During the attack of major battleships at Pearl Harbor, only two ships – the U.S.S. Arizona and U.S.S. Oklahoma – were damaged beyond repair. The others were all able to be fixed over time.
When Americans think of terrible acts of violence committed domestically, there are several major atrocities that stick out over others. To most people, 9/11 is engraved onto their minds but prior to 2001, the event that shook the souls of this nation was the attack on Pearl Harbor.
WWII is one of the most significant events in the history of our planet with repercussions still being felt more than 70 years later. This “war to end all wars” raged for over two years without United States involvement. On the morning of December 7th, 1941, Japanese bombers and fighter planes attacked U.S. military installations on Oahu, Hawaii. A sneak attack, these fighters decimated everything they could, sinking battleships, destroying aircraft and killing 2,026 American sailors and marines. The next day, America declared war.
Such a massive attack on American soil was unheard of and the country reeled in shock with the news. It was a day that would live in infamy and the souls of those lost would be forever honored. This December 7th, take a moment of silence and remember Pearl Harbor.
Conversation Factoid Icebreaker: U.S. servicemen identified Japanese planes by locating the meatball on the side of their aircraft. They felt that the Rising Sun symbol for Japan looked like meatballs.
