The attack on Pearl Harbor remembered 64 years later

A brief story that makes me look bad. Years ago, teaching at a college, had Japanese student in a freshman writing class. It was Dec 7. I noted the significance of the day to the class and then, turning to the Japanese girl, I asked what people in Japan did on that day to celebrate, lament, or honor that day. Silence.I lost face.

Thanks for the roundup, and the invitation. I have a post on the importance of ELINT and Information Operations to the Japanese forces in order to achieve surprise at Pearl Harbor.

I’ve got this post up on ChicagoBoyz.

http://countertop-chronicles.blogspot.com/2005/12/never-forget.html

54 years ago this morning, as my great Uncle Fred was returning aboard the USS Portland on a darkened flotilla en-route from Midway and two days out of Pearl Harbor, the little nip bastards struck.

Early in the morning of December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy issued a surprise attack on almost the entire the US Pacific Fleet while it lay in dock at Pearl Harbor.

At 6:00 a.m. an initial wave of 181 planes – including torpedo bombers, dive-bombers, horizontal bombers and fighters and kamikazi’s – launched from six Japanese carriers. They arrived at Pearl Harbor nearly two hours later and their surprise attach was so overwhelmingly devastating that a significant portion of the U.S. Fleet was destroyed.

Had it occurred today, the moon bats on the left would have demanded the impeachment of Roosevelt and urged Peace and “No Blood For Revenge.” Our women would have been turned into sexual slaves to the Japanese and the men who were allowed to survive would continue to be brutalized, tortured, and worked to death as the Imperial Japanese Army engaged in an orgy of rape, murder, theft, and arson.. Luckily though, America was a strong and mighty place in 1941 with a general population, a media, and most importantly politicians that possessed significantly more character and clarity of vision than we do today. Rather than scream for passive resistance or hear the delusions of a traitor – who was nominated to be president – calling our soldiers terrorists, the nation came together and focused on winning the war however long it took and at whatever cost (even if it meant declaring war on Nazi Germany, a regime that brutally murdered millions of innocent people but had not declared war or attacked the United States).

For a temporarily gratis copy of the casualty list, ships, photos, etc., see http://www.japanorama.com/prj.html and click on Download E-books.

I’ve posted this before. I still think it’s worth another look on this hallowed day.

Three years ago I was talking to my father on the phone about the significance of Pearl Harbor Day and 9-11. He told me something I hadn’t known. His brother was born on Dec. 7, 1923. He had turned 18 on the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. I did a little research and wrote this for my Dad.

December 7, 2002

Sixty-one years ago today a young man celebrated his eighteenth birthday. Little
did he know that date, his birthday, would become “A day of infamy”.
Six months later when he had graduated high school, he enlisted in the US
Army Air Corps and subsequently earned his wings as one of the youngest
fighter pilots in the Army Air Corps. In the next two years he progressed
from trainers to P-40 Warhawks and finally to the beautiful, twin engine P-38
Lightning fighter. During that time he also found time to marry his
high school sweetheart and, while serving in Italy escorting B-24 bombers, he
learned that he was soon to be a father.
In Jan. 1944 he had completed his tour and was waiting in Triola, Italy to
return to the States when a call came out for volunteers to fly escort for
another bombing raid over France. Fighters and pilots were scarce in those
days. Our bomber crews were getting hammered and our fighter pilots suffered
the same fate. He did not need to volunteer, but of course, like so many others,he cheerfully did his duty.

On January 27, 1944, over Salon de Provence, France their bomber group
encountered “a superior number of enemy fighters.”
From wingman 2nd Lt. R. E. Hoke: “Being greatly outnumbered by enemy fighters and unable to rejoin the Squadron, we took evasive action from the enemy fighters, by losing altitude. We dropped from 24,000 feet to the deck. By
this maneuver we lost the enemy fighters but encountered heavy ground gun
flak. Suddenly I felt a terrific concussion. After getting my airplane under
control, I looked back and the Lieutenant had disappeared from the
formation.”
The young Lieutenant’s P-38G just “disappeared” in the great explosion as
German antiaircraft gunners found their mark. His body was never recovered.
He was just 20 years old. He never held his newborn daughter. He never hugged his wife again.
He was only one of the many tens of thousands of American heroes over the
last two hundred or so years.
He was 2nd Lieutenant James G. Riley, Jr., USAAC, my Dad’s older, and only,
brother.
Sixty-one years ago today, Pearl Harbor Day, Jim turned eighteen. His whole life
was ahead of him yet he had barely two years to live. Those years he gave to
his country.
Thank God for all those brave men and women.
God protect our soldiers, sailors and airmen.
May we never forget.
Uncle Jim, we miss you………..

64 years from the Pearl Harbor attack on December 8, 1941 (local December 7 in time). A Japanese army made a surprise attack to the United States Pacific Ocean fleet and the aviation station in the Pearl Harbor in the United States and Hawaii 64 years ago, and the Pacific War started. Neither mystery nor it is done to “Anniversary of starting the war” though a lot of people pray for peace at War Memorial Day. I pray for the peace of the world on this day every year. I wish the peace of the world.
Naoyuki Hamamura