Japanese attackers exactly 81 years ago today!

[Omaha Steve]

For the military AND civilian lives lost during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

[Omnipresent]

1. Yep, my first cousin twice removed died on the Oklahoma.

I still have the Christmas card and envelope, he sent to my grandfather, with the ships stamp dated Nov 25, 1941.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

2. +100.

My father survived the war, but he was never the same man after coming home according to our mother.

[Doc Sportello]

12. Same for me

I don't know if my father's WWII experiences contributed to his later alcoholism or not, but it at lest played a role. He was a radioman and gunner on a B-24 in the Pacific, flying 39 missions that sometimes saw only half the bombers returning.

[asiliveandbreathe]

3. Indeed..imagine, if, if only we had the communications we have today..

If only we could have known the Japanese Military was prepping to attack..hubby and I were talking about this yesterday..in the sense Dec. 6th, 1941..discovery of the amassed ships and aircraft..if only...a day that has lived in infamy..

We also discussed the planning and execution of J6..and we have some of the best communications..if only..

Perhaps we are NOW ever vigilant...

[sarisataka]

4. Out of curiosity, what effect

Do you think modern communication technology would have had?

[asiliveandbreathe]

6. With all due respect..for one thing..the ships that were at Pearl Harbor..would have been

given a chance, a GD chance to move..there was NO chance..and since the enemy, at the time, amassed as early as 11/26/1941..our ships could have made it to the US coast..not so sure the enemies Kamikazes could have...

Please take note...I speak of the "Japanese military", or our "enemy", not entire Japanese people..

[sarisataka]

7. The trouble was we had no idea

The Japanese were north of Hawaii. Their navy ran a masterful deception campaign that the ships which gathered in November, we knew that, were still in port in Hokkaido.

We had all the pieces of the puzzle, but they were spread out so no one saw the whole picture. That and our hubris/ racism blinded us that such an attack could be carried out by Japan.

Kamikaze attacks were not a thing in 1941. That came much later in the war.

[asiliveandbreathe]

8. My point..we did not have todays communications - satellites would have helped..

We had all the pieces of the puzzle, but they were spread out so no one saw the whole picture.

That and our hubris/ racism blinded us that such an attack could be carried out by Japan.

I agree with our hubris...but racism..I would chalk it up to our hubris..not so much racism..our decision to create internment camps only after the attack...

afa kamikaze..you are right..the Empire of Japan's last ditch effort..

My dad served WW2..mainly stationed in Greenland..communications..we were so focused on Europe..and the German advancement...please keep in mind, I come from the East coast, mom worked for the Signal Corp..she would tell stories of the Germans being brought in by train for prison..she also painted the war with rose colored glasses..my senior essay was 1964, Pearl Harbor was the topic..keep in mind also..I was 17..what do I know..

[sarisataka]

10. There definitely was racism pre-war

California and other states had anti Japanese and anti Chinese laws on the books. Not that most people saw a difference between Asian origins. Many were similar to southern Jim Crow laws, limiting employment and rights to own property.

The attitude that the Japanese were inferior extended up the military. It was believed Japanese were imitators not innovators. In fact by 1941 many Japanese planes and ships were superior to their American equivalents.

[asiliveandbreathe]

11. OH, we could go on for days..take it all the way back to the building of the

railroads..and the chinese workers..or the lop-sided draft during the VN war..

In many countries today ..just recently the stories of slave labor to build the venue for the Soccer games in Qatar..our own prison system is just one big slave labor camp..

Attitudes of inferiority..totally agree, we see it every day, we hear it - makes me sick ..the arrogance of many who think their shit don't stink..

Superior Japanese military armament..indeed..

[sarisataka]

5. .

[KS Toronado]

9. Never forget