On Sunday, December 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked the United States. It was, at the time, the most well-executed surprise attack in history. The Pearl Harbor incident left the American naval forces weak, yet our country had no choice but to enter World War II.
Only 18 months prior had naval forces been relocated to Pearl Harbor per President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The President believed that this would be a deterrent to the Japanese, who were attempting to move south in an effort to obtain much-needed oil and supplies [the Japanese had been engaged in war with China since 1937]. By summer of 1941, the Japanese were no longer able to trade with the West, so their only option was to seize oil-rich land in Southeast Asia and the East Indies.
In November 1941, attempts to make peace with Japan were proving unsuccessful, and the U.S. believed that an enemy attack is imminent - U.S. officials were able to intercept and translate Japanese documents, which led them to believe that an attack on the Indies and even the Philippines was coming. But the U.S. did not anticipate an attack on Pearl Harbor, located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. 
Around 0500 on December 7th, Japanese reconnaissance aircraft flew over Pearl Harbor and confirmed with Japanese officials that the U.S. naval fleet was docked. At 0600, 190 Japanese attack planes headed towards the harbor with the intent to bomb the naval fleet and American airfields. Almost an hour later, the remaining 170 Japanese attackers took off, aiming for any targets that the previous sweep had missed. A total of 360 aircraft and 25 support vessels made up the Japanese force that day. Because the U.S. was not expecting the Japanese to attack American land, no American military planes were dispatched prior to the attack to monitor the area. And, of course, the military did not have the sophisticated radar technology that we do today, so the Japanese were able to sneak up on the U.S. without warning.
Five minutes before 0800, the Japanese bombed the American airfields. At 0800, they began to hit U.S. naval vessels docked in the harbor. This attack lasted approximately thirty minutes, and within minutes five U.S. battleships were sunk or sinking, the rest badly damaged. Many other ships and several combat planes were destroyed. Not long after, Battleship California, Battleship West Virginia and Battleship Arizona – which remains in Pearl Harbor as a memorial today – were sunk. Two other ships – the Battleship Oklahoma and the Nevada – were nearly destroyed. Almost 100 Army planes and 92 Navy aircraft were ruined, and over 150 additional planes were damaged almost beyond repair.
Due to the fact that the Japanese completely surprised the American forces – who were obviously all still asleep or had just woken up in preparation for the day – only six Army planes and less than 40 Navy aircraft were able to get into the air in an attempt to strike back at the enemy.
The Japanese reportedly lost 64 men and 28 planes during the Pearl Harbor incident. Approximately 2,400 Americans were killed, and almost 2,000 were wounded. Up until the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Pearl Harbor held the record for the most U.S. casualties in one day. It is important to note, however, that the majority of individuals killed during the Pearl Harbor attacks were members of the military, and not civilians – on September 11, 2001, of course, almost all of those killed were civilians.
The Japanese had singlehandedly delivered the worst defeat in U.S. military history. President Roosevelt called it a “Day of Infamy.” Little did the Japanese know, the attack on Pearl Harbor had only “awakened the sleeping giant,” as Japanese Admiral Yamamoto would later say. The following day, the U.S. joined its Allies – France, the USSR, China, Great Britain and 19 other nations – in war against the Axis Powers of Japan, Germany and Italy.
Much happened between 1941 and the end of World War II on August 14, 1945. Twenty million people were killed. As many as 4 million were civilian casualties. Three times the number killed were injured. Over 400,000 Americans were dead, and almost 700,000 were wounded. WWII was undoubtedly a war like the world had never seen before. And to think – it all began with the attack on Pearl Harbor 68 years ago today.
There are not many men alive today who were present at the attack of Pearl Harbor, but the WWII vets who were there and survived to tell their story remember it well. Each year, on December 7th, the U.S. recognizes Pearl Harbor Day. It is a day to remember the lives lost 68 years ago, as well as the lives lost throughout the course of WWII.
It is, like Veterans Day, also a day to consider the many issues faced by surviving WWII veterans. One such issue is the development of mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer that is diagnosed in many veterans due to asbestos exposures sustained during military service. Asbestos, which was found in naval ships, military aircraft, and in military vehicles and housing, is a known carcinogen, but during the WWII era, the long-term health risks of exposure were unknown. If inhaled, asbestos fibers can lodge in the mesothelium, or lining of the body’s internal organs. Symptoms do not appear for as many as 50 years, and by the time of diagnosis a veteran is in their late seventies or early eighties. The most commonly-diagnosed form of mesothelioma in WWII vets is known as pleural mesothelioma, which is a cancer of the pleural lining of the lungs. Once diagnosed, veterans can receive palliative mesothelioma treatment methods – chemo, radiation, or surgery – but this aggressive and extremely painful form of cancer generally takes the life of veterans in less than 2 years. While less than 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma annually, the number of mesothelioma navy cases continue to rise.
Today, let’s think about the brave men and women who protected our freedoms during World War II, and let us also consider the plights faced by surviving WWII veterans, as well as the issues facing veterans of more recent military conflicts.
For more information on Pearl Harbor and World War II, I recommend the following informational websites:
