Remember Pearl Harbor

The majority of Americans will go to work today and never even think about those brave fallen soldiers from our past who gave their lives with the hopes that their children and others would not have to live under the oppressive rule of the harsh Japanese rule that took place in the 1920’s-1940’s.

At 6:00 a.m. on 7 December, the six Japanese carriers that had sneaked into position launched a first wave of 181 planes composed of torpedo bombers, dive bombers, horizontal bombers and Zero fighter planes.

What was even worse for the eventual fait of the Japanese is that they had not formally declared war on the United States and even Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto said, "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."

The Japanese aircrews flying the bombers and fighters achieved complete and utter surprise when they hit American ships and military installations on Oahu shortly before 8:00 a.m. and proceeded to kill and destroy as much as possible.

They attacked all military airfields at the same time they hit the ships in Battleship Row which was where most ships were anchored during their time at Pearl Harbor.

The Navy air bases at Ford Island and Kaneohe Bay, the Marine airfield at Ewa and the Army Air Corps fields at Bellows, Wheeler and Hickam were all bombed and strafed as other elements of the Japanese attacking force began their assaults on the ships moored in Pearl Harbor.

The purpose of the simultaneous attacks was to destroy the American planes before they could rise to intercept the Japanese.

When the attack ended shortly before 10:00 a.m., less than two hours after it began, the American forces has paid a dreadful bloody price.

Twenty-one ships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were sunk or damaged: the battleships USS Arizona (BB-39), USS California (BB-44), USS Maryland (BB-46), USS Nevada (BB-36), USS Oklahoma (BB-37), USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), USS Tennessee (BB-43) and USS West Virginia (BB-48); cruisers USS Helena (CL-50), USS Honolulu (CL-48) and USS Raleigh (CL-7); the destroyers USS Cassin (DD-372), USS Downes (DD-375), USS Helm (DD-388) and USS Shaw (DD-373); seaplane tender USS Curtiss (AV-4); target ship (ex-battleship) USS Utah (AG-16); repair ship USS Vestal (AR-4); minelayer USS Oglala (CM-4); tug USS Sotoyomo (YT-9); and Floating Drydock Number 2.

Aircraft losses were 188 destroyed and 159 damaged, the majority hit before the had a chance to take off. American dead numbered 2,403. That figure included 68 civilians, most of them killed by improperly fused anti-aircraft shells landing in Honolulu. There were 1,178 military and civilian wounded.

This sneak attack against our great naval forces in the Pacific was the reason that the Japanese were able to take over the Philippines and kill thousands more of American troops since we were unable to provide supplies or intervene in any fashion.

We all know how this ended, with the complete destruction of all Japanese naval and military forces along with fire that rained down from the skies nightly in the form of mass quantities of bombs and napalm.

Today I urge you to take a minute and remember these brave souls and remember that 2,403 people died in that attack and we did not run away, so it is with some deep concern that I look upon the people in my country today who want to run after almost 3,000 death in Iraq.

If these were the leaders we had during World War II we would surely be speaking German or Japanese and I most likely would not be able to write this.

I honor these men everyday along with the brave soldiers who are fighting around the world at this very moment, it is to me them that we owe our freedom.

Don’t forget my friends that we have had our own Pearl Harbor and we must fight too.


Open Trackbacks!

Others worth reading today -
Right Truth, Wake Up America, Stop The ACLU, Perri Nelson's Website, 123beta, Leaning Straight Up, Right Wing Nation, Don Surber, Hooah Wife And Friends, Pettifog, Woman Honor Thyself, Gawfer, Jarhead's Firing Range.

Trackbacked with -
Right Truth - Dhimmi here, dhimmi there, ...
Perri Nelson's Website - A day that will live in infamy.
Planck's Constant - Bush Was Right - we'll have to fight them here.
123beta - Don't Eat Beans Before Flying.
Hooah Wife and friends - Pearl Harbor.
Woman Honor Thyself - Christians being “too Christian”?
Conservative Cat - In Which I Direct a Hissy Fit at Joe Gannon of Cat Fancy Magazine.