Pearl Harbor Day marks the anniversary of the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor in 1941, bringing the United States into World War II and widening the European war to the Pacific.
The bombing, which began at 7:55 a.m. Hawaiian time on a Sunday morning, lasted little more than an hour but devastated the American military base on the island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands. Nearly all the ships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were anchored there side by side, and most were damaged or destroyed; half the bombers at the army’s Hickam Field were destroyed. The battleship USS Arizona sank, and 1,177 sailors and Marines went down with the ship, which became their tomb. In all, the attack claimed more than 3,000 casualties—2,403 killed and 1,178 wounded.
On the following day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed a solemn Congress to ask for a declaration of war. His opening unforgettable words: “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.” War was declared immediately with only one opposing vote, that by Rep. Jeannette Rankin of Montana.
In the months that followed, the slogan “Remember Pearl Harbor” swept America, and radio stations repeatedly played the song of the same name with these lyrics:
Let’s remember Pearl Harbor, as we go to meet the foe,
Let’s remember Pearl Harbor, as we did the Alamo.
We will always remember, how they died for liberty,
Let’s remember Pearl Harbor, and go on to victory.
Originally published as part of a post from December 7, 2010.
3 comments:
History tells us so much about how humanity is going on no matter the devastating events.
Today, Japan (and Germany) are powerful economic and politic societies.
Ennemies in the 40's they emerged stronger and in phase with the rest of the democratic world.
Even South Korea is that economic power and came out of the Korean war stronger.
Maybe there will be another «Pearl Harbour» in a modern way but much devastating now that Kim Hung Jun has the atomic bomb. (?)
After starting a very short atomic war, Pyong Jan will suffer more but at the end, North Korea will rise in a better democratic country.
But many will suffer...
WHY isn't this bad dictator learning from the past errors?
Selfishness and egocentric dictator not seeing the real good for his people that is already suffering.
The Alamo? Maybe we need a history lessen about who was taking Texas land from Mexico. The early Anglo's were nothing but swindlers that took land by homesteading that was for the taking because they could. Mexico was a struggling after getting their independence from Spain and did not have the ability to protect it's borders or land.
Well said Anonymous,
USA is too much looking their navels and are most of them self centered.
If you fight them, you're so not good, BAD, BAD....
They invaded many countries in the name of «democracy» but aren't able to show the rest of the world a REAL one. Hillary Clinton lost with over 3 million votes more than Trumpty Dumpty, WTF!
To me, USA isn't the best country in the world and are crumbling with a over 20 trillion dollars of debt. They cannot even provide its population with an universal FREE health care. Not to mention that LGBTs are still struggling in some states just to have a «wedding cake» made for them.
LAND of LIBERTY ! PFFFT! That's a JOKE.
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