"December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy," was said by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt referring to the attack on Pearl Harbor, a harbor on the southern coast of Oahu. It was a suprise attack by the Japanese that took place on that day. The Japanese force consisting of six carriers with four hundred twenty-three planes. The attack hit eighteen U.S. ships and destroyed one hundred eighty-eight U.S. aircrafts. Two-thousand three hundred thirty-five servicemen were killed, sixty-eight civilians pronounced dead, and one thousand one hundred seventy-eight people were wounded from this attack.
But why exactly did Japan want to attack us?
In September of 1940, the United States placed an embargo on Japan. This prohibited the exports of goods to Japan including steel, scrap iron, and aviation fuel. We placed the embargo because of Japan's takeover of northern French Indochina. From June until July in 1941, Japan occupied southern Indochina. Two days later, the United States, along with Great Britain and the Netherlands froze Japanese assets which prevented Japan from buying oil.
There were warnings that Japan was going to attack. It was not a full suprise. The U.S. had broken a code and knew that an attack was coming. A warning arrived from Washington, but unfortunately, the warning arrived too late. Radar technology was new at this time, and when the Japanese planes appeared on American radar, they were mistaken as be B-17's flying in from the West Cost.
There were two waves of Japanese aircrafts that flew attacked Pearl Harbor that beautiful Sunday in December. The two waves of terror lasted for two hours. Eighteen American ships were either sunk or badly damaged. One thousand one hundred seventy-seven lives were lost on the Battleship U.S.S.R Arizona. The ship exploded and sank. All eight ships of the Pacific Fleet suffered from the attack.
Sixteen Medals of Honor, fifty-one Navy Crosses, fifty-three Silver Crosses, four Navy and Marine Corps Medals, one Distinguished Flying Cross, four Distinguished Service Crosses, one Distinguished Service Medal, and three Bronze Stars were awarded to the Americans who were serving during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is what brought the United States into the war on December 8th. The Americans were brought into World War II determined to fight until the finish. The attack on Pearl Harbor obviously led to many other tragic events in American History.
I think the story about the attack on Pearl Harbor is interesting. I also think that it is something everyone should know about in our history. The Attack on Pearl Harbor and the lives lost will live in the hearts and memories of people all over America forvever.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor
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