The flight deck of USS Enterprise (CV-6) echoed with the command over the loudspeaker from the bridge: “Pilots! Man your planes!” Thirty-one year old Lieutenant Richard H. “Dick” Best Jr., operations officer of Bombing-Six, watched from near the ship’s island as the crews of the twelve Douglas SBD-3 Dauntlesses of Scouting-Six and five SBD-2s of Bombing-Six climbed aboard their airplanes and wished he was one of the Bombing-Six crews who would be the first of the squadron to arrive home at NAS Ford Island, since he was eager to go on leave with his wife and four-year old daughter who were waiting for him in Honolulu. He glanced up and saw Vice Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. - universally known in the Navy as “Bull,” though no one ever used that to his face - watching the preparations for takeoff from the admiral’s bridge as commander of Carrier Division Two. Best could see the four heavy cruisers of Cruiser Division 5 led by Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance aboard his flagship USS Northampton (CA-26) and six destroyers that constituted Task Force 16 as grey shapes on the horizon.
That day shook us out of our self satisfied isolationism. It took the war coming to us before we joined forces with our European counterparts. Are we on a similar path today? Will Russia have to attack a NATO country before we send more funds - and by then troops - to Ukraine? Will we still be a NATO member by then? Will we even be a true democratic republic by then? Everything hangs in the balance on our 2024 election.
I was 3 years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked - so dont remember that day but the next several years watched uncles and aunts join the various services. My dad was older - had 2 kids and a business, so stayed home thankfully. Our family was lucky - didnt lose anyone. But they were stationed all around the world in far off places. An uncle in the Coast Guard, a cousin a bombardier, three aunts & 2 uncles I believe in the Army, and a couple in the Navy. My mom rolled bandages!
The young in my large family seem unaware of the link between now and the past. Even the relatives of my cousin who was killed at 18. Thank you TC for reminding us; we need to not make the same mistakes again.
TC. Always your writing and reporting bring history alive for us who were new babies born in the shadow of an historical milestone. We learned of the Pearl Harbor attack and watched as the consequences of a nation attacked responded while we were learning to eat solids, walk, read, become children in the Silent Generation. Thank you for picking up pen and recording so much so well. I hope the younger generations reads you and learn from at least 20-percent of what you tell. I think they might have a different estimation of the crisis we are in now as a nation wherein the air battles are taking place within our ranks and by craft delivering strikes against our norms via media and false narratives designed specifically to achieve power.
Such incredible times, Tom. Thank you for reminding your readers of the significance of this day. The times now are truly just as fraught as they were in 1937. And just look at all the appeasement happening then. Will people ever learn? The gop crowd in congress right now is absolutely nuts. And putin is rubbins his hands, not to mention xi, orban, erdogan, modi and so many other right wing/fascist types. I hope it won't take another "sneak attack" to wake the nation up.
I think one of my brothers served on the Enterprise in the mid-60's, so I sent this to him. He's a trumper, so we have little to talk about, and this is a nice gift from you to him. Thank you. Maybe he'll read some of your other work now. I hope so.
That's actually a different Enterprise. This one is CV-6, that one is CV-65. But since CV-65 likes to say the crew lives by the example of CV-6, a good thing to present to him.
Time Magazine has a fascinating story on how stereotypes of and conspiracy theories about the Japanese led to the over reaction to Pearl Harbor in the form of the relocation camps. Obviously the war itself was not an overreaction, but these were theories about Japanese American citizens. Time sees it as a warning against the same kinds of theories being bruited about as a result of the Hamas/Israeli war.
There was also 30+ years of "yellow peril" racist BS on the west coast about the Japanese. In fact, the crap started by the LA Times over the perils of allowing Japanese to immigrate into the US that started in 1908 was what led the Imperial Navy's leadership to decide that the United States would become an enemy in the future.
Damn, that yellow skin (which I have never been able to detect) must have dangerous DNA that only racists can see. What crap... For all the money we spend on "intelligence services" we don't get much intelligence.
I am in Pearl Harbor today with a group of 100 Herndon, Virginia high school students. Yesterday we were at the USS Arizona Memorial and the USS Missouri, where the band performed. There are thousands of students and elders here to march in the parade and remember. It is somber history for all of us.
She was always a "lucky ship" right up to surviving the Kamikaze attack off Okinawa in May 1945 that blew out the forward elevator and sent her home. Sadly, there had been so much progress technologically during the war that by then, only 7 years after she was launched, she was obsolete, so she went into the mothball fleet and then in the 1950s when the Navy decided to get rid of her, the campaign to raise money to make her the first museum ship came up short, so she was broken up in 1959. And now her namesake, the first nuclear-powered carrier, is coming to the end of her lifetime and will be taken out of service sometime in the next few years.
I was conceived about a month after Pearl Harbor was attacked. In 1965 the destroyer I was on in Newport, RI, was in the first East Coast destroyer squadron to go to Vietnam. We steamed with the Enterprise when it was going slow enough. This is good stuff TC. Thanks.
What was Japan thinking? In spite of inflicting terrible damages, there was simply no way they could win in the long run. I guess hindsight is a wonderful thing.
The majority of the leadership were people who had never been out of Japan. Nearly every Japanese who had visited the United States (other than Foreign Minister Matsuoka, who had gotten his college degree at the University of Oregon) was opposed to the idea of going to war with the US. When he was ordered to plan and conduct the Pearl Harbor attack, Admiral Yamamoto said "I will run wild for six months; after that I can promise nothing." He was actually three days off in his prediction (the decisive day at Midway being June 4).
Funny how ignorance works. We see it here now with so many of our citizens who have never been out of the country, or been friends with people different than they. Sad.
Well, we do tend to coalesce with people we disagree with when an "ecclesiastical" enemy enters the fray. I think Churchill even said that he would say a nice word about the devil if Hitler attacked hell...or words to that effect
Thank you Tom for telling this story so well. I visited Pearl Harbor in 2018. It was a very powerful experience and I felt strangely connected. Coincidentally the next morning the “incoming ballistic missile” warning appeared on everyone’s phones and on the local television stations. I looked out the hotel window and people were running in every direction. Of course it turned out to be a false alarm but for 40 minutes it was challenging to say the least, especially being so close to Pearl Harbor, and it was so much in my heart and mind after being there. I feel like I have told this story before, so forgive me for repeating myself if I have.
I spoke with my 97 yr old father yesterday, and he relived what he had been doing at the time when he heard about the attack. And about 20 years ago, I had the chance to listen to a pilot, who was ferrying a Boeing plane for the military to southeast Asia, with a fueling stop in Oahu. He spoke about coming out of the clouds, and thinking they were seeing whales jumping in the water. They had no comms on the plane, and navigated via the stars. They were coming in to land at the airbase shortly after the attack began. What an experience...the "jumping whales" was ammunition hitting the water.
I remember being struck by how small the crew was. I taped the presentation. Unfortunately taped over part of it accidentally. I'll see if I have that part.
Here I am wondering if the US were attacked by any of our adversaries in a similar way tomorrow, how many in the US would side with the attackers? Too many sunshine patriots now, and too few willing to head into a vigorous and selfless counter-attack. I grew up between a naval air station and a NIKE missile site and was blessed to see the value of patriotism and preparedness. Great role models everywhere.
Today I'm grateful that someone must have taken Tommy Gooberville out back and "reasoned" with him.
My husband was stationed at Barbers Point N.A.S. when they filmed Tora Tora Tora in Hawaii. They parked some of the planes they had redone to make them look like Japanese Zeros at our base. We were living in on-base housing. One of the most chilling things that happened for me was to see a squad of those zeros come flying over our home since I was in the yard and had a long look them. May we never have to experience that kind of war on our homeland again. The news of the day now is horrible no matter where it is. We need to work on Peace and spreading help to others!
I live in Pearl City, looking down to Middle Loch and Ford Island to the south. During the filming of Tora, Tora, Tora!, I watched the planes flying over Battleship Row, the converted T-6s, BT-13s that were the Zeros, Vals, and Kates, also the B-17s, and a PBY. Just three B-17s, but imagining a sky full of them like the 8th Air Force over England. Great memories. Then there were the same made over T-6s/BT-13s, but three real Mitsubishi A6M Zeros used for the flight sequences in the execrable Michael Bay “Pearl Harbor” movie.
I think its far past time for the current administration to push a lot harder at the Israeli government in regard to what they are doing to the Palestinian civilians. Sure does seem clear to me that the point behind this "campaign" is to eradicate an entire population - Hamas or not! This is beyond wrong.
Bibi has a firm belief in "disproportionality" - responding to an attack with far greater violence to serve as a warning against acting again against Israel. (Sort of like a famous protege of the late and very much unlamented Roy Cohn)..... He's wrong of course, and Hamas may have miscalculated the damage the Israelis would do, but Bibi ran into the trap Hamas set for him and the results long-term will be a gain for Hamas and a loss for Israel.....
I agree, Bruce but the death and injuries being done to people who were NOT Hamas? It just seems as though there is a consensus that they dont matter. After reading that article on Democracy Now - the thought of people being buried alive in so many of those bombings should open some eyes. Both Hamas & IDF are just inflaming this issue more. And there seems to be very little truth-telling done on either side.
Honestly, enough of the tippy toeing around by the state dept & others.
I do think Bibi's "position" is safe while he can keep this war going! Seems very clear on that point.
Like Trump (and Bibi is Israel's Trump), Bibi will do anything to stay in power because once he is no longer prime minister, he will most likely go to prison for the fraud charges he is facing. Staying out of prison seems to whet the appetite for doing ANYTHING to stay in power.....
That day shook us out of our self satisfied isolationism. It took the war coming to us before we joined forces with our European counterparts. Are we on a similar path today? Will Russia have to attack a NATO country before we send more funds - and by then troops - to Ukraine? Will we still be a NATO member by then? Will we even be a true democratic republic by then? Everything hangs in the balance on our 2024 election.
One of Those Important Questions for this election.
I was 3 years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked - so dont remember that day but the next several years watched uncles and aunts join the various services. My dad was older - had 2 kids and a business, so stayed home thankfully. Our family was lucky - didnt lose anyone. But they were stationed all around the world in far off places. An uncle in the Coast Guard, a cousin a bombardier, three aunts & 2 uncles I believe in the Army, and a couple in the Navy. My mom rolled bandages!
It was a far different time.
The young in my large family seem unaware of the link between now and the past. Even the relatives of my cousin who was killed at 18. Thank you TC for reminding us; we need to not make the same mistakes again.
TC. Always your writing and reporting bring history alive for us who were new babies born in the shadow of an historical milestone. We learned of the Pearl Harbor attack and watched as the consequences of a nation attacked responded while we were learning to eat solids, walk, read, become children in the Silent Generation. Thank you for picking up pen and recording so much so well. I hope the younger generations reads you and learn from at least 20-percent of what you tell. I think they might have a different estimation of the crisis we are in now as a nation wherein the air battles are taking place within our ranks and by craft delivering strikes against our norms via media and false narratives designed specifically to achieve power.
I get such a feeling of patriotism of the best sort on the part of our men in the skies in that era.
Such incredible times, Tom. Thank you for reminding your readers of the significance of this day. The times now are truly just as fraught as they were in 1937. And just look at all the appeasement happening then. Will people ever learn? The gop crowd in congress right now is absolutely nuts. And putin is rubbins his hands, not to mention xi, orban, erdogan, modi and so many other right wing/fascist types. I hope it won't take another "sneak attack" to wake the nation up.
I think one of my brothers served on the Enterprise in the mid-60's, so I sent this to him. He's a trumper, so we have little to talk about, and this is a nice gift from you to him. Thank you. Maybe he'll read some of your other work now. I hope so.
That's actually a different Enterprise. This one is CV-6, that one is CV-65. But since CV-65 likes to say the crew lives by the example of CV-6, a good thing to present to him.
Ok. Hell appreciate it anyway, I'm sure.
Time Magazine has a fascinating story on how stereotypes of and conspiracy theories about the Japanese led to the over reaction to Pearl Harbor in the form of the relocation camps. Obviously the war itself was not an overreaction, but these were theories about Japanese American citizens. Time sees it as a warning against the same kinds of theories being bruited about as a result of the Hamas/Israeli war.
https://time.com/6343399/pearl-harbor-conspiracies-crises/
There was also 30+ years of "yellow peril" racist BS on the west coast about the Japanese. In fact, the crap started by the LA Times over the perils of allowing Japanese to immigrate into the US that started in 1908 was what led the Imperial Navy's leadership to decide that the United States would become an enemy in the future.
Damn, that yellow skin (which I have never been able to detect) must have dangerous DNA that only racists can see. What crap... For all the money we spend on "intelligence services" we don't get much intelligence.
Thre's a reason why those who know what they're talking about call it Can't Investigate Anything.
Wonder if this is a new thing…
I am in Pearl Harbor today with a group of 100 Herndon, Virginia high school students. Yesterday we were at the USS Arizona Memorial and the USS Missouri, where the band performed. There are thousands of students and elders here to march in the parade and remember. It is somber history for all of us.
To think that the Enterprise was supposed to be sitting at anchor at Pearl on the 7th. Brings a shudder.
She was always a "lucky ship" right up to surviving the Kamikaze attack off Okinawa in May 1945 that blew out the forward elevator and sent her home. Sadly, there had been so much progress technologically during the war that by then, only 7 years after she was launched, she was obsolete, so she went into the mothball fleet and then in the 1950s when the Navy decided to get rid of her, the campaign to raise money to make her the first museum ship came up short, so she was broken up in 1959. And now her namesake, the first nuclear-powered carrier, is coming to the end of her lifetime and will be taken out of service sometime in the next few years.
I was conceived about a month after Pearl Harbor was attacked. In 1965 the destroyer I was on in Newport, RI, was in the first East Coast destroyer squadron to go to Vietnam. We steamed with the Enterprise when it was going slow enough. This is good stuff TC. Thanks.
What was Japan thinking? In spite of inflicting terrible damages, there was simply no way they could win in the long run. I guess hindsight is a wonderful thing.
The majority of the leadership were people who had never been out of Japan. Nearly every Japanese who had visited the United States (other than Foreign Minister Matsuoka, who had gotten his college degree at the University of Oregon) was opposed to the idea of going to war with the US. When he was ordered to plan and conduct the Pearl Harbor attack, Admiral Yamamoto said "I will run wild for six months; after that I can promise nothing." He was actually three days off in his prediction (the decisive day at Midway being June 4).
Funny how ignorance works. We see it here now with so many of our citizens who have never been out of the country, or been friends with people different than they. Sad.
Maybe when space aliens attack us, we will see ourselves as earthlings first.
🤣🤣🤣
Well, we do tend to coalesce with people we disagree with when an "ecclesiastical" enemy enters the fray. I think Churchill even said that he would say a nice word about the devil if Hitler attacked hell...or words to that effect
The photo of the PBY was taken at Kaneohe NAS. That’s the Koolau Mountains in the background with the Nuuanu Pali just behind the tail of the PBY.
Thanks - change will be made.
Thank you Tom for telling this story so well. I visited Pearl Harbor in 2018. It was a very powerful experience and I felt strangely connected. Coincidentally the next morning the “incoming ballistic missile” warning appeared on everyone’s phones and on the local television stations. I looked out the hotel window and people were running in every direction. Of course it turned out to be a false alarm but for 40 minutes it was challenging to say the least, especially being so close to Pearl Harbor, and it was so much in my heart and mind after being there. I feel like I have told this story before, so forgive me for repeating myself if I have.
That's one that needs to be told more than once.
I spoke with my 97 yr old father yesterday, and he relived what he had been doing at the time when he heard about the attack. And about 20 years ago, I had the chance to listen to a pilot, who was ferrying a Boeing plane for the military to southeast Asia, with a fueling stop in Oahu. He spoke about coming out of the clouds, and thinking they were seeing whales jumping in the water. They had no comms on the plane, and navigated via the stars. They were coming in to land at the airbase shortly after the attack began. What an experience...the "jumping whales" was ammunition hitting the water.
That was the formation of B-17s that were headed to the Philippines.
That sounds right. I think it was a three man crew, new planes out of Boeing (?)
That sub-type of B-17 (B-17D) had seven-man crews.
I remember being struck by how small the crew was. I taped the presentation. Unfortunately taped over part of it accidentally. I'll see if I have that part.
Here I am wondering if the US were attacked by any of our adversaries in a similar way tomorrow, how many in the US would side with the attackers? Too many sunshine patriots now, and too few willing to head into a vigorous and selfless counter-attack. I grew up between a naval air station and a NIKE missile site and was blessed to see the value of patriotism and preparedness. Great role models everywhere.
Today I'm grateful that someone must have taken Tommy Gooberville out back and "reasoned" with him.
They didn’t reason enough. He’s still holding some important decisions at bay.
My husband was stationed at Barbers Point N.A.S. when they filmed Tora Tora Tora in Hawaii. They parked some of the planes they had redone to make them look like Japanese Zeros at our base. We were living in on-base housing. One of the most chilling things that happened for me was to see a squad of those zeros come flying over our home since I was in the yard and had a long look them. May we never have to experience that kind of war on our homeland again. The news of the day now is horrible no matter where it is. We need to work on Peace and spreading help to others!
I live in Pearl City, looking down to Middle Loch and Ford Island to the south. During the filming of Tora, Tora, Tora!, I watched the planes flying over Battleship Row, the converted T-6s, BT-13s that were the Zeros, Vals, and Kates, also the B-17s, and a PBY. Just three B-17s, but imagining a sky full of them like the 8th Air Force over England. Great memories. Then there were the same made over T-6s/BT-13s, but three real Mitsubishi A6M Zeros used for the flight sequences in the execrable Michael Bay “Pearl Harbor” movie.
I think its far past time for the current administration to push a lot harder at the Israeli government in regard to what they are doing to the Palestinian civilians. Sure does seem clear to me that the point behind this "campaign" is to eradicate an entire population - Hamas or not! This is beyond wrong.
https://www.democracynow.org/2023/12/7/mosab_leaving_gaza?utm_source=Democracy+Now%21&utm_campaign=2017631a68-Daily_Digest_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fa2346a853-2017631a68-192377045
Bibi has a firm belief in "disproportionality" - responding to an attack with far greater violence to serve as a warning against acting again against Israel. (Sort of like a famous protege of the late and very much unlamented Roy Cohn)..... He's wrong of course, and Hamas may have miscalculated the damage the Israelis would do, but Bibi ran into the trap Hamas set for him and the results long-term will be a gain for Hamas and a loss for Israel.....
I agree, Bruce but the death and injuries being done to people who were NOT Hamas? It just seems as though there is a consensus that they dont matter. After reading that article on Democracy Now - the thought of people being buried alive in so many of those bombings should open some eyes. Both Hamas & IDF are just inflaming this issue more. And there seems to be very little truth-telling done on either side.
Honestly, enough of the tippy toeing around by the state dept & others.
I do think Bibi's "position" is safe while he can keep this war going! Seems very clear on that point.
Like Trump (and Bibi is Israel's Trump), Bibi will do anything to stay in power because once he is no longer prime minister, he will most likely go to prison for the fraud charges he is facing. Staying out of prison seems to whet the appetite for doing ANYTHING to stay in power.....
How do you tell who is Hamas and who is not…
Good question, isnt it? Worth asking the IDF that question.
No argument here