“After orders to assume battle stations, Cole headed to his spot four decks below. He never made it. Cole picked up a wounded two-hundred-thirty-five pound sailor and carried him up three ladders to safety. Cole then saw that the USS Arizona had been destroyed” (tulsaworld.com)

December 7, 1941, is a day we will always remember. This day is the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Many people have been scared or even angry at the bombing, so maybe you will feel that way too as you read about these horrific experiences while you read on. You will find out about the Pearl Harbor attack, how people reacted, how and why we still honor this day today, and memorials dedicated to this terrible moment in history.

The Attack on Pearl Harbor
December 7, 1941 is the day that the Japanese launched the attack. This plan was led by Chuichi Nagumo, and was carried out at early morning. At this time, everyone was asleep, but within five minutes everyone was already shooting at the planes with the anti-aircraft guns. The Japanese sunk four battleships by the time the attack was over, and nearly 450 people were killed. The Japanese used different bombs to attack the Harbor, such as land bombs, anti-ship bombs, and Model 2 torpedoes.

The Japanese chose Pearl Harbor to attack to take control of the Pacific. After all, there were a lot of good resources in the Pacific Ocean, and the Japanese wanted them. In order to get them, they needed to eliminate the threat, which was the USA. Pearl Harbor was located in Hawaii, where most of our ships were located. We also had aircraft carriers, but they were out at sea and the Japanese missed them. That was their main target.

America’s Reactions

As a result to Pearl Harbor, Americans were outraged. There was already propaganda, signs and posters convincing people to do something, encouraging people to go to war. The attack caused us to go to war with the Axis powers(Germany, Italy, and Japan). This was not the only thing that led the USA to joining the Allied powers in World War II, but this was what pushed us over the edge.

Pearl Harbor ignited a strong feeling of nationalism in people across the country. As soon as we entered the war, people were signing up for the army. As men went overseas to fight, women took the jobs they once had, and were making war materials for the Allies. Ordinary people were helping as well, rationing their food and conserving money. Our extreme nationalism was what propelled us to the end of the war.

Pearl Harbor Today

We honor this day today due to all the people that died, and lived, from Pearl Harbor. Some people even think that Pearl Harbor is slowly being forgotten over the years. “Over the course of decades since, Dec. 7 has meant one thing to generations of Americans: Pearl Harbor. Unprovoked attack. The need to be prepared. But that message has become muted over the past few years by the thinning of the ranks of the men and women who survived the assault that Sunday morning on U.S. military facilities in Hawaii.” (usatoday.com).

There have been memorials dedicated to the bombing over Pearl Harbor. In fact, there is a memorial in Hawaii honoring Pearl Harbor. It is a marble wall with all the names of the ones who died engraved into it. The memorial was approved in 1958 by President Eisenhower, a World War II General. The Construction of the memorial was finished in 1961 using funds from private donations (nps.gov).

In all, Pearl Harbor was an awful time in history, and it is what propelled us into World War Two. In this paper, you learned about what happened on December 7, 1941, how America reacted, and what Pearl Harbor is like today. Think about that nationalism that came out of this event. Think about how Americans banded together and fought back. Pearl Harbor is a perfect example of how America is a strong nation if we work together.


References
Krislyn Pacide. “The Secret Weapons Behind The Japanese Attack On Pearl Harbor”.

popsci.com. 12/7/12. 4/9/14.
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-12/vintage-popsci-pearl-harbor?dom=PSC&loc=recent&lnk=1&con=read-full-story

John Andrew Prime. “Pearl Harbor Memories Fading with time” . usatoday.com. 12/7/13.


4/9/14.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/06/pearl-harbor-memories-fading/3899443/

Joyce Appleby. The American Journey. Ohio. McGraw-Hill Companies. 2009.

Unknown. “Pearl Harbor”. history.com. 2009. 4/8/14.

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor

Unknown. “World War Two Valor in the Pacific”. Nps.gov. 3/18/14. 4/9/14.
http://www.nps.gov/valr/historyculture/index.htm