The United States was “blindsided” twice; first on December 7th, 1941 and then on September 11th, 2001.
To honor today, 65 years later, on 12-07-41:
On Sunday, December 7th, 1941 the Japanese blindsided U.S. Forces stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
By planning his attack on a Sunday the Japanese commander, Admiral Nagumo, hoped to catch the entire fleet in port. As luck would have it, the aircraft carriers and one of the battleships were not in port (The USS Enterprise was returning from Wake Island , where it had just delivered some aircraft. The USS Lexington was ferrying aircraft to Midway, and the USS Saratoga and USS Colorado were undergoing repairs in the United States).
In spite of the latest intelligence reports about the missing aircraft carriers (his most important targets), Admiral Nagumo decided to continue the attack with his force of six carriers and 423 aircraft.
At a range of 230 miles north of Oahu, he launched the first wave of a two-wave attack.
Beginning at 0600 hours, Nagumo’s first wave consisted of 183 fighters and torpedo bombers which struck at the fleet in Pearl Harbor and the airfields in Hickam, Kaneohe, and Ewa.
The second strike, launched at 0715 hours, consisted of 167 aircraft, which again struck at the same targets.
At 0753 hours the first wave, consisting of 40 Nakajima B5N2 “Kate” torpedo bombers, 51 Aichi D3A1 “Val” dive bombers, 50 high-altitude bombers and 43 Zeros, struck airfields and Pearl Harbor within the next hour.
The second wave arrived and continued the attack.
The United States lost 2,403 persons in that attack.
Fewer than died on 9-11-2001.
And we went to official war over this incident.
Please, take a moment to remember and honor those lost on this day, lo, those 65 years ago and also to honor those who became The Greatest Generation — the generation of my father and mother — those who fought and died and sacrificed so that we can enjoy the freedoms of today.
NEVER FORGET WHEN ONE IS BLINDSIDED.
BZ
What a great sacrifice those soldiers made for America, and look at were we are today with all of the abundance we have.
There is a reason they were called The Greatest Generation — a generation known for their self-sacrificing nature.
BZ
Wonderful tribute, BZ. I’ve been thinking about WWII and Pearl Harbor lately, and reading a lot of history as well. After all, it’s before my time. I was 2 months and 6 days old on December 7th, 1941.
Even back then Americans were reluctant to get into the war. With reports coming back to America regarding the atrocities happening in Europe, mainly Germany, America sat back and watched, and I guess thanked God it wasn’t happening here. It took Pearl Harbor to unify Americans, and once we are unified we are a formidable force. It makes me wonder what it will take to unify America now? After all, 9/11 didn’t seem to do it. Will we have to lose an entire city in order for America to pull it’s head out of the sand? God, I pray not!
Gayle: unfortunately I’ve said it once and fear I am forced to repeat: we simply shall not “get it” until we see a mushroom cloud arising over a major American city which, a year later, will be surrounded, at its 10-mile limit, with a Dead Zone that no human can enter for 400 years.
And Gayle, even then, I fear there will still be those who shall be excusers and appeasers and apologists and other members from the R&J Corps.
BZ
Great post and so true!!