Reactions+to+Pearl+Harbor

Reactions to Pear Harbor

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/images/Europe/factfile/USSArizonaPearlHarbor.jpg On December 7th 1941, we the United States were attacked by the Japanese. They bombed our largest naval base in the Pacific. As John Garcia can recall to us: “It was a mess. I was working on the U.S.S Shaw. It was on a floating dry dock. It was in flames. I started to go down into the pop flitter’s shop to get my toolbox when another wave of Japanese came in. I got under a set of concrete steps at the dry dock where the battleship Pennsylvania was. An officer came by and asked me to go into the Pennsylvania and try to get the fires out. A bomb had penetrated the marine deck and…three decks below. Under that was a magazines: ammunition, powder, shells. I said “There ain’t no way I’m gonna go down there.” It could blow up any minute. I was young and 16, not stupid (Danzer, Gerald A, et al 556).” As a main reaction towards this incident, I am shocked. I will explain to you the damages that we faced, the first bombs were dropped at 7:55 A.M. and we lost three of our battleships: the Arizona, West Virginia and California, the only severely damaged battleship was the Nevada (Bruce 1). As far as casualties go the USA suffered about 2,000 casualties which included dozens of aircrafts destroyed, 16 or more battleships damaged or destroyed (Pearl Harbor attack). Although we had been debating previously about entering the war I had said to my wife previously that “I never wanted to have to fight this war on two fronts. We haven’t the navy to fight in both the Atlantic and the Pacific…so we will have to build up the Navy and Air Force and that will mean that we have to take to a good many defeats before we can have a victory (Denzer, Gerald A, et al 557).” This war really did worry me, however the next day; Congress swiftly approved a War Declaration against Japan. We officially had entered the war. Just three days later however, Germany and Italy declared war on us (Denzer, Gerald A, et al 557). As a nation I feel that we reacted well towards this incident but as I will always and forever say, that this day will be a ‘Day of Infamy. Works Citied “Pearl Harbor attack.” __American History__. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 20 Oct. 2008 <[|http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com]>. Bruce, Anthony and William, Cogar. "Pearl Harbor." __An Encyclopedia of Naval History__. 1997. Facts on File, Inc. 20 Oct 2008 <[|http://fofweb.com]>. Danzer, Gerald A, et al. __The Americans.__ Evanston, IL. McDougal Littell 25005.