65 Years Ago Today...

Post by **Dalton** » 2006-12-07 02:19am

...Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan, killing 2,403 Americans.

...

Post by **Surlethe** » 2006-12-07 02:25am

. . .

Post by **Broomstick** » 2006-12-07 05:46am

I heard this year is the last veterans of the attack will be gathering in Hawaii - too few and too old. Unconfirmed.

darthbob88 · Post by **darthbob88** » 2006-12-07 05:56am

The day after it occurred, FDR gave a speech referring to the "date which will live in infamy", and called for Congress to declare war on Japan. Now, it'd be difficult for most people to give that date if pressed. I imagine that our children and grand-children would be equally hard-pressed to remember 11 September, 2001. I hope they'll be less knowledgeable about the Tehran/Baghdad/Kabul crater, which doesn't exist...yet.

Kitsune · Post by **Kitsune** » 2006-12-07 06:55am

I don't know if he is still alive but I met a crewmember onboard the USS Utah one. Must have been around 1990.

GeneralTacticus · Post by **GeneralTacticus** » 2006-12-07 08:02am

tim31 · Post by **tim31** » 2006-12-07 08:18am

Lest We Forget.

Post by **Simplicius** » 2006-12-07 08:44am

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2006-12-07 08:48am

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2006-12-07 09:00am

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » 2006-12-07 10:04am

"Plays Taps"

...

Pelranius · Post by **Pelranius** » 2006-12-07 11:49am

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2006-12-07 12:40pm

Post by **Kuja** » 2006-12-07 12:52pm

Franklin Delano Roosevelt wrote:Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2006-12-07 01:04pm

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2006-12-07 01:41pm

*salute*

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2006-12-07 01:55pm

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-12-07 01:58pm

Charleston Daily Mail wrote:Vet vividly recalls that day in Hawaii

Thursday December 07, 2006

At 86 years old, Brooks Henderson Jr. can still recall the bombers flying overhead at Pearl Harbor on the sunny morning of Dec. 7 in 1941. He was just 21 at the time and scared.

The former West Virginia resident, having lived in Logan, Charleston and Alderson in his youth, joined the Marines when he was 19. It was a way to learn a trade and get an education. “My younger brother James and sister Minnie May were living with my grandmother Minnie Cantrell in Charleston when I joined,” Henderson recalled this week. “I didn’t get to finish school, but I thought the Marines would be good for me. It was during the depression years when I joined the Marines and I sent my grandmother money from my pay. Both my sister and brother were still at home and I had to help out.”

Henderson, who now lives in Buena Park, Calif., came to Pearl Harbor from Midway Island with his Marine buddies. “I had spent seven months on Midway as a private first class and then was transferred with the Third Defense Battalion, Fleet Marine Force to the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard. On Dec. 6, 1941, I was going to be off for the weekend and planned to spend the night with my cousin, Frank Reed, aboard the U.S.S. Utah,” Henderson said. “However, my name was on the guard duty roster for that Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon which, thank goodness, cancelled my near fatal plans.”

The attack on Pearl Harbor lasted a little under two hours, but for the Utah it was over in a few minutes. At 8:01 a.m., soon after the sailors had begun raising the flag, the battleship took a torpedo hit forward and immediately started to list to port. At 8:12 a.m. the mooring lines snapped and she rolled over.

As Henderson reported for duty as Color Guard at the Marine Barracks flagpole, he watched as a dive-bomber appeared, dropping its first bomb on Ford Island. “Pulling out of the dive, it exposed the bottom wings with a red circle on each of them,” he recalled. “Following that first bomber came another and another, just the beginning of the disastrous onslaught of squadrons of Japanese dive bombers, torpedo planes and horizontal bombers that followed.”

After raising the flag, Henderson was ordered by the officer of the day to report to his outfit. He joined his comrades and began the procedure of getting anti-aircraft weapons, housed in gun sheds, into effective action.

“I had to set up 3-inch anti-aircraft guns while waiting for ammunition to arrive that was being transported by trucks from Lualei, a Naval Ammunition depot about 18 miles away,” Henderson said. “I was our platoon Browning Automatic rifleman and positioned myself on the parade field firing at the torpedo and dive bombers coming in from treetop level as they were pulling out of their torpedo runs on the ships at Pearl.”

Some of the planes were strafing Henderson’s platoon as they passed over the field and as fast as he and a friend could load the ammunition clips he was firing at the planes. “Along with the others who were firing 50-caliber machine guns and other small arms, we saw one plane disintegrate and one plane catch on fire,” he remembered. “The latter plane was so close, we could see the panicked pilot and gunner struggling to open the greenhouse (canopy) to bail out.”

To Henderson, all this seemed unreal but no one had time to think, only react and do what they had been trained to do. Henderson’s only souvenir of the Pearl Harbor attack, which killed an estimated 2,400 servicemen and civilians, was a 30-caliber armor-piercing bullet. “It whizzed by my ear and dropped on the ground,” he said. “It was from a strafing plane and was so hot when I tried to pick it up it burnt my fingers and I dropped it.” He picked it up when he could and put it in his pocket. He has it to this day.

After Pearl Harbor, he and some of his platoon were moved to Hickam Field and then loaded onto the U.S.S. Thornton, a four-stack destroyer. “I can still hear the captain of that ship telling us that he had sealed orders for us,” Henderson said. As the ship was moving out of Pearl through the destruction in the harbor, the captain came down from the bridge and stood among the troops. “He said, ‘Take a good look around because you may never see this place again, as you are standing here with one foot in the grave,’ “ Henderson said. “We were on our way to Wake Island but the Marines there surrendered before we could arrive.”

Henderson made three landings in the 63 months he served in the Marines — in the Pacific at Woodlark Island near East New Brittan Province, at Palau, and with the First Marine Division at Cape Gloucester, West New Brittan Province. When he was discharged in Quantico, VA, he held the rank of platoon sergeant. He spent a couple of months in the Charleston area and then hopped on a Greyhound bus bound for California.

“I met a young lady from California on that bus,” he said, “and after a courtship we became engaged and got married.” He and his wife Norma “Sue” raised two sons and a daughter in the Los Angeles area where the couple settled. He worked doing custom painting work and retired from the mechanical department of the County of Los Angeles 24 years ago at age 61. Sue died six years ago.

Pearl Harbor survivors are a dying breed. It is estimated there are between 4,000 and 6,000 of them, with 450 planning to attend a memorial ceremony today in Hawaii. That’s down from 650 who attended the last such observance in 2001.

In West Virginia, there were an estimated 45 survivors in 2004, according to a newspaper account. Henderson still visits with his brother Jim at his home in Kanawha City a couple of times a year and spends time with his five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. “During my time overseas, I stood in the face of death many times, more times than I probably even know,” he said. “But because of God’s protection, I was spared.”

God bless the man... firing a Browning at Japanese bombers as they flew by.

Redleader34 · Post by **Redleader34** » 2006-12-07 02:00pm

may we never forget the impact of this attack

HSRTG · Post by **HSRTG** » 2006-12-07 02:08pm

. . .

FaxModem1 · Post by **FaxModem1** » 2006-12-07 03:13pm

Its funny, I started Basic on this day.

Never forget.

Jason von Evil · Post by **Jason von Evil** » 2006-12-07 03:36pm

I've heard that many of the vets want their ashes to be put inside the Arizona when they die, so they can rest along side their friends.

I found this interesting bit of info on Wikipedia.

Every United States Navy, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine vessel entering Pearl Harbor participates in the tradition of manning the rails. Personnel serving on these ships stand at attention at the ship's guard rails and salute the USS Arizona Memorial in solemn fashion as their ship slowly glides into port. More recently, as foreign military vessels are entering Pearl Harbor for joint military exercises, foreign troops have participated in the traditional "manning the rails".

Now thats respect.

Qwerty 42 · Post by **Qwerty 42** » 2006-12-07 04:34pm

Zor · Post by **Zor** » 2006-12-07 04:36pm

Lest we Forget

Zor

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2006-12-07 04:40pm

I hope that the world will never again see sutch a conflict that took their life.

If that could come through their sacrifice might have been worth something.

Rest In Peace.