The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy. The attack was against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
It occurred on the morning of December 7, 1941. The base was attacked by 360 Japanese fighter planes, bombers, and torpedo planes. They came in two waves launched from six air craft carriers.
They destroyed 20 naval vessels including eight enormous battleships and almost 200 American aircraft. More than 2,300 Americans were killed and another 1,000 wounded.
I was six years old when it happened. I remember sitting in the living room with my parents, and I think my Grandmother was there also. We were listening to the radio as the attack was announced by the President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Pearl Harbor 1941
Of course, at six years of age, I didn’t comprehend what it meant. But I think I knew it was something quite bad. It wasn’t for many years afterward that I saw news reels and could begin to understand. But, I do remember afterward, concern of my parents that my father would be drafted to serve. Until then, he had a deferral. He worked in a factory that manufactured tires that were needed and used in the war.
We were living in Connecticut. Being on the East Coast, we were not in danger as people on the West Coast were perceived to be. I guess there were balloons and other items sent by the Japanese that made it to that area. But we still held air raid drills at school. All of the kids were taken to the school basemen to be protected, if there was an air raid. I also remember at night, we had air raid warnings. Sirens go off, which required people to turn off the lights and/or pull dark blinds to block the house lights.
Sitting here now, I am amazed of the things I remember at that young age. Our neighbor across the street had sons who were serving and killed in the war. I think the end of the war came in 1945, so by that time I was 10.
1945
I do remember clearly VJ Day. We took pans and wooden spoons and went outside to bang on them to celebrate. I guess I was thinking that we wouldn’t have to eat Spam any more. My mother liked to fancy it up. She put brown sugar and cloves on it, as if it was a real ham. I really didn’t like it. It was too sweet. It still makes my teeth hurt to even think of it.