Remembering legacy of Pearl Harbor attack
On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The assault killed or wounded more than 3,500 American troops and civilians; severely damaged the fleet; and shocked the nation. The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed Congress and the nation, declaring the “American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.” The U.S. entered World War II within hours.
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day was held on Saturday to keep alive the memories of the attack that occurred on what president Roosevelt described as the “Day that will live in infamy.”
“On National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we honor and remember the brave individuals who lost their lives in the attack on Pearl Harbor, including 50 service members from Wisconsin, and reflect on the significance of this dark and fateful day in our nation’s history,” said Gov. Evers. “The attack on Pearl Harbor changed the trajectory of our nation and our world, and today, we pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation and recognize the bravery and selflessness of our WWII veterans and their families, who dedicated their lives to defend and protect the values and freedoms we hold dear.”
The attack on Pearl Harbor ushered America into World War II, which had been raging across the globe since 1939. America had already been supporting its overseas allies and preparing for the possibility of entering the conflict.
According to the National World War II Museum, the primary task facing America in 1941 was raising and training a credible military force. Concern over the threat of war had spurred President Roosevelt and Congress to approve the nation's first peacetime military draft in September 1940. By December 1941 America's military had grown to nearly 2.2 million soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines.
America's armed forces consisted largely of 'citizen soldiers,”men and women drawn from civilian life. They came from every state in the nation and all economic and social strata. Many were volunteers, but the majority, roughly 10 million, entered the military through the draft. Most draftees were assigned to the army. The other services attracted enough volunteers at first, but eventually their ranks also included draftees.
The Empire of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor was preceded by months of negotiations between the United States and Japan over the future of the Pacific Ocean. Japanese demands included that the United States end sanctions, cease aiding China in the Second Sino-Japanese War, and allow Japan to access the resources of the Dutch East Indies.
Japan sent out its naval attack groups in November 1941 just prior to receiving the Hull note—which states the United States desire that Japan withdraw from China and French Indochina. Japan intended the attack as a preventive action. Its aim was to prevent the United States Pacific Fleet from interfering with its planned military actions in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States. Over the course of seven hours, Japan conducted coordinated attacks on the U.S.held Philippines, Guam, and Wake Island; and on the British Empire in Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
The attack on Pearl Harbor started at 7:48 a.m. that Sunday morning. The base was attacked by 353 Imperial Japanese aircraft (including fighters, level and dive bombers, and torpedo bombers) in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. Of the eight United States Navy battleships present, all were damaged and four were sunk. All but USS Arizona were later raised, and six were returned to service and went on to fight in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. More than 180 US aircraft were destroyed. A total of 2,393 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded, making it the deadliest event ever recorded in Hawaii. It was also the deadliest foreign attack against the United States in its history until the September 11 attacks of 2001.
Fortunately, important base installations, such as the power station, dry dock, shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building were not attacked. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines were lost, and 129 servicemen killed.
The Japanese aggressors had hoped the attack would keep America from being a major player in the Pacific. Instead, it tested the resolve of the American people who rose to the challenge. Instead of a proverbial paper tiger that would easily crumble, Japan and its allies found instead a country united in remembrance of the attack and willing to fight against any foe.
