Pearl Harbor Day 2021: 80th anniversary of ‘date which will live in infamy’

FILE – In this Dec. 7, 1941 file photo, smoke rises from the battleship USS Arizona as it sinks during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. AP

Today – Dec. 7, 2021 – marks the 80th anniversary of the Japanese attacks on the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The surprise attacks, which led to the U.S. entering World War II,  killed some 2,400 Americans and wounded 1,700 more.

In all, the U.S. lost nearly 20 ships and 300 airplanes.

Intercepted message

On December 6, 1941, the U.S. intercepted a Japanese message that inquired about ship movements and berthing positions at Pearl Harbor. The cryptologist gave the message to her superior who said he would get back to her on Monday, Dec. 8. On Sunday, Dec. 7, a radar operator on Oahu saw a large group of airplanes on his screen heading toward the island. He called his superior who told him it was probably a group of U.S. B-17 bombers and not to worry about them.

“Tora, Tora, Tora!”

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor began at 7:55 that morning with the entire attack taking only one hour and 15 minutes. Captain Mitsuo Fuchida sent the coded message, “Tora, Tora, Tora,” to the Japanese fleet after flying over Oahu to indicate the Americans had been caught by surprise. The Japanese planned to give the U.S. a declaration of war before the attack began so they would not violate the first article of the Hague Convention of 1907, but the message was delayed and not relayed to U.S. officials in Washington until the attack was already in progress.

Strike force

The Japanese strike force consisted of 353 aircraft launched from four heavy carriers. These included 40 torpedo planes, 103 level bombers, 131 dive-bombers, and 79 fighters. The attack also consisted of two heavy cruisers, 35 submarines, two light cruisers, nine oilers, two battleships, and 11 destroyers.

About ‘a date which will live in infamy’

The famous description of the Pearl Harbor attack as a “date which will live in infamy” was delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to a joint session of Congress on Dec. 8, 1941, one day after the tragedy. Within an hour of the speech, Congress passed a formal declaration of war against Japan.

Dorie Miller

Dorie Miller, a steward on the USS West Virginia, distinguished himself by courageous conduct and devotion to duty during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He first assisted his mortally wounded captain and then manned a machine gun, which he was not accustomed to operating, successfully destroying two Japanese aircraft. He was the first African American awarded the Navy Cross, the service’s highest award, for his actions during the attack.

Japanese losses

The Japanese lost 29 aircraft and 5 submarines in the attack. One Japanese soldier was taken prisoner and 129 Japanese soldiers were killed. Out of all the Japanese ships that participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor only one, the Ushio, survived until the end of the war. It was surrendered to the U.S. at Yokosuka Naval Base.

USS Arizona

Almost half of those who died at Pearl Harbor were aboard the USS Arizona. In all, 1,177 officers and crewmen did when the Arizona was bombed. The ship sank and, along with the USS Utah, were the only two ships unable to be salvaged after the attack. The Arizona was left at the bottom of Pearl Harbor and, in 1962, a memorial over the wreck was dedicated. The Arizona continues to leak out small drops of oil that spread into the water above.

Some information provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.

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The VA Finally Begins Paying Claims to Vets Exposed to Toxic Matter, Could Help 3.5 Million Vets

November 11, 2021 by USMilitary.org Veterans who have been saying for years that they were exposed to toxic matter while serving in the Gulf are finally getting a bit of good news. The VA has decided to cut hurdles for veterans and will begin paying claims. For now, the VA will process disability claims for asthma, sinusitis and rhinitis that resulted from certain toxic exposures. Veterans who served in areas like Iraq and Afghanistan have long alleged that they got sick from toxins in the air that were spread from sandstorms and burn pits. These toxins led to service members having breathing issues and illness. According to a burn pit registry from back in 2014, over 200,000 vets stated they got ill from toxins in the air.  But up until now, the VA has refused to help many of them. Thankfully claims are now beginning to process with the expanded benefit, which has the potential to impact 3.5 million veterans. “We have already paid over 4,000 claims, millions of dollars to veterans who are eligible on this new basis,” said Beth Murphy, executive director of compensation services for the VA. The claims are not limited to burn pit exposure. She said “this is even broader than that, we are not requiring folks to specify what they may have been exposed to. If you know you have asthma, sinusitis or rhinitis certainly please file a claim or if you have been denied in the past please reapply with a supplemental claim.” “We’ve made it too hard for them to prove what they were exposed to, when, how long,” said U.S. Representative Elaine Luria from Virginia’s 2nd district. Historically the VA has been slow to act on paying out claims to veterans.  They wait for the results of research and studies before they are willing to move forward. This has left many veterans feeling frustrated with the Department. However the VA and Congress finally appear to be signaling a policy change and a desire to help vets while they wait for more data to come in. If you’d like to file a claim with the VA, you can do so at www.va.gov or call toll-free at 1-800-827-1000.