Infamy

On this "date which will live in infamy," the sleepy inhabitants of Pearl Harbor were awaked, not by the sun or by roosters, not by their lovers or their children, but by the explosions of a premeditated and deliberate attack by the Empire of Japan.

To say the people of Oahu were taken by surprise would be an understatement.  While there were numerous historical precedents for unannounced military action by Japan, the lack of any formal warning, particularly while negotiations were still apparently ongoing, led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to proclaim December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy."  While war with Japan had been expected, no one expected an unannounced attack, and Pearl Harbor was completely unprepared.

Men aboard U.S. ships awoke to the sounds of bombs exploding and cries of "Away fire and rescue party" and "All hands on deck, we're being bombed" and "Air raid Pearl Harbor. This is not a drill." Despite the lack of preparation, such as locked ammunition lockers, aircraft parked wing to wing against sabotage, and a lack of heightened alert status, there were many American military men who served with honor during the battle.

Ensign Joe Taussig got his ship, Nevada, under way from a dead cold start during the attack.

One of the destroyers got moving with only four officers aboard, all Ensigns, and none with more than a year's sea duty! This ship operated for four days at sea before its commanding officer caught up with it.

Probably the most famous single defender is Doris "Dorie" Miller, an African-American cook aboard West Virginia. He took control of an unattended anti-aircraft gun he had no training on, and used it to fire on attacking planes, downing at least one, even while bombs were hitting his ship. Simply incredible.

In all, 14 sailors and officers were awarded the Medal of Honor.

When all was said and done, 2,403 Americans, including 68 civilians, had died. Nearly half of the American fatalities, 1,102 men, were caused by the explosion and sinking of the ship Arizona.

While the attack on Pearl Harbor was a success for Japan, it ended up leading to the doom of the Axis Powers in WWII. The day following the attack, the United States declared war on Japan.  Domestic support for non-interventionism, which had been strong, disappeared.  Covert support of Britain was replaced by active alliance.  Subsequent operations by the U.S. prompted Germany and Italy to declare war on the U.S. on December 11, which was reciprocated by the U.S. the same day.

By drawing the U.S. into the war, Japan not only paved the way for the U.S. to take over and occupy their country, but for the U.S. to completely support the Allies in Europe, changing the entire tide of the war. It also led to the U.S.'s emergence as a superpower in the world, a status we have only begun to cede.

Days like today are a good time to remember those who have given their lives in the call of duty. Many brave men and women have fallen in service to our great country, but are hardly ever recognized for what they have sacrificed. Especially those who fell long ago.

If you ever get a chance to head out to Honolulu, go to Pearl Harbor and check out the memorial of the USS Arizona. The memorial is directly on top of the sunken ship that claimed so many lives. Oil and grease still rises to the surface from this boat. The experience is one I will never forget, and I've only been there once as a child.

Warfare has changed quite a bit, and our soldiers are usually considered to be quite safe when stationed at bases on U.S. soil. Sadly, this is not always the case, as the incident at Fort Hood on November 5, 2009, as well as the attacks of September 11, can remind us. We need to remember that, even when not on active wartime duty, our men and women in uniform are always at risk and always putting their lives on the line in service of this country.

December 7th is a good day to take some time out and remember that harrowing morning 70 years ago in which the world awoke to chaos, and U.S. soil was safe no more.