Pearl Harbor

The Doolittle Raid 81 Years Later

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I remember writing this blog post last year and thinking to myself how amazing it is that so much time has passed since this reunion. Life has been quite the journey since then. Now I repost this and all I’m thinking is what the journey must’ve been like for these gentlemen.

11 years ago I went to Grimes Field in Urbana, OH for the 70th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid. It was an event like no other and it cemented my love of aviation. There were 20 of the flying B-25s in the world in one place at one time, it was the most ever seen together since WWII. Better than that four of the last surviving Doolittle Raiders were in attendance, along with Carol Glines an honorary raider, and one of the survivors of the USS Hornet CV-8 (I’m sorry to say I don’t recall his name at this time). Since then, Edward Saylor, Dick Cole, David Thatcher, and Thomas Griffin have all passed away with Dick Cole being the last of the raiders to fly north. Today marks the 81st anniversary of the raid that made them all famous.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, Roosevelt went to Congress to ask to declare a proclamation of war against Japan. Congress agreed and soon after Japan and Germany declared war on the US with the US declaring war on Germany. This would set off the United States’ involvement in WWII. Roosevelt went to his military leaders to devise a strike against Japan’s heart in response to Pearl Harbor. A submarine commander came up with the idea of launching bombers from a carrier to attack mainland Japan. It was a bold and highly dangerous plan in which the precious American fleet would have to go well into the domain of the far superior Japanese fleet. 16 B-25 bombers launched from the USS Hornet on April 18th, 1942, and bombed mainland Japan before flying further onto China where the planes were to be handed over to American allies in China for further use in the war. This did not happen as all but 1 plane crashed due to bad weather and nightfall. The one surviving plane landed in Russia and was confiscated. The history of the raid is fascinating and many historians have spent a lot of time researching and interviewing survivors from all nations. This blog post hardly does it justice. You can read an older post of mine here to learn a little more but I would advise you to pick up Carol Glines, the Doolittle Raid for a more in-depth account of events.

Lastly, while the anniversary of the Doolittle Raid has always been about the brave men that took part in the raid itself, being able to remember and honor those folks wouldn’t have been possible without volunteers like those of the Children of the Doolittle Raiders, National Museum of the United States Air Force, all the private museums that fly and maintain the B-25’s, all the folks that are involved with these planes and these functions, but most importantly are the veterans. If you see any of these people say thank you.

A Day Never to Be Forgotten

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Every year I talk about this day because it is one that must be remembered. Eighty-one years ago Pearl Harbor was attacked and in those few hours, the fate of many was decided. It set this country on a course that could not be altered and for four years we fought for freedom. Today is a special day to honor and remember what happened on December 7th. Of all the historic events from WWII, this certainly is one that most people recall. The photographs from that day are eerie to look at now especially if you’ve ever visited the islands and seen what it’s like today.

The rusted mast of one of the USS Arizona’s stacks is all that can be seen above water. It’s a far cry different than the image seen of the ship taken on that fateful day. Under the water’s surface still lies the remains of the crew submerged inside the ship, another reminder of what’s not to be forgotten.

Remembering Pearl Harbor 80 Years Later

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80 years ago today marked the beginning of four years of turmoil for the United States. While the rest of the world had already gone to war the US had stayed as neutral as it could be without declaring war. On December 7th, 1941 the US Navy was attacked at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese government. The next day Roosevelt asked congress to declare war on Japan and shortly after Germany. This launched us into World War II and for many December 7th is the day that will never be forgotten. Nor should it be.

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The events of Pearl Harbor have been studied for eighty years and new pieces of information are still being discovered. What happened there has for some become an obsession. It wasn’t just a military operation but a political statement that is as analyzed as any other major event. For those that haven’t studied the attack, it can be summed up much more easily, the day we went to war. The Japanese Zero, as seen above, for a long time was hated but now is treasured as a rare piece of history. The Zero was the primary plane launched by Japanese Carriers to bomb Pearl.

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Among the Zero’s many adversaries, the P-40 Warhawk was an early contender at Pearl and in the Aleutian Islands. The later contender the FG-1D Corsair fought in many battles over the Solomon Islands, up and done the slot.

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But one can never forget what happened that day and the many lives that were lost. While little remains of the Battleships and buildings that once covered Ford Island, Barabara’s Point, Hickam Field, and Pearl Harbor, the stories have lived on. If you’ve ever met a Pearl Harbor survivor then you’ve met someone who has lived through something that no one else can understand. Take a moment today and say thanks, for it would be a very different world today if not for the events that happened on December 7th.

Pearl Harbor 79 Years Later

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Early in the predawn, light swarms of Japanese Zeroes and torpedo bombers flew over Honolulu to deliver a tremendous blow to the United States. Mistaken as a group of B-17’s by radar the Japanese planes went untouched as they made their surprise attack. A flew P-40’s were able to get off the ground and engage the enemy during the raid but the damage was done and 5 battleships and thousands of men were dead and wounded. This was the opening to the greatest conflict the United States would ever be apart of.

Having talked with veterans and heard their stories, when approached about the subject of the Pearl Harbor raid, each of them had a note of sadness in their voice. Even though most were not there in person, they all heard about the raid and knew what it meant for the country. Many of them agreed that there was anger initially, after time it went away to feelings of remorse. Today we celebrate these brave men for what they did after the attack, like the Doolittle Raiders, who made a surprise raid in 16 B-25’s launched from the carrier Hornet against Tokyo. Today is a day we remember not only for those that we lost but for what it meant during the years that followed Pearl Harbor.

A Day in Infamy

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78 years later and we still remember that morning when a surprise attack of Japanese aircraft bombed Pearl Harbor and effectively pushed the United States into WWII as an allied power. Many men lost their lives that day and hundreds of thousands more would perish in the years to come. We remember today, not in anger but to learn the lessons of our past and avoid making the same mistakes in our future.

A Week of Remembrance

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This has been a week of remembrance indeed. Firstly, former President George H. W. Bush was laid to rest after his passing last Friday. Then, today, we mark the seventieth seventh anniversary of Pearl Harbor. The events that took place day changed everything for this country, for the world and for the former President who eventually flew TBM Avengers in the Pacific. It is important that we remember and honor these people and days as we continue forward in life.

A Day Not to Be Forgotten

admin Aviation, Blog

Every year I talk about this day because it is one that must be remembered. Seventy Six years ago Pearl Harbor was attacked and in those few hours the fate for many was decided. It set this country on a course that could not be altered and for four years we fought for freedom. Today is a special day to honor and remember what happened on December 7th.

Of all the historic events from WWII this certainly is one that must people recall. The photographs from that day are erie to look at now especially if you’ve ever visited the islands and seen what it’s like today. A few years back I had that opportunity and it felt even erie’r.

The rusted mast of one of the USS Arizona’s stacks is all that can be seen above water. It’s a far cry different then the image seen of the ship taken on that fateful day. Under the water surface still lies the remains of the crew submerged inside the ship, another reminder of what’s not to be forgotten. Hopefully this post isn’t to depressing but it’s important to cherish what we have in this world as it came at a price.

In Honor of December 7th

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75 years ago today marked the beginning of four years of turmoil for the United States. While the rest of the world had already gone to war the US had stayed as neutral as it could be without declaring war. On December 7th 1941 the US Navy was attacked at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese government. The next day Roosevelt asked congress to declare war on Japan and shortly after Germany. This launched us into World War II and for many December 7th is day that will never be forgotten. Nor should it be.

avtflft19460

The events of Pearl Harbor have been studied for seventy five years and new pieces of information are still being discovered. What happened there has for some become an obsession. It wasn’t just a military operation but a political statement that is as analyzed as any other major event. For those that haven’t studied the attack, it can be summed up much more easily, the day we went to war. The Japanese Zero, as seen above, for a long time was hated but now is treasured as a rare piece of history. The Zero being the primary plane launched from Japanese Carriers to bomb Pearl.

avdlrsc1344

Among the Zero’s many adversaries, the P-40 Warhawk was an early contender at Pearl and in the Aleutian Islands. The later contender the FG-1D Corsair fought in many battles over the Solomon Islands, up and done the slot. Today all three can be seen together flying around the country.

lchiph0037

But one can never forget what happened that day and the many lives that were lost. While little remains of the Battleships and buildings that once covered Ford Island, Barabara’s Point, Hickam Field and Pearl Harbor, the stories have lived on. If you’ve ever met a Pearl Harbor survivor then you’ve met someone who has lived through something that no one else can understand. Take a moment day and say thanks, for it would be a very different world today if not for the events that happened on December 7th.

It was 74 years ago today

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Ever year this anniversary seems to arrive faster each time. Perhaps as you get older time naturally seems to go by faster and thus is nothing more then coincidence or perhaps as the years have gone by and I’ve learned more about what this date meant to this country and others I have come to honor and respect its significance. For those that don’t know, today marks the 74th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, a day that Roosevelt would later remark as a day that lives in infamy. For many it was the day that ignited a flame in Americans, a flame that was carried overseas and into the second World War for the United States.

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The attack was a combination of Zero’s, Kate Divebombers and Val Divembombers spread out in multiple groups in two different waves. Their targets were a combination of the battleships that were docked at Pearl along with the air bases spread across the island. The US carriers were the primary focus but were not docked at the time of the attack. Other structures along the navy base were prioritized as well. This one event created a ripple that caused so many other events to occur. Having spent time with many veterans who were shocked into action after that day, I can say that none of them were either expecting it or wanting it to happen. Many lives were lost that day and those to come.

The Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

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Five years ago I never knew the importance of this day. I knew what what happened but never let it sink in. Every year since then I have written a post on December 7th talking about the attack on Pearl Harbor. Early in the predawn light swarms of Japanese Zeroes and torpedo bombers flew over Honolulu to deliver a tremendous blow to the United States. Mistaken as a group of B-17’s by radar the Japanese planes went untouched as they made their surprise attack. A flew P-40’s were able to get off the ground and engage the enemy during the raid but the damage was done and 5 battleships and thousands of men were dead and wounded. This was the opening to the greatest conflict the United States would ever be apart of.

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Having talked with veterans and heard their stories, when approached about the subject of the Pearl Harbor raid, each of them had a note of sadness in their voice. Even though most were not there in person, they all heard about the raid and knew what it meant for the country. Many of them agreed that there was anger initially, after time it went away to feelings of remorse. Today we celebrate these brave men for what they did after the attack, like the Doolittle Raiders, who made a surprise raid in 16 B-25’s launched from the carrier Hornet against Tokyo. Today is a day we remember not only for those that we lost but for what it meant during the years that followed Pearl Harbor.

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