The memory of Pearl Harbor lives on as a powerful reminder of courage, sacrifice, and the resilience of a nation tested by tragedy. On December 7, 1941, a surprise attack by Japanese forces thrust the United States into World War II.
More than 2,400 American lives were lost, countless others were wounded, and the mighty Pacific Fleet lay crippled. Yet from the ashes of devastation emerged a profound resolve to defend freedom and ensure such aggression would not prevail.
Remembering Pearl Harbor is not just about honouring the fallen or the bravery of those who stood their ground that day; it is a solemn reflection on the cost of complacency, the value of vigilance, and the unyielding spirit of those who rose to meet the challenge of war.
The attack at Pearl Harbor was a blessing and and curse, depending upon which side of the pond you lived. For the Americans, it marked the beginning of a bloody war that resulted in so very many dead and wounded; so much misery and pain. For the British, Australians, New Zealanders and other allies, it was an injection of much needed support - both moral and material.
As our writer Happy Expat said in his article recently ....
On 7th December Japan attacked the American base at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. Tension between the two countries was extreme and had been rising for a long time starting with the American disapproval of the Japanese Army behaviour in China. As a sanction, America progressively denied supply of materials to Japan until it reached breaking point with the complete embargo on oil supplies without which Japanese industry could not operate.
Japan was well aware of the American vulnerability of weak defenses and there was strong support within the military to invade California. The decision not to invade was due entirely to the fact that it was known that there were many guns in the hands of the civilian population and California was very far from Japan which made supply a logistical nightmare.
Attention then swung to an attack on the American Pacific fleet based at Pearl Harbour to put it out of action and eliminate the risk of it coming to the aid of its army in the Philippines and its allies if and when Japan decided to invade SE Asia to secure its vital supplies.
There were several strategies debated within the Japanese high command and Admiral Yamamoto, the senior officer of the Japanese navy was appointed to plan and lead the attack. Yamamoto had been stationed in Washington as a naval attaché and was very conversant with the potential of American industry. He accepted the appointment on the condition that the strike would be carried out according to his instructions and that condition was accepted.
Yamamoto laid down three targets to be achieved if the raid was going to proceed.
First was that the American carrier fleet had to be destroyed. Yamamoto knew from the experience of the sinking of the British battleships Prince of Wales and Repulse in December 1939 that the days of the battleship were numbered as against air power and that the future lay in aircraft carriers.
Second was that the oil storage tanks at Pearl Harbour had to be destroyed so that American ships based at Pearl Harbour did not have the ability to sail back to the US mainland.
Third was that the raid would inflict so much damage that America would be forced to sue for an armistice.
It is now a matter of record that the raid failed to meet Yamamoto’s conditions and in the aftermath, he is recorded as saying that “The war is lost. All that we have done is to wake a sleeping giant”.
The American carrier fleet was still at sea when the raid took place and was not even attacked. The loss of the ships in “Battleship Row” had little or no effect on American fighting ability. The oil storage tanks were undamaged and the hope of forcing an armistice vanished with them.
Yamamoto’s lament that a sleeping giant had been awakened was fatally correct. A state of war then existed between Japan and America which threw off the cloak of restrictions imposed by the Neutrality Acts. Adding to the American relief, Germany and Italy declared war on America the next day so that there was now no debate in any quarter about America’s ability or willingness to participate in and supply foreign nations at war as long as they were on the same side as America.
A State of Emergency was declared and the American people were galvanised into a union with one single purpose: to avenge Pearl Harbour.
We, sitting here today in our homes around the world, must take sober reflection about dates of National and International importance: without marking these days and moments from history, we will forget and that would be a travesty.
WE MUST NEVER FORGET.
Just as we down under mark our special ANZAC Day; how we throughout the globe mark the Normandy Landing, the awe of Dunkirk; the horror of 9/11.... every day or event that marks a significant shift in a People's future... is a day or event that should be celebrated, mourned, remembered and marked at every anniversary of it's passing.
In the marking of its occurrence, we remind ourselves how one second, one single brief moment in time can change the course of history.
Without the attack on the Pearl Harbor American Fleet, would America have entered the war? We will probably never know. But it is well worth acknowledging that December 7th 1941 represented a lifeline to the war against the Japanese in the South Pacific as far as the Allies were concerned.
The attack cost the lives of 2,334 servicemen and servicewomen and wounded another 1,143.
As a result of this attack, Japan truly did awaken a Sleeping Giant.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans didn't sit back and cry or moan and say " gosh, that's a shame. "
“There was nobody on the Sacramento who was out of control, crying for their mother, or crying at all,” said Paul Kennedy. adding that everyone did “what they were trained to do. I was real proud of my ship.” - Paul Ivan Kennedy- died on August 21, 2017. He was 96 years old.
The Americans got up and fought back with such ferocity of spirit that the foe was utterly vanquished.
There was no mercy.
Because the foe did not deserve mercy.
The sacrifices of that fateful day ripple through time, underscoring the enduring price of peace and the fragility of liberty in an uncertain world.
Pearl Harbor galvanised a nation, united a divided people, and transformed the United States into a global force for justice. It reminds us of the heroes who answered the call to defend their homeland and the countless families who bore the weight of their sacrifice.
By remembering Pearl Harbor, we affirm our commitment to learning from history, safeguarding the freedoms so dearly bought, and honouring the legacy of those who gave everything for the promise of a better world.
In many ways, America is under attack yet again. This time - not by bombs dropped from the sky but by traitors and stealth bombs launched from within. Thankfully, a new Commander in Chief, President Elect Trump, is soon to take charge and this giant of a leader is already awake. And he will not slumber until America is restored.
BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS
