Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Remembering Pearl Harbor...!


America's involvement in World War 2 became set in stone because of the actions of the Japanese on this date.

Certainly one of the most remembered dates in American history, as well as one of the saddest!
Pearl Harbor bombed

At 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time, a Japanese dive bomber bearing the red symbol of the Rising Sun of Japan on its wings appears out of the clouds above the island of Oahu. A swarm of 360 Japanese warplanes followed, descending on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in a ferocious assault. The surprise attack struck a critical blow against the U.S. Pacific fleet and drew the United States irrevocably into World War II.

With diplomatic negotiations with Japan breaking down, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his advisers knew that an imminent Japanese attack was probable, but nothing had been done to increase security at the important naval base at Pearl Harbor. It was Sunday morning, and many military personnel had been given passes to attend religious services off base. At 7:02 a.m., two radar operators spotted large groups of aircraft in flight toward the island from the north, but, with a flight of B-17s expected from the United States at the time, they were told to sound no alarm. Thus, the Japanese air assault came as a devastating surprise to the naval base.

Much of the Pacific fleet was rendered useless: Five of eight battleships, three destroyers, and seven other ships were sunk or severely damaged, and more than 200 aircraft were destroyed. A total of 2,400 Americans were killed and 1,200 were wounded, many while valiantly attempting to repulse the attack. Japan's losses were some 30 planes, five midget submarines, and fewer than 100 men. Fortunately for the United States, all three Pacific fleet carriers were out at sea on training maneuvers. These giant aircraft carriers would have their revenge against Japan six months later at the Battle of Midway, reversing the tide against the previously invincible Japanese navy in a spectacular victory.

The day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, President Roosevelt appeared before a joint session of Congress and declared, "Yesterday, December 7, 1941--a date which will live in infamy--the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." After a brief and forceful speech, he asked Congress to approve a resolution recognizing the state of war between the United States and Japan. The Senate voted for war against Japan by 82 to 0, and the House of Representatives approved the resolution by a vote of 388 to 1. The sole dissenter was Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana, a devout pacifist who had also cast a dissenting vote against the U.S. entrance into World War I. Three days later, Germany and Italy declared war against the United States, and the U.S. government responded in kind.

The American contribution to the successful Allied war effort spanned four long years and cost more than 400,000 American lives.

Please find time today to say a prayer for the memory of those lost in battle, as well as for those that offered their all to protect us from all enemies of our great nation.

God bless all those that continue to do so today! God Bless Our Republic!

Coffee in the kitchen this morning! Want some apple pie with that?

12 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

The need for a real Hell for people like Hitler and the Japanese warlords is what convinced me of the reality of Heaven. Strange what can first get us to thinking about the Lord.

Ben in Texas said...

Never forget.

Rob said...

Thanks for remembering.

SHARON said...

I have my scanner on 24/7. Two guys are on there every morning, must be ham operators. The one this morning asked the other one, "Hey, do you know what day this is? The start of the sale of that new game. People are already camped out in the parking lot!" I thought, WTH is wrong with people. Pretty soon, it won't even be on the calendars.

Anonymous said...

I am a baby boomer, most of my high school teachers were in that big war world war 11, one fellow who was the nicest biology teacher anyone could ask for was in Pearl Harbor and spoke of it when december rolled around, everyone listened the boys thought that the Vietnam war was like that hardly is what he said! He spoke quietly and got louder as he recalled being in a chow line the only thing that saved him, is he did not want ham and eggs, waited for the oatmeal, all out, he left the chow line they bombed it seconds later, he ran for cover managed to live thru it fighting as hard as he could, it made him the person he became, what a fellow. I had members of my dad's family perish in Pearl Harbor I will never ever forget what they sacrificed for so we could live in the greatest country in the world..I just hope it is never ever forgotten by freedom loving USA citizens because it is one of the saddest days on the calendar and there are some survivors left if you can believe that 70 years later!~~~~~!!! God Bless the USA~~~~~~~~

JO said...

It is very painful to remember any war and the lives that are lost because of these power driven evil devils.
May the hero's rest in peace.

Coffee and apple pie! I will be right there.

Duke said...

Thanks for the memorial, I hope we never forget.

HermitJim said...

Hey Gorges...
I can certainly agree with you on that!

Thanks for coming over this morning!


Hey Ben...
Never will, buddy...never will!

Thanks for the visit!


Hey Rob...
Not only my privilege and honor, but also my duty!

Thank you for dropping by today!


Hey Sharon...
I guess that we all have our own priorities in life.

Shows how shallow some of us have become, though.

Thanks for coming by today!


Hey Anon 7:54...
The very fact that there are still a few survivors from that era just boggles the mind!

Let's hope that this lesson from our past is one we learn from.

Bless the troops...past and present!

Thanks for coming by today!


Hey JoJo...
Thanks for the positive thoughts this morning, sweetie!

Thanks also for coming by today!


Hey Duke...
I feel just the same as you, my friend!

Thanks for coming by today!

Unknown said...

I remember that time of my early life ,as well as I know my name.We were glued to the radio when he made that speech.The country has never been so united as it was at that time in history.We were all just Americans with a common goal.The thing I remember most of that speech was at the end (SO HELP US GOD)

TROUBLEnTX said...

The Austin paper always lists the WW11 vets birthdays first, before the celebs, and it's amazing how many are still here.

HermitJim said...

Hey Ted...
Right you are that it did unite our country in a single goal with a common enemy!

That type of unity will never happen again!

Thanks for coming by today!


Hey Trouble...
I think that's a nice thing for the Statesman to do.

True heroes all!

Thanks for the visit today!

Anonymous said...

http://possumlane.blogspot.com/2011/12/day-that-will-live-in-infamy.html

Nothing is ever as it seems. I learned this information long ago, long before this blogger posted this.

Do you suppose we ought to become aware and wake up; wake up to the fact that we are still being lied to...every moment!?