Pearl Harbor: A Military Attack On America

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Pearl Harbor was a military attack on America that pulled us into World War Two. Pearl Harbor was an air strike on the American naval base of Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. After more than two years of European conflict, America was finally forced to join the war after the attack. The Japanese had been planning the attack on Pearl Harbor for months before executing their plan by the element of surprise. While this attack was dependent on the element of surprise, for the Japanese, achieving this was relatively easy for the Japanese, because no one believed that a Japanese attack on America would occur so close to home. Many Americans believed that a Japanese attack would occur much closer to Japan around the Dutch East Indies or Indochina. …show more content…
At 8:10, an 1,800 pound bomb shattered the deck of the USS Arizona. The bomb released its magazine, the ship exploded, and finally sank. 1,000 men were trapped inside the USS Arizona after it sank, and to this day, many bodies- up to 1,070- are still trapped inside of the ship. Bombs, bullets, and torpedoes ravaged American planes and ships, killing over 2,500 Americans and wounding over 1,000 more along the way. Although the attack lasted only around 2 hours, it was devastating. The Japanese military managed to destroy eight battleships, twelve other naval vessels, and over three hundred airplanes. After the attack, every major battleship at Pearl Harbor sustained significant damage and two- the USS Arizona and the USS Utah- had been sunk. This attack decimated the Pacific Fleet, but it only promoted nationalism and American spirit, as well as the fire to join our military to fight against those who dared to strike American soil. The day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. Congress agreed and declared war on Japan, and America officially joined World War …show more content…
No one will ever forget how the Japanese attack us on the fateful December day in 1941. Survivors and future generations alike will remember this day as the first time foreigners dared to strike American soil, causing a strong retaliation. It will forever be remembered, the day that the Americans joined the European war and would go on to fight alongside the Allied forces, storm the beach of Normandy on D-Day, and eventually defeat Adolf Hitler and his Nazi forces. The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 will be a day that will forever live in infamy to every family member, friend, and American in the

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