ORIGINAL: BIGMIG
The reaon for the post was not to create a debate,just a notation of the day that needs to be remembered by us all.I was about a year and a half old when this attack took place.The history leading up to this attack and on through to the end results is well doccumented and leaves little in my eyes to debate about.I can't think of any other event after reading a lot of history that has taken place in or involving the USA that directly effected every person living here in one way or other than the time span and event of WWII.
BIGMIG
US NAVY (1960-1964 ) Served on...USS Pine Island.....USS Navasota........USS Ashtabula.....18 Months Cubi Point NAS Philippines
Thank you for your service Bigmig.
These discussions are healthy as long as they don't turn into mud-slinging fights. If we keep and open mind we learn and grow. Closed minds do not learn anything! I have come a long way in my 51 years. I have become more tollerant (for lack of a better term) of Japanese products. As for the Tamiya FO tanks...they are the best. No one makes a similar product in the US. If they did I would have bought theirs instead.
Many people are misinformed on WW II and the Pacific. The European front is much easier to understand how it all started. During the depression we were quite happy to sell oil and scrap metal to Japan. We needed the jobs and funds here in the US. Little mention is made of the China. I'm glad it has been remembered here in this post. As far as I am concerned WW II started in the early 1930's when Japan invaded China. Not when Germany invaded Poland in 1939 or when we were stabbed in the back at Pearl Harbor in 1941. Germany warmed up for war in Spain, Italy warmed up in Africa, just like Japan warmed up in China. Many nations had huge domestic issues and the Depression to deal with. They had little time for "World Affairs". The US tried to negotiate with Japan regarding aggression in China and the League of Nations was ineffective. The fuse was lit when the US cut off further oil supplies to Japan. They didn't use it daily like we do here today Scot...they were stock piling oil for a war of "World Conquest". They had a one year supply and needed oil from the East Indies and elsewhere to fuel the war machine for the future. This is one of the reasons they didn't destroy the huge oil reserves in Hawaii. Many Admirals were shocked that they didn't. Although they did have a plan to do so but chose not to. If they had destroyed those oil reserves the operations at Coral Sea and the huge sucesses of Midway would not have been possible. The Japs had hoped to possibly capture that fuel stockpile. It took years to build it up and would not have been easily replaced. This was not supposed to be a "Sneak Attack" in their eyes since they planned to tell us at least an hour before....LOL.
We were lucky that they attack happened where it did in a shallow port. If it had happened in the open sea elsewhere in the Pacific those ships would have sank deep and been gone forever. Many were refloated and repaired in the best repair facility in the Pacific outside of the California Naval ports. It would be like having your car break-down at a service station. So many lives were lost. But many saved due to the hospitals and great medical personel being on site. The loss of life was horrific and a national tragedy. Most US citizens didn't want another war. Our European Allies were glad to see us enter the war. But regretted the way we had to convinced to join them. Hitler's declaration of war on the US was very foolish on his part. It opened the flood-gates from the "Arsenal of Democaracy" and US "War Machine". The Japanese rule over the Pacific only lasted a few months. The effects of WW II are far reaching and long lasting. Many are still effecting the US today. We should all be students of history. We must NEVER FORGET.