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.
Lest we forget
- Thread starter skeets
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It did sorta happen again.
9/11
The thing about 9/11 is that civilians were slaughtered, not military. No less or more tragic, but killing innocent, unarmed people just trying to work is especially heinous
Bmyers
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leveraddict
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Sad part is if it happened today it would be considered a "peaceful protest"
God Bless all the men and women who we lost that day and throughout the entire war.
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I knew a Pearl Harbor survivor. Passed years ago. Good guy.
He had “Pearl Harbor Survivor” insignia on the left side of his NYS license plates, next to the plate #.
Not a common sight. Only one I’d seen.
Don't know his Pearl Harbor experience. He never spoke of it. He paid his dues I'm sure....
My FIL was Battle of the Bulge in 101st Airborne. He mentioned the cold, but nothing more....
He had “Pearl Harbor Survivor” insignia on the left side of his NYS license plates, next to the plate #.
Not a common sight. Only one I’d seen.
Don't know his Pearl Harbor experience. He never spoke of it. He paid his dues I'm sure....
My FIL was Battle of the Bulge in 101st Airborne. He mentioned the cold, but nothing more....
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19thSF
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Thanks Skeets for the reminder. We should never forget those who served our country in big ways, small ways, or who were just there, standing by on a Sunday morning, never expecting to make the ultimate sacrifice.
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We had broken the Japanese diplomatic code but the warning signs were ignored . The Honolulu Embassy had been asked a few days before if Pearl had put up barrage balloons and also ordered the destruction of all documents.
Another deception by the Japanese was replacing all the telegraph operators and putting them at a base sending false messages. Each operator has a unique way of sending code so our Intelligence folks thought all those ships were in port & not at sea
Another deception by the Japanese was replacing all the telegraph operators and putting them at a base sending false messages. Each operator has a unique way of sending code so our Intelligence folks thought all those ships were in port & not at sea
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Lil Foot
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I have posted this before, but it's still an amazing story:
I had an uncle who might have been the luckiest man in history.
He joined the Navy at 17, & was assigned to some minor ship in Pearl Harbor as a cook's helper. On about Dec 5th, 1941, he and a couple others were assigned TDY on the Arizona. The morning of Dec 7th, he was on the other side of the island picking up a load of fruit & vegetables when the attack happened. On the way back, they were pressed into service humping ammo for an anti-aircraft battery. By the time they got back to the harbor, it was all over.
He served on a couple of minor ships throughout the war, and at some point went home on leave for his father's funeral. He got orders to report to his new ship, but as he traveled across the country, the train broke down & he was a day late to sail with his new ship, which left without him. He was assigned to another minor ship and served there the rest of the war.
The ship he missed embarking on was the USS Indianapolis, on it's way to take the bomb to Tinian Delady.
A heartfelt thanks to all who have served.
I had an uncle who might have been the luckiest man in history.
He joined the Navy at 17, & was assigned to some minor ship in Pearl Harbor as a cook's helper. On about Dec 5th, 1941, he and a couple others were assigned TDY on the Arizona. The morning of Dec 7th, he was on the other side of the island picking up a load of fruit & vegetables when the attack happened. On the way back, they were pressed into service humping ammo for an anti-aircraft battery. By the time they got back to the harbor, it was all over.
He served on a couple of minor ships throughout the war, and at some point went home on leave for his father's funeral. He got orders to report to his new ship, but as he traveled across the country, the train broke down & he was a day late to sail with his new ship, which left without him. He was assigned to another minor ship and served there the rest of the war.
The ship he missed embarking on was the USS Indianapolis, on it's way to take the bomb to Tinian Delady.
A heartfelt thanks to all who have served.
Bmyers
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My grandpa was in the Battle of the Bulge. He was part of the fighting Acorns (87th Infantry). He was a lineman/communication specialist. He talked very little about the war.
One of the things he would say, the coldest he had every been was in the Bulge. I would ask about the war, he said he did what he had to do, he only told two stories about the war. I have pictures of him and it is hard to picture my grandpa in those pictures, carrying a rifle and looking 'bad-a$$'. He was such a gentle soul, I never heard him raise his voice and I only remember him spanking me one time and that was because I wouldn't give up my seat to a lady (I was five).
I would of loved to know more, but besides the pictures and two stories he shared, I will never know the details. Yet, I have the utmost respect for my grandpa and those that served with him.
Dad was the same way, he served in the Pacific. He was attached to a company of Philippines, and they went from to island before any landing causing as much disruption and mayhem and disrupted communications as much as they could. I head about that from my Grandmother, Dad never spoke about anything that went on during the war. When he passed I found some letters he had sent my Grand Mother, most of the letters were redacted by cutting out words and sentences, that might give away any information to the enemy. They were truely the greatest generation
You know, things are not so simple for the normal person.
I have a Japanese connection, since I met my to be wife, who is Japanese, outside Japan, and ended up living in Japan later for six years. Both my kids were born in Japan.
I joined the US Coast Guard in the mid 60's to avoid being drafted into the army, and likely being put in Vietnam to be killed or crippled.
My take on the whole picture is that normal people just suffer the consequences of what the people in power decide to do.
Normal Japanese suffered MUCH more than normal Americans did during WWII. BUT they had no say on what happened. They just suffered, as did Americans too.
Yes, Pearl harbor was a bad thing. Regrettable. But we should not hold the normal person as responsible. ON either side.
NOT saying that we are doing that...just something to keep in mind...today is not the same as it was 80 years ago.
I have a Japanese connection, since I met my to be wife, who is Japanese, outside Japan, and ended up living in Japan later for six years. Both my kids were born in Japan.
I joined the US Coast Guard in the mid 60's to avoid being drafted into the army, and likely being put in Vietnam to be killed or crippled.
My take on the whole picture is that normal people just suffer the consequences of what the people in power decide to do.
Normal Japanese suffered MUCH more than normal Americans did during WWII. BUT they had no say on what happened. They just suffered, as did Americans too.
Yes, Pearl harbor was a bad thing. Regrettable. But we should not hold the normal person as responsible. ON either side.
NOT saying that we are doing that...just something to keep in mind...today is not the same as it was 80 years ago.