Page 411 - Hawaii: Diving, Surfing, Pearl Harbor, Volcanoes and More

The Surprise Attack Caused Massive Damage

tion of War with Japan. The president emotionally spoke the following
early 2400 Americans had been killed, 21 vessels were damaged famous words:”Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live
Nor destroyed, and most of the aircraft on Oahu’s airfields were in infamy - the United States was suddenly and deliberately attacked
destroyed. By 10:00am the first wave attack planes began to return to by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”The unity of the United
their aircraft carriers, and by noon all but 29 of theaircraft had returned. States reached an all-time high. Every American alive at the time knows
Japan’s attack commander, Admiral Chiuchi Nagumo, felt the mission the cry, “Remember Pearl Harbor!” Out of the ashes of this defeat came
was now accomplished, even though the America’s aircraft carriers and America’s resilience and determination to preserve peace so that these
other important targets had not been hit. Fearing reprisal from Ameri- dead shall not have died in vain.
can aircraft carriers, a possible third wave attack was scrubbed. Thus,
Japanese naval and air forces failed to destroy America’s Pacific Fleet.

n December 8, 1941 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ad-
Odressed a joint session of Congress to formally request a Declara-