Pearl Harbor was actually a military disaster for the Japanese.

First off they got their timing off, and the attack occured before the Japanese delegates broke off negotiations.
When Yamamoto heard about that, he made that statement, knowing the sneak attack with no declaration of war would piss off Americans.

Also the attack finally put the last nail in the coffin of the "battleship navy," and the US Navy went from battleship-heavy to concentrating on carrier and submarine war.

Lastly, most of the ships sunk or badly damaged at Pearl Harbor were repaired and upgraded, and did excellent service pounding the buhjeebers out of Japanese ships and installations.

Not to mention the Japanese ignored a vital target, the fuel tanks located opposite Battleship Row which supplied the American Navy. Nimitz believed the if the Japanese had bombed the fuel tanks the war would have been prolonged for two year. Hard to say if he was right or not.

Right...to sound like a complete ass...Why don't we leave the historical debate out of this and you know...REMEMBER THE SERVICEMEN WHO BLOODY WELL DIED?!

We do.

And we also remember some of the facts that go beyond just the usual bland story we're given at first.

There's even evidence that one of the midget subs that (supposedly) all failed, one may have actually shot both torpedos into one of the battleships.

It's things like this that go beyond just the usual memorial rituals, that give us more to remember those who were there.

The ship's steward (who was black so that's all he could be,) who took up a machine gun and may have shot down one or two Japanese planes.

A woman reporter, who's account of the attack was so harrowing it was spiked until only a couple weeks ago.

And so on.

I never meant it as a debate and I never intended my comment to offend.

I wasn't offended at all. And I felt your comment was highly relevant.

Remembering you on this day, my maternal grandfather John Leroy Noonan. You were a seaman in WWII. You weren't involved in the Pearl Harbor attack but did serve your country (on a destroyer, or so my mother tells me).

i am always drawen to the eerie similarly of 9/11 and pearl harbor.......3:40 pm pdt. the stupid reporters out here in las vegas nevada said the Germans bombed pearl harbor 71 years ago today political correctness at it finest

...either that or got it mixed up with the scene from 'Animal House'.

*salutes*

I'm proud that I have two Grand parents who fought the Japanese during the second world war. One past away from natural causes, while the other continues to live on, he's already beaten a brain clot and two cancer strikes on his body.

Here is to the brave souls who faced the Japanese.

My father was too young for the war but his three brothers each served, in three different branches of the military. All survived the war. One is still alive today.

The attack on Pearl Harbour seems quaint compared to 911 - the Japanese showed up in uniform and attacked a military base.

My Uncle Roy was an experienced British Bomber pilot in the USA illegally with his team as part of a plan to train Americans (who were officially neutral at the time). They were in a hotel down the street from a base somewhere in the USA (not Pearl Harbour) and the plan was to mosey on into the base at 30 minute intervals in mufti - that is, civilian garb.

They were about to implement this plan when a veritable riot started in the street outside - the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbour! It was Dec 7 1941.

The whole team put their uniforms on, formed up and marched down the street to the base. Cops saluted them and stopped traffic and the streets were lined with cheering people. The base gates swung wide for them to enter. No one stopped to ask just what they were doing there.

I got this story from the horse's mouth one night on his Snapdragon sailboat on the English channel. He's dead now.

(*Nods his head*) These brave souls get mention on my show each year.

*Nods* One of my grandfathers was there.

As was an uncle of mine. Left the ship on shore leave that morning and survived in time.

Mine was a Navy pilot.

My great uncle was a mess cook aboard one of the U.S. Navy ships. After working several days docked at Pearl Harbor, he asked for shore leave time and was granted by the commander on December 6.

After the attack, my great uncle hurried back to find his ship sunk and most of the crew dead.

Incredible lucky break.

Man.

I never heard what my grandfather did, he died before I could meet him.

My great uncle lived until the mid 1990s. Raised a family and lived a long life.

Lucky man.

Nice.

I did this: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9419886/ as tribute to those brave men.