Pearl
Harbor and American Spirit
By:
Stephanie Clinton
7
December 2011
On December 7, 1941,
exactly 70 years ago today, a tragic event occurred that would forever scar United
States history. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it a “date that will
live in infamy”. On this day, Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was attacked by Japanese
forces despite U.S. neutrality in World War II at that time.
The
Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the United States forces without warning. The
attack was meant to keep the United States out of the war; to scare them away.
Instead it had a direct opposite effect—the very next day America declared war
on Imperial Japan.
This
day will forever be remembered as Pearl Harbor Day; a day nearly 2,400 unsuspecting
American soldiers were attacked and killed without a second’s warning. It
really shows the American spirit. The fact that the day after such a horrible
mass murder, the United States rose to seek vengeance on the people who had
destroyed thousands of families’ lives, shows that America really cares about
those whom fight and fie for freedom and liberty.
Not
all those Navy men whom were at the harbor that day were killed. Lee Soucy
decided that when he died, sometime last year, that he wanted to join his
friends that lost their lives and therefore was put into his ship that sank
that fateful day today.
Still
today, in 2011, people remember those that died on this day in history. The
families are still affected. Those sons and daughters left behind are now part
of the same army, trying to protect the same liberty their fathers’ died for.
Ten Questions Every American Should be able to answer:
1. On what day did the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor occur?
2. What war was being fought at the time?
3. At the time of the attacks, what side of the war was America on?
4. How long after these attacks did America join the war (if not previously joined)?
5. What was Japan's motive for these attacks?
6. Did Japan's plan work?
7. Who was the president at the time?
8. What did he say about the day?
9. What is this day now remembered as?
10. Who ultimately won the war?
"...a day that will live in infamy."~ President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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