Happy Change the Pearl Harbor Thread Title Day!

Before Osama, there was Hirohito. And, yes, Roosevelt knew about the attack in advance. The sushi's on us!

 

Re: Happy Pearl Harbor Day!

Three things.

1. You not funnee.

2. I recently stumbled upon an audio clip of the newscast reporting the Pearl Harbor bombing, made in a phone call from a reporter for radio station KTU to NBC radio in New York. http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5167

3. FDR's speech:

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of American was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our secretary of state a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese government also launched as attack against Malaya.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Wake Island.

And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. . .

 

Re: Happy Pearl Harbor Day!

I don't think this is a time for jokes.
I went to Hawaii on my honeymoon and visited Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona memorial.
You see a film about the attacks and when the light comes back up, you find few dry eyes. Then you hear from one of the few living survivors.
Then you take a small boat out to the memorial, where you can still see oil drops float up from the Arizona.
It is a sacred place, the best thing I can compare it to on the mainland is the Vietnam Vets memorial in DC.
On this, the 66th anniversary of the attack, I will pause for a moment at 7:55 a.m. HST and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
I may sound too serious here but that trip had an impact on me that still lasts.

 

Re: Happy Pearl Harbor Day!

Been there, too.

What's amazing is how many Japanese show up.

 

Re: Happy Pearl Harbor Day!

As a former sailor I have to admit that this is easily one of the most memorable and somber days in U.S. Navy history, with the Battle of Savo Island close behind. And I've been very fortunate to interview more than a dozen sailors, nurses and pilots who were there that day. The stories they tell are simply incredible.

Everyone, please take a moment to think about Pearl Harbor today, and if you ever get the chance to visit, please do so.

Oh, and it's poignant that today is also my Little Man's birthday.

 

Re: Happy Pearl Harbor Day!

No jokes intended. I'm bringing it to the attention of the younger posters here who can't relate to its importance, or understand how reviled the Japanese were by many in this country, or how the United States had isolated itself from world politics up to that time.

I intend no disrespect. My uncle was in graves registration in Europe in WW2, and my grandfather was an induction officer. There's a marker at my synagogue memorializing a congregant, a resident of Newark, killed at Pearl Harbor.

 

Re: Happy Pearl Harbor Day!

One of the better short stories that I read in Sports Illustrated was in their last issue of 1999. SI asked several writers to write about one sports event that they wished they would have been able to attend. One writer (I don't remember who) wrote that he wished he could have attended the Eagles-Redskins game on Dec. 7, 1941. Redskins owner George Preston Marshall found out about the attack beforehand, but asked that it not be mentioned at the game to give the fans a few more hours of normalcy before their world was going to change.

The story also had an interview with a brother of one of the Eagles players, who played in the game. The brother recalled watching a tape of the game with his father, who was crying while watching it. The Eagles player was killed during the war.

Another footnote about the game. Sammy Baugh had three punts blocked by an Eagles rookie defender. I think Philly won, but I'm not sure.

 

Re: Happy Pearl Harbor Day!

Damn Germans. (JOKE INTENDED!)

 

Remember Pearl Harbor Day

I really try not to be hypersensitive to such things, but please change the thread title.

 

Re: Happy Pearl Harbor Day!

The headline on the first post in the thread must be changed for it to permanently change the headline people see on the board -- and the headline on subsequent posts.

Whatever the intent goalmouth had in starting this thread, I cringed at the subject line and the first post. Both came off as flip, juvenile and disrespectful when I read them.

 

Re: Happy Pearl Harbor Day!

History Channel had a 2-hour special on the story behind the attack on Pearl Harbor this morning. I think that hundreds of lives may have been saved if information had been interpreted differently and if things had been handled differently.

- In the weeks leading up to the attack, fearful of espionage attacks, the military leaders in Hawaii ordered all the planes to be grouped together at just a few locations and the battleships to be kept all in a row to better control access to them and avoid a damaging attack by a spy.
- Just hours before the attack a Japanese sub was sunk in the harbor, but military leaders didn't think anything of it
- Less than an hour before the attack began the military radar station picked up a large squadron of planes heading for the base, again military leaders just wrote it off as US B-17s returning from repairs in California
- If the Japanese prime minister had a set of balls and not let other government officials and military leaders pressure him into carrying out the attack instead of doing what he was leaning toward doing and taking more time to negotiate with the U.S.

Had the planes been kept spread out more, had a Japanese sub in the harbor raised more eyebrows, had a few planes been sent out to see what was going on with the large squadron of planes approaching, the fleet might have had more time to prepare to defend itself.

Instead we have a day that has lived and will live in infamy.

 

Re: Happy Pearl Harbor Day!

Hindsight = Always 20-20.