bad the high command did not listen to him.

 

For good reason. Admiral Spruance handed them their head.

The Navy and the Marine Corps gave the Japanese a preview of the future.

 

I was not aware of that. I am glad that they set the record straight. Admiral Husband Kimmel did not deserve what they did to him.


Admiral Nimitz was offered the job of CINCPAC before Kimmel and turned it down because he knew a pacifist America would not support a strong Pac fleet and whoever was CINCPAC when the ***** hit the fan would have his carrer ruined.

 

Well he (Yamamato) did go to school here. He at least had first hand knowledge of the U.S. industrial might. But, as you pointed out politicians very rarely listen to opposing military opinions within their own camp when they need to.

Powel and the current administration comes to mind.

As for Midway I think I was the only person in my Elementary school (or JR High or High school for that matter) that knew the names of the Akagi, Kaga, Soyru, Hiryu, Yorktown, Enterprise and Hornet.

 

It was the code breakers that allowed him to do so. Without that Intel Midway surely would have fallen. There would have been no fleet lying in wait.

 

That is one of my favorite quotes because its so true. You screw with the USA and bad things happen.

 

No doubt at all, but unlike many military leaders he had the ability to put the intel to good use and as in any great achievement he had a good bit of luck on his side.

 

He was also military attache in Washington for a couple of years. He understood us well.

 

I'll agree with you there.

 

For those interested in the McCollum memo, I'd recommend reading it yourself.

http://www.yirmeyahureview.com/archive/documents/mccollum_memo.htm

The Independent's take on things can be debated.



ps - the Yamamoto quote about "fearing we've wakened a giant" wasn't actually said by him. It's from the movie Tora! Tora! Tora!.

Pretty much the same idea is contained in his 1940 prediction to Premier Fumimaro about war with the United States: "If I am told to fight... I shall run wild for the first six months... but I have utterly no confidence for the second or third year."

 

I never said it was Yamamoto. However, I DID see Tora Tora Tora! at the theater back in 1970 (or around that time. Also saw Andromeda Strain within a few months.)

 

Absolutely true. I meant no offense with my postscript. I was just throwing it out there as a bit of esoteric information. You'd not believe the number of people who use that quote believing Yamamoto actually said it.