Pearl Harbor Remembered

[Ivantherussian03]

December 7th 1941

I would be hard pressed to remember the many books I have read about WWII. But I am always saddened when I think about Pearl Harbor. Of the many ships damaged that morning only two were not repaired: the USS Arizona and I believe the USS Nevada, but I am unsure of the later. I think of those ships because a few men survived in those ships trapped and entombed. For whatever reasons, the rescuers were not able to locate them and cut them out of the ships. The trapped men tapped on the steel hulls with what ever tools they had--hoping! Those men never knew what happened. The tapping reportedly ended 50 plus days, after December 7th, and then it was quiet.

Think about that this Sunday morning, December 7th, and be grateful.

[10-x]

Ivan,
Thank you for posting this, you beat me to it. Our generation owes so much to the generation that fought WWII.
We all should take time to remember and never forget.:)

[James C. Snodgrass]

Also fellas remember to fly our (Colors ) at half mast . James
USS Bagley FF 1059,Uss Duncan FFG 10,Uss Albert David FF1050 87'-92'

[twotrees]

That was my Mom's 21st Birthday, she never did forgive the "Japs".

She served in the Wave's at RI and Bethesda Md.

"Never Forget"

[Morgan Astorbilt]

This was my Dad's 41st. birthday, and he served as an Air Raid Warden. We still don't forgive them. They never apologized, especially Mitsubishi, who used American Bataan Death March survivors as slaves in their Jap Zero factory. Seeing Americans buy their cars and tuna fish (Three Diamond brand), makes me sick!!!
Morgan

[fatnhappy]

and often overlooked as this day in American history was the first state ratification of the US Constitution. [smilie=1:

December 7, 1787

Delaware ratifies the Constitution
On this day in 1787, Delaware becomes the first state to ratify the Constitution, doing so by a unanimous vote.
This momentous event occurred exactly one year after the Hampshire Herald published a statement by Thomas Grover listing the demands made by the participants in Shays’ Rebellion. The post-war economy left farmers of western Massachusetts and throughout the 13 states in distress. Many were unable to pay debts with the worthless paper money issued by state governments. Captain Daniel Shays, a Continental Army veteran, led an attack on the federal arsenal in Springfield, Massachusetts, as part of an effort to close the courts where debt lawyers sued debtors. Volunteers put down the rebellion, but wealthy men throughout the new states were terrified that such a revolt might be repeated. To further their fears, “Shays-ite” candidates swept the Massachusetts legislature in the next election.

Debtors’ uprisings like Shays’ Rebellion were a significant impetus for the Philadelphia convention to strengthen the American union. Alexander Hamilton first called for discussions on revising the Articles of Confederation based on improving economic relations in the new republic. The process began in a hurried and extra-legal manner. The Constitutional Convention’s dictate that the new Constitution would come into effect after merely nine states ratified was strictly illegal under the Articles, which demanded unanimity among the states for amendments to take effect. The drafters wanted to take action quickly before the nation was irreversibly fractured.

Delaware’s ratification indicated that the states were indeed willing to consider an extra-legal document drafted behind closed doors. In many ways, the ratification process was a sort of second American revolution and Delaware’s unanimous vote accurately foretold that it would take place without bloodshed.

[HABCAN]

The only people to get small joy from the Pearl Harbor attack were Winston Churchill and the peoples of the British Commonwealth and Empire because we no longer 'stood alone' after more than two years of War. Then, the Allies stood up to ANOTHER year of losing before the 'turning of the tide'. Only a schoolboy at the time, I yet well remember. God Bless the USA!

[corvette8n]

I'm a WWII buff, born a post war boomer, But I did get to go to Hawaii last year and visit the Arizona. It was a very sobering experience. I have pictures of the oil still oozing up from that old hulk of a ship. Our guide told us that on the day we were there, there was to be an interment at night of a fellow sailer returning to be with his shipmates.
My hats off to all who have served and all who are serving.

[missionary5155]

USS Utah... the old battleship turned into a target ship is the other ship left on the bottom.
USS Nevada is the only capital ship to get up steam and get under way during the attack. The chief engineer had lit of another boiler to "switch over" thus having two boilers on line shortly after the attack began. Ship was beached because of damage before reaching the narrow pasage to open ocean.

[JeffinNZ]

The only people to get small joy from the Pearl Harbor attack were Winston Churchill and the peoples of the British Commonwealth and Empire because we no longer 'stood alone' after more than two years of War. Then, the Allies stood up to ANOTHER year of losing before the 'turning of the tide'. Only a schoolboy at the time, I yet well remember. God Bless the USA!

Indeed though it is now speculated that Churchill knew the Japs were going to attack and said nothing as he knew it would draw the US into the war. The 'word' is the Brits in Singapore picked up the communications from Japan.

[Morgan Astorbilt]

Ever wonder why FDR sent help to Europe instead of the Pacific, and let Bataan fall? It was the Japs that attacked us, not the Nazi's or Fascists. Guess he had to help his old friend Churchill out.
Morgan

[felix]

A better way to think of it is something like this: Having supplies, would you rather patch the hole in your sinking boat, or instead use your effort in finding a new boat? Not only that, consider all the boats, except for a certain kind, were all lined up for bait. ... felix

[Scrounger]

That's politics. Russia was threatening to make a separate peace with Germany which would have left England in the game alone and out-numbered. The experts said (And history proved them right) Japan was over-extended and had not the strength to invade the US, much less Hawaii. (The Aleutians were almost deserted, there was no resistance, they were as hard for us to help/defend as they were for the Japanese to occupy, which is why they pulled out before we were really able to do anything.) So we really had more time to get around to the Pacific, our losses in the Philippines notwithstanding. Besides, racially our roots were far more descended from Europe than from Asia. We, like the Aussies, Kiwis, South Africans, and Canadians naturally feel more kinship with England than the Pacific.

[Morgan Astorbilt]

I wasn't thinking about defending the Philippines, but just evacuating the Americans. They found the means to allow Mc Arthur to hightail it out of there. His claim he was ordered and went reluctantly, was pure BS! What can you expect from the SOB that fired on the bonus marchers years earlier.
Morgan

[sundog]

Morgan, let's see, years later a naval aviator who was already pow in hanoi declined early relaese in favor of those in captivity longer. The measure of men? My GF had a stake in the bonus and had some very choice words for that SOB. Truman waited too long to fire 'the SOB'.

[35remington]

The Oklahoma was also not repaired, so that makes three; Arizona, Utah, and Oklahoma.

http://www.oksenate.gov/senate_artwork/siege_of_battleship_oklahoma.html