Remember Pearl Harbor

On Dec. 7, 1941, the United States was thrust into World War II by a surprise air attack on U.S. military installations on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. This was a Sunday, and many personnel were away from their duty stations when the attack began at 7:55 a.m. The 6th Pacific Fleet, except for its three aircraft carriers, was in port, and the fleet was so heavily damaged it was questionable when or if the fleet would be ready for war.

The Japanese aircraft were launched from aircraft carriers north of Hawaii, and the attack destroyed 300 airplanes, destroyed or seriously damaged 20 war ships, and killed 2,400 American military and civilian personnel.

Of particular note were the eight battleships that were destroyed. The battleship U.S.S. Arizona was destroyed when a Japanese bomb caused the ship’s ammunition in storage to explode, killing 1,000.

The threat of a Japanese attack had been present for several weeks, but the attack came without any advance warning or any declaration of war by Japan. The United States Congress passed a declaration of war against Japan the next day, and Japan’s ally, Nazi Germany, responded by declaring war against the United States. Japan had been at war with China since 1937, and most nations in Europe had been at war with Germany since 1939.

The space for this column is too small to go into great detail about the damage the United States Navy suffered and the heroism Navy personnel displayed during the attack. Simply listing those heroic actions would fill a large book. Suffice it to say, many of those stationed on Oahu on Dec. 7, 1941, performed above and beyond their duty. Most veterans of Pearl Harbor’s attack are gone now, but they have left us a great legacy. We can honor them by remembering their actions in that hellish battle.

Jack Dragoni who resides in Chaffee, served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam.