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A Brief Look at the Attack on Pearl Harbor Essay examples

Decent Essays

On December 7, 1941 it was a quiet morning until a few minutes after eight when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor began. The attack came “in two waves of terror lasting two long hours, they killed or wounded over 3500 Americans and sunk or badly damaged 18 ships including all 8 battleships of the pacific fleet (“Pearl Harbor History…”).” This was one of few attacks on America made to date. December 7th 1941 will be a date that will be remembered by both nations forever. The United States (U.S.) responded to the attack by declaring war on Japan. Many wonder why Japan attacked the United States in the first place. There was a lot that led up to the attack, the attack itself and, seventy years after the attack.
The attack on Pearl Harbor …show more content…

This attack had devastating losses on both sides. America lost aircraft, destroyers, cruisers, and auxiliary ships. Japan lost some aircraft and submarines as well as most of the crew on anything that went down. Many American and Japanese lives were lost that fateful day. Almost half of the lives lost were on the Arizona and “the ship is the gravesite of about 900 service members still entombed in the wreckage. In all, 1,177 sailors on the Arizona died almost half of the 2,388 Americans killed in the attack (Potts)”. The attack was devastating and still remembered today.
Almost seven decades after the attack on Pearl Harbor people still remember that tragic December morning. Today, there is a memorial on the site and according to Mark Potts while “looking down at the submerged remains of the Arizona’s deck I see a small oil slick. This is not modern pollution. Almost seven decades after the attack, the Arizona’s fuel tanks still leak a few quarts a day bubble to the surface droplets know as pearl harbors black tears”. Today, there are many survivors who volunteer at the memorial to tell people stories about how they survived. Recently “a park service project to compile oral history interviews with 50 survivors (about 4,000 are still alive today) (Potts)”. December 7th, 1941 will be a day that is remembered forever.
From then to now, no matter what, Pearl Harbor has and always will be

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