There'll be an american with a rifle ...

[vaskidmark]

behind every blade of grass."  -- attributed (but never uttered) by Admiral Yamamoto and/or various other Japanese when contemplating an invasion of the US mainland.

[SIZE="5"]Remembering Pearl Harbor[/SIZE][/B]
At dawn on Sunday, December 7, 1941 65 years ago today, naval aviation forces of the Empire of Japan attacked the United States Pacific Fleet center at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and other military targets. The goal of this attack was to sufficiently cripple the US Fleet so that Japan could then attack and capture the Phillipines and Indo-China and so secure access to the raw materials needed to maintain its position as a global military and economic power. Airfields, port facilities, and warships were attacked and severely damaged. Of the nine Pacific Fleet battleships at Pearl that day, Utah and Arizona were completely destroyed and the Oklahoma was salvaged but considered obsolete and designated for scrap. All other battleships were returned to service. The expected result of the attack was to cripple the U. S. Pacific Fleet for a period of up to eighteen months, preventing aggressive action against imperial forces, with the fleet to later be drawn out into a final battle and destroyed. This goal eluded the Japanese as U. S. forces were acting aggressively in the South Pacific within 60 days and the fleet was fully effective within a year. There was never the kind of massive fleet battle that the Japanese hoped for. The attack was almost a complete tactical success. By a matter of chance, of the three of the Pacific Fleet carriers that would normally be at Pearl that morning, two were at sea on exercises and one was on the U. S. west coast undergoing maintenance. Not knowing the location of these ships that could attack his strike force would cause the tactical commander, Admiral Nagumo to withdraw before a planned third strike, sparing the Pacific Fleet submarine force, important maintenance facilities and critical fuel supplies. The survival of the repair shops would enable rapid restoration of the fighting capability of the fleet. The carriers would enable the first blow to be struck against the Japanese homeland in the Doolittle raid, would prove to be decisive in the Battle of the Coral Sea, where the Japanese forces were turned back in their thrust toward Australia, and would prove essential to U. S. success in the Battle of Midway Island, where naval aviation forces from U.S. carriers sank four Imperial carriers.

May those who made the ultimate sacrifice finally rest in peace.

Please, no Japan-bashing, no "that-war-was juist, this-one-isn't" or other diversions.

stay safe.

skidmark

[BakerMikeRomeo]

FDR's Speech in response to Pearl Harbor, DEC 8, 1941
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Pearl_Harbor_speech

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives:

Yesterday, December 7, 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, that 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 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

[wmenorr67]

Just finished reading a book called "A Day of Infamy," and I cannot remember the author.  But the plot is that the Japenese actually make the third strike and place an invasion force on the islands.  It is an alternate history novel but made for some good reading and some interesting theories.

[grampster]

 The Japanese nationalistic endeavor was driven by a  religious doctrine that they were a superior race led by a deity, called Emperor.  Thus they felt that they should rule the East.

Today we face the same warped nationalism in the form of jingoistic apostate Islamofascism.  (emphasis on apostate.)
It is a desire by a couple of sects, mainly Wahabbism, of one of the worlds 3 great religions to establish a worldwide Caliphate which would destroy Western culture and other religions, even other sects of the Islamic faith.  They have been at war with us for over 30 years and the West still seems unwilling to confront the truth of this.  We in the West have been inculcated with the notion that there is moral equivalence in the world.  That all cultures have value and we must not only respect this notion, but honor it.  After all we celebrate diversity, no?  That all we have to do is talk and reason with each other.  Fagghhh!

The problem is that our best and brightest still believe that this enemy is like other enemies.  That they will back off through negotiations and we can learn to live together in an uneasy negotiated peace.  Even a smattering of knowledge of the history of the the last 30 or so years, should indicate that this is not possible.  It may be true in some instances.  But history teaches us that it is not true in every instance.  I believe this is one of those times and the world stands by like the 3 monkeys.

[Art Eatman]

My uncle was in Central America as an engineer on airport projects for PanAm when the Deal Went Down.  Intriguingly--to me, anyhow--the government of Honduras (IIRC) beat the US Congress, time-wise, in actually signing off on a declaration of war against Japan.

Art

[280plus]

http://oldbluejacket.com/12-07-1941.htm