Franklin D. Roosevelt was right. December 7, 1941, is a date that still does live in infamy.
It’s a time to remember the innocent victims, and the courage of those who fought back. It should also be a time to reflect upon the lessons.
If you’ve ever taken one of my classes, you remember me talking about the allegory. The base itself, and indeed the whole of the American armed forces, were totally unprepared for large scale battle. The decision was made to ignore a blip on the radar screen, and in minutes one of the mightiest fleets on Earth was on its way to the bottom of the harbor. Reactionary gap that might have allowed a more effective defense was lost.
Millions of words have Monday morning quarterbacked those decisions ever since. Mistakes have been repeated. On the individual level, we are reminded to be adequately armed and ready, prepared to recognize and accept a threat’s presence, and respond skillfully, swiftly, and appropriately.
Thoughts are with you on this sobering day, and your comments as always are welcome.
Back when I was a young child in the late 1950s/early 1960s, Pearl Harbor had real sting. Less than 20yrs earlier my fathers large family of brothers lined up at the recruiter on Dec 8. Half didn’t come home. I realize now they were still young men in theirnlate 30s and 40s. Friends dads had been called back into service only 10 years after for Korean War service. This while Viet Nam was on the horizon. Now schools don’t even teach the most basic about that era and the sacrifices.
Great read is Freedoms Forge by Arthur Herman. Historian details how 18 months before Pearl Harbor FDR had set the wheels in motion to transform America into a military giant. In just 3 yrs American production was astronomical. 3 years. The man who put it all together was non other than a Detroit automotive guy – Bill Knudsen. Today almost unknown he did the unimaginable. He came as an immigrant to America with nothing. FDR made him a 4 star General.
Sobering indeed. And we now live in a time when evil is emboldened and we must be vigilant not only for the “JV Team”, but the lone wolf and the common thug.
Rules to surviving life: “Know where the attack will come; have a plan in place to counter it.”-Massad Ayoob.
Last Sunday night the History Channel ran two hours on Pearl Harbor and the war.
Following that was an hour show on what led up to the war and how and why we missed the “clues”. If it repeats it’s worth watching. Typical government bungling as led up to 9/11.
I have often wondered if this attack happened due to a “stand down” order and not just from ignoring a blip.
Evil walked the earth then and chose men as agents to confront good people. Evil walks the earth now but I shudder to think how few are prepared to face it, let alone stand up to it. Most, including our so-called leaders, refuse to even admit it exists.
World leaders, prior to WWII, were well aware of that Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito were building militaries that were far in excess of what was needed for defense, but preferred to wish the looming threats away.
It appears to me that the growing threats to the U.S. around the world (China, N.Korea, Russia, Iran, ISIS, etc.) coupled with the decline of our supposed allies, would indicate that we may well be on the verge of another world wide conflict.
If the numbers I’ve seen are correct, the last 8 years has seen the decline of our military capabilities to a point that we are less prepared today than we were before Pearl Harbor. I am too old and infirm to respond, except on the home front. I can only hope that the present young men and women will respond as my father’s generation did, if, Heaven forbid, it happens again.
I remember reading where Pat Buchanan wrote that December 7th, 1941 was the only day in the XXth century when American servicemen defended their own American soil. All the wars were fought to free other countries from oppression. Now that is selflessness, fighting and dying for someone else’s country.
And Colin Kaepernick gets paid $14 million to chase a ball around a field. What a country! I think American white men are saints, AND they are the ones who ended slavery.
I clearly remember watching the debut of the 1970 film “Tora! Tora! Tora!” when I was sixteen years old. My late father, a decorated combat veteran of the Omaha Beach Landing, the Battle of the Bulge and the Invasion of Germany, was seated next to me as the film rolled.
As film scenes showed Japanese Fighters strafing U.S. Army Airfields located inland from Pearl Harbor, I recall turning in confusion to my Dad to ask him, “Dad, why are soldiers using Springfield M1903 Bolt Action 30-06 Rifles to shoot at the Japs’ planes?”
My Dad smiled slightly as he replied, “Why, son? Simply because M1 Garand Semi-Automatic 30-06 Rifles had not yet been issued to the finest marksmen in the world’s finest Army. That’s why.”
Still wondering why my Dad had failed to mention .50 caliber heavy machine guns or 20mm AAA cannons, I was smart enough to reply “Oh.” and then to shut the bleep up.
Two of my Dad’s college classmates, friends from the graduating Class of 1939, were serving as Ensigns in the USNR on December 7, 1941. Both men were assigned to the USS Arizona, berthed in Pearl Harbor. Both men went down with the ship alongside many brave shipmates.
To best honor the selfless sacrifice of the our Nation’s fallen, let us resolve to remain armed, ready and trained to protect and defend the Land that we love dearly against an ever evolving threat posed by a formidable foe whose long term goal is to subdue or to destroy the West.
On December 7, 2016, listen to the stark stories and look at the rugged faces of the heroic Pearl Harbor survivors profiled in the video link below. These modern day men of iron represent the best of our American Republic. Their calm, quiet, never ending courage should give all Americans inspiration to be prepared to fight the long war ahead of us. Listen and look. You will be awed.
Pearl Harbor Veterans Reflect On How America’s Wars Have Changed Since 1941 (History Channel)
http://taskandpurpose.com/pearl-harbor-veterans-reflect-on-how-americas-wars-have-changed-since-1941/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share&utm_content=tp-share
FDR was one of our most popular presidents, much beloved by many. I have read “Day of Deceit: The Truth about FDR and Pearl Harbor,” by Robert Stinnet. Stinnet is not the only author who shows the “powers that be” as letting the Japanese hit Pearl, maybe even promoting an attack for years. Absolutely no doubt exists that our intelligence services were aware of impending Japanese aggression. Very fortunate that our carriers had steamed out before the attack, or the war could have lasted much longer. Guadalcanal and possibly Australia could have gone the way of the Philippines. One thing is certain, that Nature abhors a vacuum. Let’s pray for a quick return to strength, and for a freely democratic Republic to continue under reliance on our great Constitution.
My Uncle Jimmy , now passed, was a. Gunners Mate on a mine layer anchored in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941
He told me this story:
He was in the mess hall eating breakfast. He said they were “eating white beans – the navy always served white beans on Sunday.”
He was sitting with a Chief Warrant Officer and my Uncle’s buddy that manned the 30 cal with him. A seaman came in and told the Chief, “there are planes flying real low over us, and they have red balls painted on the wings.” The Chief said, ” $&/# those are Japs!” and called Battle Stations to everyone in the mess.
My Uncle and his buddy ran to the armory and got their 30 cal and some belts of ammo. They climbed an external gangway to their gun position.
On the way up a Jap plane strafed the ship. His buddy, who was behind my Uncle tripped, fell on top of him, and took a bullet in the leg. They mounted the gun and fired. At that point, the story ends. My Uncle then fell silent in the telling of the event. Both he and his Buddy survived.
Remember, the U.S. will always have enemIes. Remain Vigilant.
God Bless my Uncle. God Bless the USA. And may God Bless all of us.
My mother lost her baby brother at Pearl.
My Grandmother-in-law used to give books for Christmas. One of them was by the gent who was the Army IG in Hawaii before the war and went on to be MacAruthurs CoS. The title was “East Wind, Rain”.
One of the items he mentioned was about when the Pacific Fleet was moved from San Diego to Hawaii. The Navy commander allegedly looked at Pearl and realized it was a trap. After some scouting, he located a suitable anchorage about 100 miles from Pearl. He positioned the fleet there, less any ships needing the maintenance/fueling facilities at Pearl and ran liberty boats weekends.
This lead to considerable pressure from the fleets womenfolks, used to having hubby at home every night of the peacetime fleet in San Diego. The various folks who expected to make a buck from thousands of Sailors and Marines blowing their paychecks also raised a stink.
The stink rolled uphill and the Admiral was summoned to Washington to “consult”. The general unhappiness of the voters was mentioned to the Admiral, but he was assured it was his command to run. Having a comparatively long time to think the matter over, the Admiral decided he’d rather have an intact fleet than happy civilians.
The Admiral was allegedly relieved and the rest is history. Maybe.
He also noted the difficulties in various South Seas colonies caused by the same lack of preparation/ignoring facts that don’t match preconceptions.
Today on the 8th I am reminded of the sacrifices my parents lived with through that War (I had to work on the 7th). But I also find it odd that on the 7th I saw/ heard very Little mention of this “Day That Will Live In Infamy” on the radio or the internet, I do not have a TV, even though it is the 75th Anniversary of this attack.
Also, in the 80s I found out something interesting about the Japanese and WW2. Seems the general population of Japan were Not taught about the Pearl Harbor attack until the late 70s or early 80s. I had a friend who lived in Japan in the 80s and she went to Hiroshema with Japanese friends she had been teaching English to, and many other visitors where looking menacingly at her and she did not know why. Her friends told her how they had Not been informed about the Japanese attacking Pearl Harbor and many civilians felt she, as an American, was not supposed to be at Hiroshema.
Interesting how all of us learn different things in this Wonderful, Large World.
On a personal level, the best gear and skill in the world are useless if you let your guard down and ignore possible threats. When I got into the ‘gun culture’ one of the earliest lessons I learned was that good situational awareness is our PRIMARY resource for self-defense.
My father was on a troop ship a couple days away from Pearl Harbor that morning. The ship was diverted and ordered to Australia as the thinking was, they would be next. From there he went on to fight in the South Pacific theater.
Many years later as he lay in the hospital gravely ill, he asked me what day it was. I replied, “Dad, you should remember today, it’s December 7th.” His eyes opened wide and said, “Hell yes I remember, Pearl Harbor day.”
Remember, General Billy Mitchell accurately (as it turned out) described and demonstrated how Pearl Harbor could be successfully attacked by aircraft launched from aircraft carriers.
For such heresy he was dumped on the scrap heap of failed military careers and roundly derided by the battleship admirals who thought their capital ships were invincible.
Looking for a scapegoat, the Navy destroyed the life and career of Admiral Husband Kimmel, commander of the Pacific fleet, reducing him in rank from four stars to two.
His family has been working ever since to clear his name.
@MichaelJT: While Billy Mitchell did predict that Pearl Harbor could be attacked by Japanese aircraft, he was also certain that they would not be launched from aircraft carriers. He believed that they would be launched from islands in the Pacific because he believed that carriers “were incapable of operating effectively on the high seas, nor capable of delivering ‘sufficient aircraft in the air at one time to insure a concentrated operation.'” See:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Mitchell#Promoting_air_power
and sources cited therein. That’s not particularly surprising since carriers were very new during Mitchell’s career and were largely still in the experimental stage. A good fictionalized version of the facts, but somewhat accurately portraying the doubt the military had about carriers up until WWII, is “Task Force” with Gary Cooper which recently showed on Turner Classic Movies and is still, I think, streamable from their website.
Clarification: “Task Force” isn’t about Billy Mitchell, nor is he (as I recall) even mentioned in it; it’s about the history of aircraft carriers, only.
My wife and I visited Pearl Harbor last week on Saturday, Dec 3. A moving experience. We had the good fortune of meeting Don Stratton one of the five living survivors.
I was watching a series of documentaries about Pearl Harbor. In one of them, there was fleeting mention of Admiral Kimmel being “the new commander” of the Pacific Fleet.
Perhaps there was something in the story I noted above about the fleet command.
Dennis, everyone here, because I erred in my hook up when I returned to this blog, my username is different – used to be “Don – Pa.” The golden years continue.
It is a sad fact America’s military and it’s abilities to act or defend have been severely depleted by the past two administrations. The question now is: “Can we rebuild those abilities in time to act decisively if needed in the immediate future?” We need to return to the mindset that, at one time, made the USA great. It is MY most fervent belief that President-Elect Donald Trump (just love saying/seeing that!) and the outstanding group of people he is selecting are the right stuff – the best hope – to make that happen.
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