Interesting tidbit; there’s actually some debate on whether Yamamoto actually said this quote, as there’s thus far been no concrete evidence found, but yet whenever there’s a WWII movie that somehow features the Pearl Harbor attack, i.e. Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor movie, or Roland Emmerich’s Midway movie, they always have Yamamoto say this line
@@IncogNito-gg6uh That is very true, and to be fair, even though there’s no concrete proof that Yamamoto said the line, I do agree that it likely summed up his sentiments perfectly about what Japan did to America in the Pearl Harbor attack.
The Arizona was left on the harbor floor and is now a national memorial. Many Americans who visit Oahu make a visit to the Arizona memorial. The Nevada was refloated, repaired, and subsequently was involved in the Normandy landings, and the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Nevada was decommissioned after the war and was used during nuclear weapon tests. They blew up one directly underneath the ship and it took it like a champ.
The Utah is also still their in her sunk configuration. Utah is the forgotten ship of Pearl Harbor. She was lightly manned but sill lost over 50 men in the attack!
@@nicholaspawelski1031 Nevada deserved a better fate. She ended up surviving 2 A bomb blasts and then used as a target off of Hawaii but took many shell, bomb and torpedo hits before it finally sank in deep water.
I visited the Arizona Memorial with my mom, dad and brother in 1974, yeah I’m that old! My brother took his kids to Hawaii and of course the Arizona Memorial last year 2022!
Mine too! He never spoke about it to anyone, but went to survivor reunions and had a special state-issued "Pearl Harbor Survivor" license plate. But never talked about it. Miss you Grandad!
My grandfather was 14 when the Japanese invaded the Philippine Islands. He immigrated to the United States in the late 50s. As a teen he was so impressed by the US Military when they liberated his home, he joined the Air Force as a field surgeon. He was so proud to have served his country.
@@williambranch4283 It in my opinion (both videos) he does such an amazing job with the details that are left out of all other series trying to document this battle. Montemayor in my opinion is the best in covering these historical events.
My father was in the Navy stationed on the Arizona. His time was up and he left service months before Pearl was attacked. He knew many men who died on the Arizona. Very traumatic for him...
Michael Savarese (a distant relative), was one of only 32 men that were rescued from the capsized USS Oklahoma (cut a small opening on the bottom of the overturned hull).
My Dad was also at Pearl Harbor, very reluctant to talk about it, but basically, yes, America was shocked momentarily, but really all it did was piss us off, especially the men at Pearl.
My father, Perry Walker Sparks was in the First Infantry.. He served in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and then was permanently disabled on Omaha Beach.. he was, and always will be my hero !!! Love Grandma Debbie
It is impossible for a grateful nation to adequately express our gratitude for your father’s courage, sacrifice and service to us all. But I will take this inadequate opportunity to say thank you, Sir, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you to all of your loved ones who also sacrificed because of the loss they experienced from his loss, and thank you to all of the other brave men and women who served us abroad and at home in this monumental work. Y’all not only saved America. You also, in many ways, saved the world.
The main targets for the Japanese meaning America's battleships were stationary targets which greatly assisted the Japanese aviators when were very well trained at that stage of their fighting. I'm not minimizing the Japanese accomplishment there I'm just stating a fact or two.
Pearl Harbor held every ship for the pacific fleet. The Japanese unfortunately miscalculated as they believed aircraft carriers would be in dock. They were nowhere near pearl. They were about a day away ready for normal shifts. The Enterprise had admiral Nimitz on board who carried the entire pacific fleet on his back the entire length of the war. When enterprise got the call to war Nimitz literally jumped out of his chair and ordered the planes to launch immediately. The rest of the crew barely had time to eat a bite of breakfast before being called into action. It was that quick and many couldn’t believe they were just eating breakfast just two seconds ago now they are now in a war. Nimitz was a legend and gave zero quarter. He knew his job and got it done. When enterprise docked at pearl the normal reload and refuel which normally took a full day, took maybe a couple of hours as the ship was refitted and launched back out ready to fight. That’s how pearl changed us.
Pearl also unleashed the millions of Americans in the workforce from manufacturing civilian goods to producing military equipment at a astonishing rate
@@JustMe-gn6yf that technically was already in the process of happening. They were already gearing up for the war and had plans on place for the war economy. This just shifted all the plans into overdrive and pissed off the public to make it that much more insane.
A few years ago, I was in Hawaii on vacation, enjoying the beauty of the the islands; but one place I definitely needed to see was Pearl Harbor. As you approach the Memorial by ferry, you notice the concrete "memorials" that mark where the battleships were, and, then, you notice the stillness, the quiet, as you step onto the USS Arizona Memorial. There is a display that lists those that perished that day, and I think, that's when the battle hit my soul. So many names, and the tears start flowing. Before leaving the Memorial, I took several minutes to look down into the water where one of the Arizona's turrets is still visible and oil still slowly leaks. The Memorial is built over the sunken ship, and seeing and knowing this put a huge lump in my throat and a deep sadness in my heart. I will never forget how I felt that day. It is my understanding, the movie Tora Tora Tora comes closest to how the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. I watched the movie a week before my trip, and tears flowed. Then, to actually step into a part of history, the feeling is so hard to describe. My deepest prayers go out to the families whose loved ones lost their lives that day. May they have eternal peace.
Just returned, I never knew but was informed that survivors have the option to be buried with their crew mates upon their passing. (Beautiful) only one survivor is still alive.
My uncle’s ship was supposed to be at Pearl Harbor, but it was in dry dock in San Francisco . His wife went ahead and got a job at the officers club. She went to work that day to train a waitress. The bombing started and someone told them we were at war.
My father was on the USS Curtiss, uncle on the USS Pennsylvania. Both survived and never discussed the war, let alone PH attack until 50 years later. Their stories were heartbreaking but eye witness history that needed to be heard. They shared their stories at schools across California until they died.
I was stationed in Hawaii in the late 80's. I went to the Arizona Memorial. It was very surreal. You could see little oil deposits in the water around it. The curator said that the ship still had some leakage some 40 plus years later. I also got to tour The Nimitz air craft carrier. It was awesome!
You have to understand for a operation in the 1940s the Japanese did very well. The amount of moving parts that this took was monumental, 6 separate air wings had to work together for it! You also have to keep in mind that in this time they had no guidance systems. When the Japanese did their torpedo runs they not only had to manually aim them, but also do so while under fire. Just a little miscalculation would cause a torpedo to go off course.
Not only that but as far as misidentification of a ship for a battleship, many of the ship the way they were designed with gun placement and numbers as well as smoke stacks they did resemble battleships from the air. Heck to be fair a lot of cruisers might as well been battleships they were just light enough to not be battleship class but was so close it was easy to mistake
Yup, they honestly had a great plan it just wasn't executed well. Obviously they knew they had to hit the US hard and quick to cripple them yet still put up a great fight in the years after Pearl Harbor. As an American I hate to glorify the enemy (i have nothing against the Japanese or any race) but after 80 years removed from the conflict I can respect the determination and how honorable they were and how they were willing to fight and die for every inch.
@cheeseninja1115 The attack was brilliantly executed and based on the idea that it would convince the Americans to stop resisting Japanese aggression. Of course, the result was that it convinced almost all Americans to enter the War and pursue it with a steely resolve. The attack has to be the most disastrous military action in history, nearly equaled when Hitler declared war on America 3 days later.
My Dad had a cousin that was on the USS Arizona. His body was never recovered. The Arizona is still sunk at Pearl Harbor and last I heard was still leaking oil. It is now part of a memorial at Pearl Harbor and some sailors that survived that day had as their last wish was to have their ashes spread in the water with the Arizona.
I was stationed in Hawaii and some of our Barracks were WW2 era and some still had bullet holes in them. Ford Island is basically just a brig/memorial now.
My grandfather was one of 9 kids, 8 boys and a girl. 6 of them fought in WW2. So few of our WW2 veterans are left. It is a privilege and an honor to talk to, or be able to assist what is aptly called "the greatest generation". ❤
It should be noted that the USS Arizona still sits at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, a designated war grave. As of 2020, 44 of the 334 Arizona crewmembers who survived December 7th, have requested, and were allowed to have their ashes interred in the ship, along with their shipmates.
As a 64 year old US Army vet it does my heart so much good to see young people learning history. The struggle to be free has been a long road and a costly one. You revive my hope for future generations. Thank you!
The youngest victim of Pearl Harbor was actually a 7 month old baby. I believe a few American pilots actually did make it into the sky after the attack started. However, sadly most of the civilian deaths were from friendly fire when the anti-aircraft gunners were shooting at the Japanese. A great deal of the civilians were Native Hawaiians. At the same time Japan was attacking Pearl Harbor they also coordinated attacks of the Philippines, Guam, and Wake Island. All of these territories were later captured and their people were massacred.
I hope you react to more pacific war content. I suggest the Operations Room’s Doolittle Raid, a symbolic turnaround of morale for the US following Pearl Harbor and the first time we struck at the Japanese home islands.
My grandfather was a civilian worker at Hickam Field. He lived in Honolulu with my Grandmother and my then 2 year old Mother. He saw it unfold from his backyard that fateful Sunday morning. After the attack, he went over to Hickam to assist in the aftermath.
Some of the sailors on battleship row died in their sleep. During the salvage operations, they found a letter a sailor was writing to his parents. The last line said, "Well, Mom. I'm getting tired. I'll finish this letter tomorrow."
When I was little the man who lived across the had been a Marine and was at the battle of Iwo Jima. He had been wounded and had a steel plate in his hip, He still worked daily and was a productive citizen.
This was before GPS. The Japanese pilots navigated to Hawaii over open ocean from ships that sailed across the ocean with no radio chatter or GPS. That would throw off most crews. They didn't have telescopic cameras to see what they were aiming at a long ways ahead of them. They had the ol' Mark 1 eyeball. At the speeds their aircraft move it becomes difficult to determine what you are looking at.
I know some people have probably already recommended this but I think you should watch the three-part Battle of Midway series that Montemayor also made, with the first episode being called "The Battle of Midway 1942: Told from the Japanese Perspective (1/3)". I really like his videos in part because he often uses the "Fog of War" in his videos that really get you into the mindset of the strategy at the time, so actions that seemed horribly stupid in hindsight seem reasonable or even optimal in the moment.
Montemayor makes some of the best videos in this area. I wish he made more. It looks like he has been active recently, so I hope he makes more. I would love to see his take on the Battle off Samar. Drachinifel has done a fantastic take... I just think Monetmayor could don something amazing with the Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors.
@@dawnfallon6812 I imagine it takes a while for him to pump out videos due to what is probably an immense amount of research, script-writing, and putting all those events on the map. The fact that it does take so long points to him having a quality over quantity style of making videos, which is great when your making videos about history.
I worked with a man who was on the Nevada, and received a Silver Star for saving the life of an Ensign during the try to get out of the harbor. He retired a Captain (O-6) and was active in the USS Nevada Association, even President for a while, so I had the honor of attending the dedication of a memorial at the state capitol in Carson City. The Japanese delegation in Washington DC were supposed to deliver a letter prior to the attack indicating that they were declaring war, but there was trouble getting it completed and the attack was before the declaration. Thus it was a "Sneak Attack" and galvanized the country.
My father was a young boy at the time. He sat with his family on their lanai at their home in Pacific Heights, which over looks Pearl Harbor. They casually sat eating their Sunday breakfast as they watched the attack, not having any idea what they were witnessing. My father recalled his mother remarking that that the navy shouldn't be conducting these exercises and drills so early on a Sunday morning--especially while people were trying to sleep in or attend church. It was more than an hour after the attack was over before they learned what they had just ACTUALLY witnessed.
My Grandpa George's cousin was at Pearl Harbor on the Arizona. Just twenty minutes before the Japanese hit, he had been sent by an officer to grab some paint from on-shore stores. It was a mistake as there was paint available but he didn't argue. While in the stores trying to find paint, he realized it was useless and tried to go back. He was told he couldn't because the Arizona was gone. He became a VERY religious man after that.
When you 2 finally get to visit Hawaii You have to make sure that when you're on Oahu that you go visit The Arizona which still sits where it was sunk, and they put a glass memorial over it. So you can actually look down on it when you're walking over the memorial. The Arizona is also considered a national monument and all the bodies of the of 1000 plus sailors that died are still buried on the ship and were never recovered.
Also, people who served on the Arizona and escaped are allowed to be interred there. They are cremated and the urn containing the ashes is put inside the ship.
I met Master Chief Lane. He was on the Arizona when it was attacked. His story goes that the Marines in front of him took the explosion and died as he was blown overboard. He swam to the Nevada and was blown overboard again. He claims to be the only sailor to be blown overboard off of two ships...ever!. His storytelling is compelling to say the least. R.I.P. Master Chief Lane. May fair winds and following seas accompany you forever brother. - I am a retired US Navy Chief honoring those who came before me. Navy Chief, Navy Pride!
The Arizona didn’t exactly split in half. When the Magazine exploded, the bow “almost” broke off. As a result of the explosion, the Arizona sank in 7-9 minutes. I did my school history project on the Arizona.
I had a family member on the Arizona. Clearly I never met them as I was born in the '90s, but watching that clip of the Arizona exploding kind of hit deeper than I thought would, just imagining someone who could have been important to me in my life dying in that explosion.
Mountemayor's videos on the Battle of Midway are long but incredibly interesting by going from the different POVs of Japan and America but also, he includes the "fog of war" so if you don't know anything about that battle, in the video you only know what the Japanese or Americans know and it makes things very gripping for the viewer.
I highly recommend watching a documentary on the Battle of Midway next. Most historians consider this battle the turning point in the war in the Pacific. It also serves as a bookend to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The Nevada was repaired so that it eventually helped take Cherbourg. She was the only ship to be present for both Pearl and Normandy. The West Virginia was repaired and led the American battle line against Nishmura's southern strike force in the Battle of Surigao Strait. She was the first and last to fire in the final ever battle between battleships in history. She was so accurate, her very first salvo hit the bridge of the JPN flagship, though the captain and admiral survived.
I have visited the USS Arizona Memorial and it it eerily moving. Same with the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (a.k.a. Punchbowl Cemetery) in Honolulu. The stories of those that lived through the attack are astounding and vanishing as those that were there are dying.
I remember being in port at Pearl for the first time, sitting on the smoking sponson with a Newport, with a great view of the USS Arizona memorial. You can see where the turrets used to be since it's so shallow. Pretty somber smoke break.
My dad was stationed on the Arizona until one week before the attack. He had a fight with the Chief Petty Officer and the guy said there’s only room on this ship for one of us. He transferred my dad off. Normally transfers take forever but he must have known someone, because my dad was off like lightning. His high school class ring is still on the sunken ship, as the ship barber ran a pawn shop, and my dad had pawned it to him, thinking he could get it back in the future.
There is an amazing movie about this that gives both the US and Japanese perspectives of the days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The name of the movie is Tora Tora Tora. It was co produced by both Japanese and American film crews.
The carrier USS Enterprise (CV6) was actually scheduled to have pulled into Pear Harbor the previous day. By some miracle her task force was hit by heavy seas causing the destroyers to use too much fuel and require refueling operations which slowed the task force. The USS Enterprise would go on to be one of the biggest thorns in the Japanese sides. Enterprise only miss 2 naval engagements throughout the war (her planes were even over Oahu but were ineffective with most being shot down). One battle Enterprise missed was the first battle fought solely carriers, by a less than 3 days. And, for a few months between 1942 and 1943 Enterprise was the only serviceable US aircraft carrier in the Pacific.
The attack went off on schedule even though they knew there were no carriers in port that day. They had a spy that had reported the carriers had left. The officer in charge of directing the attack believed that the battle ships were the true threat, even through his attack proved that they were not. He had been in the Navy a long time, and was used to the battle ships being the decisive factor in wars. He was not the one who had planned the attack.
Pearl Harbor is a very personal topic for me. I use to live about 30 minutes north of the base as a little kid. Then when my dad got out of the Army we moved to California where one of my neighbors was a survivor of the attack at Pearl Harbor. He got me involved with their organization, Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, and I eventually became friends with many survivors. My wife, son, and I were invited to birthday parties, anniversary parties, and other personal events by survivors and their families.When my neighbor passes away I had the honor of being a pall bearer at his funeral. The chapter disbanded after their 70th anniversary in 2011. Now all of the amazing people I knew are all gone and it is very sad to lose not only friends but living history. I am honored to have known them and even more honored that they chose me to be the custodian of their photo albums, flags, and other treasures of their organization. Remember Pearl Harbor and Keep America Alert (the organizations motto). After just a few minutes of this video it is pretty clear this person does not have a in depth knowledge of the event because the japanese were not after battleships, they wanted the American carriers. Even at this time the carrier was replacing the battleship as the principal naval weapon. Also, to suggest that the Japanese had no intent/interest in the oil storage facilities is just not true. Not only do I have the previous personal connection but I'm also an American history teacher and one of my special fields of study is World War II.
A dear family friend who I grew up calling Grandpa was on the Vestal during the attack. I was young but he told me a lot about what he saw including desperately trying to untether the Vestal from the Arizona to not get pulled down with it. I got to visit Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial after he passed away and it was one of the most solemn experiences of my life, especially seeing the oil still leaking from the Arizona.
My great grandfather was on one of the aircraft carriers that was sent out just before the attack... 75 years later I was at the 75th anniversary, in uniform (Army) for the ceremony. My unit was responsible with recovering and IDing those lost in battle, and I was part of the USS Oklahoma disinterment (we raised all of the caskets from the cemetery, IDed each one, and gave each sailor a proper burial). Also, one of the things that many don't know is that many of the survivors request to have their remains placed on board the ship they served. I witnessed 3 be placed on the Arizona in my time there. If you guys ever get to Hawaii I highly recommend going to the memorial.
I met a group of Pearl Harbor survivors at a parade many years ago in the early 1990's. Friendly, funny, great older gentlemen. One of them said " Bob here lost his leg during the attack." To which "Bob" (I can't remember his real name) replied " I didn't lose it. I know exactly where it is. It's at the bottom of Pearl Harbor!"
I served in the US Navy during the 1980's, and my ship was part of the Pacific Fleet. I had been to Pearl Harbor a number to times, and I even visited the Arizona Memorial. At that time, the USS Arizona was STILL considered a commissioned ship in the US fleet, and I read the names of all the sailors that lost their lives on the plaque on the far end of the memorial. The fuel oil Arizona had been topped off with was still leaking out into Pearl Harbor. Her fuel was so thick, it had to be pre-heated before going to the boilers!
I had an ambition to visit Pearl Harbour from the time I was about 11.....it took me over 40 years, but I finally got there in 2002... the wreck of the Arizona and the memorial are incredible and no matter where you're from(I'm British) it leaves quite a sombre impression......The wreck of the USS Utah is also still there, where she sank, and there are 58 sailors still entombed aboard her, along with the 1177 men still on duty aboard USS Arizona where they died back on 7 December 1941.............some of the buildings still have bullet holes in them from being strafed by Japanese fighters, and you can still see damage marks from bombs, shrapnel and bullets on the concrete hard standings......
My grandfather was there. His ship was AD-3 (USS Dobbin), not far from the Arizona. He wouldn’t tell me much about it, but would just make a quick joke. It must have been traumatic for him. One sailor, whom he couldn’t remember, sent him a book about that day and wrote that, “You saved my life.” My dad was 3 years old and “thinks” (he wasn’t sure) that he saw a Japanese plane. He was nearby at military housing.
Keep in mind back then there was no GPS and no long range radios. Once the planes were in the air if they were too far apart they couldn't communicate to synchronize their attacks
The USS Nevada survived the war and was ground zero for 2 atomic blasts which it survived and also survived the shelling from 2 Iowa class battleships before being sunk by torpedoes. She was built 1914.
You should watch the movie Tora! Tora! Tora! which shows not only the Japanese preparation but the mistakes we (the US) made in not being more vigilant, not heeding the warnings of a possible attack, and the silliness of leaving all those planes lined up like sitting ducks.
Watch the colorized videos and retouched of the Arizona. The explosion was so huge the ship split. The upper part of the ship was cut off and it was disposed of in an undisclosed location around Hawaii. There are a couple different angles of the explosion.
I heard a story that the radar station there made a mistake, saw the mass of planes coming but mistook the attack for a delivery of planes to be stationed there.
My dad and his best friend were originally the USS Arizona, they had put in for a transfer prior to that Sunday morning. My dad was transferred to the USS Nevada the day before, unfortunately his best friend was not and died on The Arizona. My dad didn't talk much about that morning. I know he worked in the kitchen was as having a cup of coffee when the attacks happened. He told us he didn't even realize that he had made it to the top still holding the cup. He was wounded in the leg by some shrapnel. He did not find out about his friend for some time during his recovery in the hospital.
Of course they were there. Generally little is said about what caused the attack in the first place. The Americans were trying to make Japan dependent on the U.S., and the Japanese wanted to negotiate terms that would not destroy Japan economically (Here I recommend reading about Hull's ultimatum). If they had come to an agreement Perl Harbor would not have happened. There was even an order cancelling the attack if the terms had been negotiated. Unfortunately, the Americans did not want to talk. For the same reason, the Japanese did not declare war before the attack. The documents were ready and were to be handed over to the Americans an hour before the attack. They were not handed over until several hours after the fact, when the American ambassador finally decided to talk to them. Then it was used beautifully for propaganda.
Japan already _was_ dependent on the U.S; which 1: Isn't a great idea if you want to be an empire. 2: Sparked the Manchurian campaign. (For more resources.) The reason the U.S stopped selling supplies to Japan was because of said campaign. The lack of steel and petroleum basically crippled Japanese progress; which lead to talks, which may- or may not- have been intended to result in a peaceful resolution. All in all, it was *still* an unprovoked attack, which- ironically- resulted in Japan being even more dependent on the U.S.
@@octaviusmorlock Wait, are you suggesting that the occupation of Manchuria in 1931 was the reason for sanctions in 1940 and 1941? Well the Americans waited a while. Even the Sino-Japanese war in 1937 didn't lead to them. No one cared about the Chinese then. The only reason for the sanctions was the fear that Japan might attack the USSR (which they didn't plan) and the desire to cause a trade war with them. Paradoxically, it was these sanctions that pushed Japan to conquer even more than they had planned. They had originally planned to stop with what they already had. They even wanted to sign a peace treaty with Chiang Kai-shek and create a puppet state headed by him. Fuel and steel were still to be purchased from the US. So in truth, nothing has changed between these countries. In short, the Japanese wanted a peaceful solution and the Americans did not. Had it not been for provocative U.S. sanctions, there would have been no attacks on either Pearl Harbor or the British and Dutch colonies.
thank you for reacting to this video; my uncle was on a sub in pearl harbor when it was attacked. horror stories about sailors in the burning oceans from the sinking ships oil spills.
There are 2 movies you might be interested in watching: "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (1970) and "Pearl Harbor" (2001). The first is better, IMO. It tells both the American and Japanese stories in a docudrama style. The second is a more Hollywood, good-vs.-evil movie, with better special effects and a love story thrown in.
Some of the photos in the video actually have the mini subs in them. They were not noticed in the photos for almost 40 years and only discovered in the photos in the late 80s or early 90s
The World of Warships channel has a great video about the Pearl Harbor attack. They also have great videos that cover induvial ships like the American Iowa Class battleships of World War 2 and beyond.
Nevada was subsequently salvaged and modernized at Puget Sound Navy Yard, allowing her to serve as a convoy escort in the Atlantic and as a fire-support ship in five amphibious assaults (the invasions of Attu, Normandy, Southern France, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa). after the war she survived 2 nukes and 3 years of gunfire before sinking.
My grandfather was in the US Army for 32 yrs. I have a great picture of him and Colonel Paul Tibbets standing in front of a Boeing B-29 bomber called the Enola Gay...Great video❤
When I was in the Navy I met a guy that was on the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl. We where both at the Navy dental office in the waiting room. We talked for awhile and when I asked him how long he was in and what did he do, he mentioned he was on the Arizona. I asked if he served during Pearl and he said yes. I was in my dress uniform, I stood up in front of him, snapped to attention and saluted him. He started crying and said no one has every done anything like that for him. Most don't know but almost half of those killed during the Pearl attack were on the Arizona.
What is commonly not known or mentioned, is that there were a number of survivors in the partially sunken ships below the waterline in air tight compartments. Rescue crews started cutting their way into the ships to rescue the sailors, when the order came to stop all rescue operations, because they might cause the ships to sink completely. The banging from the abandoned sailors lasted for days.
My Grandfather fought in this war. He lost 2 toes as a result. He had nightmares to his dying day. These nightmares were so violent, he and my grandmother had to sleep in separate beds.
My grandparents were in high school in 1941. My grandpa signed up for the army as soon as he was old enough in 1943. His brother signed up for the navy. They both saw action. My great uncle in the pacific and my grandfather on the Normandy landing at d-day. He fought through France and pushed the Germans back until he found a concentration camp. He told me they just couldn’t do anymore then because they were needed to help those people. My grandfather was a good man who was also unfortunately an alcoholic and my grandmas life was hard. She’s still around, she’s 95! But the ripples of WWII still are felt.
This was an excellent video. It showed that despite the material damage done and the casualties inflicted the attack had very little effect on the USN's war fighting capabilities. The battleships that were hit were too old and slow to operate with fast carriers and could not operate on their own without air cover. The Pearl Harbor attack along with the sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse by air attack proved the vulnerability of ships without air protection.
When my dad owned his restaurant 18 to 20 years ago 1 of the people that would come in was on 1 of those ships at Pearl Harbor after we sold the restaurant it got burned down about 10 years after we sold it. I’m guessing the guy that would come in to my dads restaurant has passed away by now it’s been so long I can’t remember the guys name or which ship he was on at Pearl Harbor I do know that it was 1 of the surviving ships though
The targeting is a great example of why military discipline and professionalism has won out over individualism like in warrior cultures like vikings or samurai. A great historical example in Japanese history came when the first of the great unifiers oda nobunaga exploited the cultural norm of presenting heads of slain enemies to your feudal lord, attacking a much larger force and defeating them and taking over the region. He also ended the practice of capturing heads for exactly that reason, in addition to the more widespread use of firearms the warriors under his command would be a more professional lest individualistic force that would ultimately conquer Japan.
They definitely can aim. The problem is the weapon doesn't necessarily behave identicaly evey time, Even with mass production variations do occur. Also miniscule differences in Speed, Angle & Altitude can make a big difference and that's not considering things like winds or the water currants of the harbour...
![Eminem - Fuel (feat. JID) [Official Lyric Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/t5H_CewqpKA/mqdefault.jpg)
To quote Adm. Yamamoto the designer of the attack "I fear we have merely awakened a sleeping giant, and filled it with a terrible resolve"
Interesting tidbit; there’s actually some debate on whether Yamamoto actually said this quote, as there’s thus far been no concrete evidence found, but yet whenever there’s a WWII movie that somehow features the Pearl Harbor attack, i.e. Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor movie, or Roland Emmerich’s Midway movie, they always have Yamamoto say this line
Yeah, and not "awokened" as was narrated. Stupid millennials.
I'm guessing he was talking about the Canadians, right? 😅😜❤️🇨🇦
@@rhydonbeacham Yes. Though there isn't any evidence Yamamoto said those exact words, they do sum up Yamamoto's very real sentiments about the attack.
@@IncogNito-gg6uh That is very true, and to be fair, even though there’s no concrete proof that Yamamoto said the line, I do agree that it likely summed up his sentiments perfectly about what Japan did to America in the Pearl Harbor attack.
The Arizona was left on the harbor floor and is now a national memorial. Many Americans who visit Oahu make a visit to the Arizona memorial. The Nevada was refloated, repaired, and subsequently was involved in the Normandy landings, and the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Nevada was decommissioned after the war and was used during nuclear weapon tests. They blew up one directly underneath the ship and it took it like a champ.
And Missouri was a movie prop
The Utah is also still their in her sunk configuration. Utah is the forgotten ship of Pearl Harbor. She was lightly manned but sill lost over 50 men in the attack!
@@nicholaspawelski1031 Nevada deserved a better fate. She ended up surviving 2 A bomb blasts and then used as a target off of Hawaii but took many shell, bomb and torpedo hits before it finally sank in deep water.
I visited the Arizona Memorial with my mom, dad and brother in 1974, yeah I’m that old! My brother took his kids to Hawaii and of course the Arizona Memorial last year 2022!
Both my grandfathers were stationed at Pearl during the attack. The stories are insane and treasured family history.
Yeah, mine too… he was on the Destroyer Ellet and also participated in the Doolittle Raid on Japan.
My grandfather was deep inside the california. Water coming in. Barely made it out. Grandma was on ford island.
Write them on paper if nobody has done it.
@@sallyintucson ?
Mine too! He never spoke about it to anyone, but went to survivor reunions and had a special state-issued "Pearl Harbor Survivor" license plate. But never talked about it. Miss you Grandad!
My grandfather was 14 when the Japanese invaded the Philippine Islands. He immigrated to the United States in the late 50s. As a teen he was so impressed by the US Military when they liberated his home, he joined the Air Force as a field surgeon. He was so proud to have served his country.
My granddad was a Pearl Harbor Survivor. He was in the Navy. I didn't find this out until after he passed. He and my parents NEVER talked about it.
For many it was to emotional to talk about.
Midway is probably the most significant sea battle of WWII. You will see why when you react to the video.
Montemayor covers this from both sides, which is the only way it could be understood.
@@williambranch4283 It in my opinion (both videos) he does such an amazing job with the details that are left out of all other series trying to document this battle. Montemayor in my opinion is the best in covering these historical events.
@@williambranch4283 The aggressors got their asses handed to them. All that matters. Couldn't care less about "their" side. F*ck 'em.
It wasn’t a sea battle. It was an air battle on the sea.
@@hexapuma12 as opposed to land battle you oaf
My father was in the Navy stationed on the Arizona. His time was up and he left service months before Pearl was attacked. He knew many men who died on the Arizona. Very traumatic for him...
Michael Savarese (a distant relative), was one of only 32 men that were rescued from the capsized USS Oklahoma (cut a small opening on the bottom of the overturned hull).
"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." --- Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (maybe)
My Dad was also at Pearl Harbor, very reluctant to talk about it, but basically, yes, America was shocked momentarily, but really all it did was piss us off, especially the men at Pearl.
It always takes a second to recover from a sucker punch
As saying goes, don’t eff w/ American boats 🇺🇸
My father, Perry Walker Sparks was in the First Infantry.. He served in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and then was permanently disabled on Omaha Beach.. he was, and always will be my hero !!! Love Grandma Debbie
🫡 thank you
It is impossible for a grateful nation to adequately express our gratitude for your father’s courage, sacrifice and service to us all. But I will take this inadequate opportunity to say thank you, Sir, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you to all of your loved ones who also sacrificed because of the loss they experienced from his loss, and thank you to all of the other brave men and women who served us abroad and at home in this monumental work. Y’all not only saved America. You also, in many ways, saved the world.
My grandfather never came back from wwii. He died.
The main targets for the Japanese meaning America's battleships were stationary targets which greatly assisted the Japanese aviators when were very well trained at that stage of their fighting. I'm not minimizing the Japanese accomplishment there I'm just stating a fact or two.
James, you and Millie should check out the battle of Midway where the Japanese were soundly defeated and the tide of war changed.
Why??
@David Robichaud because it's a good video?
Because thats where we messed up the Japanese fleet that bombed Pearl
Pearl Harbor held every ship for the pacific fleet. The Japanese unfortunately miscalculated as they believed aircraft carriers would be in dock. They were nowhere near pearl. They were about a day away ready for normal shifts. The Enterprise had admiral Nimitz on board who carried the entire pacific fleet on his back the entire length of the war. When enterprise got the call to war Nimitz literally jumped out of his chair and ordered the planes to launch immediately. The rest of the crew barely had time to eat a bite of breakfast before being called into action. It was that quick and many couldn’t believe they were just eating breakfast just two seconds ago now they are now in a war. Nimitz was a legend and gave zero quarter. He knew his job and got it done. When enterprise docked at pearl the normal reload and refuel which normally took a full day, took maybe a couple of hours as the ship was refitted and launched back out ready to fight. That’s how pearl changed us.
It was Halsey that was in command of Enterprise and her task group.👍
It didn't hold every ship for the Pacific fleet. That would be impossible. It was the home for a good portion of it tho.
@@A_Name_ regardless, the cowards were repaid 7 fold
Pearl also unleashed the millions of Americans in the workforce from manufacturing civilian goods to producing military equipment at a astonishing rate
@@JustMe-gn6yf that technically was already in the process of happening. They were already gearing up for the war and had plans on place for the war economy. This just shifted all the plans into overdrive and pissed off the public to make it that much more insane.
A few years ago, I was in Hawaii on vacation, enjoying the beauty of the the islands; but one place I definitely needed to see was Pearl Harbor. As you approach the Memorial by ferry, you notice the concrete "memorials" that mark where the battleships were, and, then, you notice the stillness, the quiet, as you step onto the USS Arizona Memorial. There is a display that lists those that perished that day, and I think, that's when the battle hit my soul. So many names, and the tears start flowing. Before leaving the Memorial, I took several minutes to look down into the water where one of the Arizona's turrets is still visible and oil still slowly leaks. The Memorial is built over the sunken ship, and seeing and knowing this put a huge lump in my throat and a deep sadness in my heart. I will never forget how I felt that day. It is my understanding, the movie Tora Tora Tora comes closest to how the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. I watched the movie a week before my trip, and tears flowed. Then, to actually step into a part of history, the feeling is so hard to describe. My deepest prayers go out to the families whose loved ones lost their lives that day. May they have eternal peace.
Just returned, I never knew but was informed that survivors have the option to be buried with their crew mates upon their passing. (Beautiful) only one survivor is still alive.
I absolutely felt the same way, I'm so glad we were able to take our kids to see this piece of history. The black tears floating to the surface...
48% hit rate with 1930s/40s technology when nobody has really learned how to fully utilize aircraft carriers seems pretty dang good to me actually
There's 2 movies about this you could show on the other channel 1 was called Pearl Harbor,the other was called Tora,Tora,Tora .
Tora, Tora, Tora is so much better than Pearl Harbor on both a historical and movie making stand point
@@cheeseninja1115 yes
My uncle’s ship was supposed to be at Pearl Harbor, but it was in dry dock in San Francisco . His wife went ahead and got a job at the officers club. She went to work that day to train a waitress. The bombing started and someone told them we were at war.
My father was on the USS Curtiss, uncle on the USS Pennsylvania. Both survived and never discussed the war, let alone PH attack until 50 years later. Their stories were heartbreaking but eye witness history that needed to be heard. They shared their stories at schools across California until they died.
What was your Uncle's station aboard the Pennsylvania? Did he serve in any shore bombardments?
I was stationed in Hawaii in the late 80's. I went to the Arizona Memorial. It was very surreal. You could see little oil deposits in the water around it. The curator said that the ship still had some leakage some 40 plus years later. I also got to tour The Nimitz air craft carrier. It was awesome!
You have to understand for a operation in the 1940s the Japanese did very well. The amount of moving parts that this took was monumental, 6 separate air wings had to work together for it! You also have to keep in mind that in this time they had no guidance systems. When the Japanese did their torpedo runs they not only had to manually aim them, but also do so while under fire. Just a little miscalculation would cause a torpedo to go off course.
Not only that but as far as misidentification of a ship for a battleship, many of the ship the way they were designed with gun placement and numbers as well as smoke stacks they did resemble battleships from the air. Heck to be fair a lot of cruisers might as well been battleships they were just light enough to not be battleship class but was so close it was easy to mistake
Yup, they honestly had a great plan it just wasn't executed well. Obviously they knew they had to hit the US hard and quick to cripple them yet still put up a great fight in the years after Pearl Harbor. As an American I hate to glorify the enemy (i have nothing against the Japanese or any race) but after 80 years removed from the conflict I can respect the determination and how honorable they were and how they were willing to fight and die for every inch.
@@quentinanderson8456 Is it honorable to kill 20 million Asians?
@cheeseninja1115 The attack was brilliantly executed and based on the idea that it would convince the Americans to stop resisting Japanese aggression. Of course, the result was that it convinced almost all Americans to enter the War and pursue it with a steely resolve. The attack has to be the most disastrous military action in history, nearly equaled when Hitler declared war on America 3 days later.
Navigation at sea is very accurate and has been since at least the 1500s. Any clear night and a trident can give you a very accurate position.
My Dad had a cousin that was on the USS Arizona. His body was never recovered. The Arizona is still sunk at Pearl Harbor and last I heard was still leaking oil. It is now part of a memorial at Pearl Harbor and some sailors that survived that day had as their last wish was to have their ashes spread in the water with the Arizona.
Lol - my dad had a cousin who had a son whose mother knew somebody that was at pearl harbor
I was stationed in Hawaii and some of our Barracks were WW2 era and some still had bullet holes in them. Ford Island is basically just a brig/memorial now.
True
Montemayor makes fantastic videos, I recommend his 3 part series on the Battle of Midway
My grandfather was one of 9 kids, 8 boys and a girl. 6 of them fought in WW2. So few of our WW2 veterans are left. It is a privilege and an honor to talk to, or be able to assist what is aptly called "the greatest generation". ❤
It should be noted that the USS Arizona still sits at the bottom of Pearl Harbor,
a designated war grave.
As of 2020, 44 of the 334 Arizona crewmembers who survived December 7th,
have requested, and were allowed to have their ashes interred in the ship,
along with their shipmates.
We were there in September and they said that there is one more survivor left who has requested to be interred on the Arizona.
@@johnscheunemann5630 I wasn't sure how many were still left. Was it your first visit?
@The Black Bear yes. First time.
@@johnscheunemann5630 What did you think? (If you don't mind sharing.)
@@theblackbear211 very somber experience. Brought tears to my eyes
As a 64 year old US Army vet it does my heart so much good to see young people learning history. The struggle to be free has been a long road and a costly one. You revive my hope for future generations. Thank you!
The youngest victim of Pearl Harbor was actually a 7 month old baby. I believe a few American pilots actually did make it into the sky after the attack started. However, sadly most of the civilian deaths were from friendly fire when the anti-aircraft gunners were shooting at the Japanese. A great deal of the civilians were Native Hawaiians.
At the same time Japan was attacking Pearl Harbor they also coordinated attacks of the Philippines, Guam, and Wake Island. All of these territories were later captured and their people were massacred.
They also missed the dry docks, oil storage tanks and repair facilities, not to mention the aircraft carriers all at sea.
I hope you react to more pacific war content. I suggest the Operations Room’s Doolittle Raid, a symbolic turnaround of morale for the US following Pearl Harbor and the first time we struck at the Japanese home islands.
My grandfather was a civilian worker at Hickam Field. He lived in Honolulu with my Grandmother and my then 2 year old Mother. He saw it unfold from his backyard that fateful Sunday morning. After the attack, he went over to Hickam to assist in the aftermath.
Everyone had a radio and this is where the news was heard.
Some of the sailors on battleship row died in their sleep. During the salvage operations, they found a letter a sailor was writing to his parents. The last line said, "Well, Mom. I'm getting tired. I'll finish this letter tomorrow."
Learning about this attack is emotional, I hope to go see the actual site someday in the future.
It’s odd hearing this video narrated by someone who is speaking of the successes of the Japanese
When I was little the man who lived across the had been a Marine and was at the battle of Iwo Jima. He had been wounded and had a steel plate in his hip, He still worked daily and was a productive citizen.
This was before GPS. The Japanese pilots navigated to Hawaii over open ocean from ships that sailed across the ocean with no radio chatter or GPS. That would throw off most crews. They didn't have telescopic cameras to see what they were aiming at a long ways ahead of them. They had the ol' Mark 1 eyeball. At the speeds their aircraft move it becomes difficult to determine what you are looking at.
The radio station on Oahu was broadcasting to guide in some B-17's via radio direction tracking. The Japanese strike force used the very same method.
I know some people have probably already recommended this but I think you should watch the three-part Battle of Midway series that Montemayor also made, with the first episode being called "The Battle of Midway 1942: Told from the Japanese Perspective (1/3)". I really like his videos in part because he often uses the "Fog of War" in his videos that really get you into the mindset of the strategy at the time, so actions that seemed horribly stupid in hindsight seem reasonable or even optimal in the moment.
Montemayor makes some of the best videos in this area. I wish he made more. It looks like he has been active recently, so I hope he makes more. I would love to see his take on the Battle off Samar. Drachinifel has done a fantastic take... I just think Monetmayor could don something amazing with the Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors.
@@dawnfallon6812 I imagine it takes a while for him to pump out videos due to what is probably an immense amount of research, script-writing, and putting all those events on the map.
The fact that it does take so long points to him having a quality over quantity style of making videos, which is great when your making videos about history.
I worked with a man who was on the Nevada, and received a Silver Star for saving the life of an Ensign during the try to get out of the harbor. He retired a Captain (O-6) and was active in the USS Nevada Association, even President for a while, so I had the honor of attending the dedication of a memorial at the state capitol in Carson City. The Japanese delegation in Washington DC were supposed to deliver a letter prior to the attack indicating that they were declaring war, but there was trouble getting it completed and the attack was before the declaration. Thus it was a "Sneak Attack" and galvanized the country.
My father was a young boy at the time. He sat with his family on their lanai at their home in Pacific Heights, which over looks Pearl Harbor. They casually sat eating their Sunday breakfast as they watched the attack, not having any idea what they were witnessing. My father recalled his mother remarking that that the navy shouldn't be conducting these exercises and drills so early on a Sunday morning--especially while people were trying to sleep in or attend church. It was more than an hour after the attack was over before they learned what they had just ACTUALLY witnessed.
My Grandpa George's cousin was at Pearl Harbor on the Arizona. Just twenty minutes before the Japanese hit, he had been sent by an officer to grab some paint from on-shore stores. It was a mistake as there was paint available but he didn't argue. While in the stores trying to find paint, he realized it was useless and tried to go back. He was told he couldn't because the Arizona was gone. He became a VERY religious man after that.
When you 2 finally get to visit Hawaii You have to make sure that when you're on Oahu that you go visit The Arizona which still sits where it was sunk, and they put a glass memorial over it. So you can actually look down on it when you're walking over the memorial. The Arizona is also considered a national monument and all the bodies of the of 1000 plus sailors that died are still buried on the ship and were never recovered.
🙏🙏😢
Also, people who served on the Arizona and escaped are allowed to be interred there. They are cremated and the urn containing the ashes is put inside the ship.
I met Master Chief Lane. He was on the Arizona when it was attacked. His story goes that the Marines in front of him took the explosion and died as he was blown overboard. He swam to the Nevada and was blown overboard again. He claims to be the only sailor to be blown overboard off of two ships...ever!. His storytelling is compelling to say the least. R.I.P. Master Chief Lane. May fair winds and following seas accompany you forever brother. - I am a retired US Navy Chief honoring those who came before me. Navy Chief, Navy Pride!
The Arizona didn’t exactly split in half. When the Magazine exploded, the bow “almost” broke off. As a result of the explosion, the Arizona sank in 7-9 minutes. I did my school history project on the Arizona.
I had a family member on the Arizona. Clearly I never met them as I was born in the '90s, but watching that clip of the Arizona exploding kind of hit deeper than I thought would, just imagining someone who could have been important to me in my life dying in that explosion.
Mountemayor's videos on the Battle of Midway are long but incredibly interesting by going from the different POVs of Japan and America but also, he includes the "fog of war" so if you don't know anything about that battle, in the video you only know what the Japanese or Americans know and it makes things very gripping for the viewer.
I highly recommend watching a documentary on the Battle of Midway next. Most historians consider this battle the turning point in the war in the Pacific. It also serves as a bookend to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The Nevada was repaired so that it eventually helped take Cherbourg. She was the only ship to be present for both Pearl and Normandy.
The West Virginia was repaired and led the American battle line against Nishmura's southern strike force in the Battle of Surigao Strait. She was the first and last to fire in the final ever battle between battleships in history. She was so accurate, her very first salvo hit the bridge of the JPN flagship, though the captain and admiral survived.
I have visited the USS Arizona Memorial and it it eerily moving. Same with the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (a.k.a. Punchbowl Cemetery) in Honolulu. The stories of those that lived through the attack are astounding and vanishing as those that were there are dying.
I remember being in port at Pearl for the first time, sitting on the smoking sponson with a Newport, with a great view of the USS Arizona memorial. You can see where the turrets used to be since it's so shallow. Pretty somber smoke break.
My dad joined the US Navy right after the attack on Pearl Harbor and wound up getting stationed there throughout the entire Pacific war.
The Japanese also completely ignored the submarines that were in port. They later went on to be a devastating weapon against Japan's merchant fleet.
The USS Utah is still at the bottom of Pearl Harbor. It was a battle ship converted to a target ship and a crew member received the Medal Of Honor.
My dad was stationed on the Arizona until one week before the attack. He had a fight with the Chief Petty Officer and the guy said there’s only room on this ship for one of us. He transferred my dad off. Normally transfers take forever but he must have known someone, because my dad was off like lightning. His high school class ring is still on the sunken ship, as the ship barber ran a pawn shop, and my dad had pawned it to him, thinking he could get it back in the future.
You should watch a timeline of WW2 it has a lot of footage and goes through all of the major things that happened in the war.
There is an amazing movie about this that gives both the US and Japanese perspectives of the days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The name of the movie is Tora Tora Tora. It was co produced by both Japanese and American film crews.
The carrier USS Enterprise (CV6) was actually scheduled to have pulled into Pear Harbor the previous day. By some miracle her task force was hit by heavy seas causing the destroyers to use too much fuel and require refueling operations which slowed the task force. The USS Enterprise would go on to be one of the biggest thorns in the Japanese sides. Enterprise only miss 2 naval engagements throughout the war (her planes were even over Oahu but were ineffective with most being shot down). One battle Enterprise missed was the first battle fought solely carriers, by a less than 3 days. And, for a few months between 1942 and 1943 Enterprise was the only serviceable US aircraft carrier in the Pacific.
The attack went off on schedule even though they knew there were no carriers in port that day. They had a spy that had reported the carriers had left. The officer in charge of directing the attack believed that the battle ships were the true threat, even through his attack proved that they were not. He had been in the Navy a long time, and was used to the battle ships being the decisive factor in wars. He was not the one who had planned the attack.
Pearl Harbor is a very personal topic for me. I use to live about 30 minutes north of the base as a little kid. Then when my dad got out of the Army we moved to California where one of my neighbors was a survivor of the attack at Pearl Harbor. He got me involved with their organization, Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, and I eventually became friends with many survivors. My wife, son, and I were invited to birthday parties, anniversary parties, and other personal events by survivors and their families.When my neighbor passes away I had the honor of being a pall bearer at his funeral. The chapter disbanded after their 70th anniversary in 2011. Now all of the amazing people I knew are all gone and it is very sad to lose not only friends but living history. I am honored to have known them and even more honored that they chose me to be the custodian of their photo albums, flags, and other treasures of their organization. Remember Pearl Harbor and Keep America Alert (the organizations motto). After just a few minutes of this video it is pretty clear this person does not have a in depth knowledge of the event because the japanese were not after battleships, they wanted the American carriers. Even at this time the carrier was replacing the battleship as the principal naval weapon. Also, to suggest that the Japanese had no intent/interest in the oil storage facilities is just not true. Not only do I have the previous personal connection but I'm also an American history teacher and one of my special fields of study is World War II.
Reviewing the battle of midway is a must, greatest naval victory in American history
A dear family friend who I grew up calling Grandpa was on the Vestal during the attack. I was young but he told me a lot about what he saw including desperately trying to untether the Vestal from the Arizona to not get pulled down with it. I got to visit Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial after he passed away and it was one of the most solemn experiences of my life, especially seeing the oil still leaking from the Arizona.
My great grandfather was on one of the aircraft carriers that was sent out just before the attack... 75 years later I was at the 75th anniversary, in uniform (Army) for the ceremony. My unit was responsible with recovering and IDing those lost in battle, and I was part of the USS Oklahoma disinterment (we raised all of the caskets from the cemetery, IDed each one, and gave each sailor a proper burial). Also, one of the things that many don't know is that many of the survivors request to have their remains placed on board the ship they served. I witnessed 3 be placed on the Arizona in my time there. If you guys ever get to Hawaii I highly recommend going to the memorial.
It was a sleepy Sunday morning, all those ships were docked in close formation so it was easy to take out many which blocked others.
I met a group of Pearl Harbor survivors at a parade many years ago in the early 1990's. Friendly, funny, great older gentlemen. One of them said " Bob here lost his leg during the attack." To which "Bob" (I can't remember his real name) replied " I didn't lose it. I know exactly where it is. It's at the bottom of Pearl Harbor!"
Just returned from the memorial tons of pics to share, in April 2023 one of the last two surviving had passed and the memorial flag was at half mast.
I served in the US Navy during the 1980's, and my ship was part of the Pacific Fleet. I had been to Pearl Harbor a number to times, and I even visited the Arizona Memorial. At that time, the USS Arizona was STILL considered a commissioned ship in the US fleet, and I read the names of all the sailors that lost their lives on the plaque on the far end of the memorial. The fuel oil Arizona had been topped off with was still leaking out into Pearl Harbor. Her fuel was so thick, it had to be pre-heated before going to the boilers!
My grandfather fought in the Philippines in WWII. Got wounded from shrapnel and was awarded the Purple Heart.
I had an ambition to visit Pearl Harbour from the time I was about 11.....it took me over 40 years, but I finally got there in 2002... the wreck of the Arizona and the memorial are incredible and no matter where you're from(I'm British) it leaves quite a sombre impression......The wreck of the USS Utah is also still there, where she sank, and there are 58 sailors still entombed aboard her, along with the 1177 men still on duty aboard USS Arizona where they died back on 7 December 1941.............some of the buildings still have bullet holes in them from being strafed by Japanese fighters, and you can still see damage marks from bombs, shrapnel and bullets on the concrete hard standings......
My grandfather was there. His ship was AD-3 (USS Dobbin), not far from the Arizona. He wouldn’t tell me much about it, but would just make a quick joke. It must have been traumatic for him. One sailor, whom he couldn’t remember, sent him a book about that day and wrote that, “You saved my life.”
My dad was 3 years old and “thinks” (he wasn’t sure) that he saw a Japanese plane. He was nearby at military housing.
Keep in mind back then there was no GPS and no long range radios. Once the planes were in the air if they were too far apart they couldn't communicate to synchronize their attacks
There is a movie for battle of midway you guys would likely enjoy
The USS Nevada survived the war and was ground zero for 2 atomic blasts which it survived and also survived the shelling from 2 Iowa class battleships before being sunk by torpedoes. She was built 1914.
The second part of that quote is always missed.
“…and filled him with terrible resolve.”
You should watch the movie Tora! Tora! Tora! which shows not only the Japanese preparation but the mistakes we (the US) made in not being more vigilant, not heeding the warnings of a possible attack, and the silliness of leaving all those planes lined up like sitting ducks.
Watch the colorized videos and retouched of the Arizona. The explosion was so huge the ship split. The upper part of the ship was cut off and it was disposed of in an undisclosed location around Hawaii. There are a couple different angles of the explosion.
I heard a story that the radar station there made a mistake, saw the mass of planes coming but mistook the attack for a delivery of planes to be stationed there.
My dad and his best friend were originally the USS Arizona, they had put in for a transfer prior to that Sunday morning. My dad was transferred to the USS Nevada the day before, unfortunately his best friend was not and died on The Arizona. My dad didn't talk much about that morning. I know he worked in the kitchen was as having a cup of coffee when the attacks happened. He told us he didn't even realize that he had made it to the top still holding the cup. He was wounded in the leg by some shrapnel. He did not find out about his friend for some time during his recovery in the hospital.
One small fact rarely mentioned about Peral Harbor is that there were Japanese's diplomates in Washington before and during the attack.
They were there to spy.
Of course they were there. Generally little is said about what caused the attack in the first place. The Americans were trying to make Japan dependent on the U.S., and the Japanese wanted to negotiate terms that would not destroy Japan economically (Here I recommend reading about Hull's ultimatum). If they had come to an agreement Perl Harbor would not have happened. There was even an order cancelling the attack if the terms had been negotiated. Unfortunately, the Americans did not want to talk. For the same reason, the Japanese did not declare war before the attack. The documents were ready and were to be handed over to the Americans an hour before the attack. They were not handed over until several hours after the fact, when the American ambassador finally decided to talk to them. Then it was used beautifully for propaganda.
Japan already _was_ dependent on the U.S; which
1: Isn't a great idea if you want to be an empire.
2: Sparked the Manchurian campaign. (For more resources.)
The reason the U.S stopped selling supplies to Japan was because of said campaign.
The lack of steel and petroleum basically crippled Japanese progress; which lead to talks, which may- or may not- have been intended to result in a peaceful resolution.
All in all, it was *still* an unprovoked attack, which- ironically- resulted in Japan being even more dependent on the U.S.
@@octaviusmorlock Wait, are you suggesting that the occupation of Manchuria in 1931 was the reason for sanctions in 1940 and 1941? Well the Americans waited a while. Even the Sino-Japanese war in 1937 didn't lead to them. No one cared about the Chinese then. The only reason for the sanctions was the fear that Japan might attack the USSR (which they didn't plan) and the desire to cause a trade war with them. Paradoxically, it was these sanctions that pushed Japan to conquer even more than they had planned. They had originally planned to stop with what they already had. They even wanted to sign a peace treaty with Chiang Kai-shek and create a puppet state headed by him. Fuel and steel were still to be purchased from the US. So in truth, nothing has changed between these countries.
In short, the Japanese wanted a peaceful solution and the Americans did not. Had it not been for provocative U.S. sanctions, there would have been no attacks on either Pearl Harbor or the British and Dutch colonies.
@@Amrod97 You again ignore that there was *zero* aggression from the U.S. *ZERO* reason to attack.
The carrier Akagi, Vice-Admiral Chuichi Nagumo's flagship, was sunk at Midway, along with Kaga. The carriers Hiryu and Soryu were also sunk.
thank you for reacting to this video; my uncle was on a sub in pearl harbor when it was attacked. horror stories about sailors in the burning oceans from the sinking ships oil spills.
I have been to the Pearl Harbor memorial and saw the oil bubbles still coming out of the Arizona.
My Great uncle Howie was there and survived. He was on a Battleship.
My grandparents were at Pearl Harbor. My grandfather was on the USS Maryland.
There are 2 movies you might be interested in watching: "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (1970) and "Pearl Harbor" (2001). The first is better, IMO. It tells both the American and Japanese stories in a docudrama style. The second is a more Hollywood, good-vs.-evil movie, with better special effects and a love story thrown in.
My great uncle Johnny was there when the attack happened. He fired a machine gun from the deck of mine sweeper in drydock at the planes.
I visited the Arizona memorial. its haunting and its beautifully memorialized. its so quiet there.
Some of the photos in the video actually have the mini subs in them. They were not noticed in the photos for almost 40 years and only discovered in the photos in the late 80s or early 90s
The World of Warships channel has a great video about the Pearl Harbor attack. They also have great videos that cover induvial ships like the American Iowa Class battleships of World War 2 and beyond.
This guys videos are excellent (Montemayor). One of our church members 20 years ago, was a sailor on the Arizona that day.
If you look closer at some of the still photos you can see the sailors in the water
Nevada was subsequently salvaged and modernized at Puget Sound Navy Yard, allowing her to serve as a convoy escort in the Atlantic and as a fire-support ship in five amphibious assaults (the invasions of Attu, Normandy, Southern France, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa). after the war she survived 2 nukes and 3 years of gunfire before sinking.
My grandfather was in the US Army for 32 yrs. I have a great picture of him and Colonel Paul Tibbets standing in front of a Boeing B-29 bomber called the Enola Gay...Great video❤
When I was in the Navy I met a guy that was on the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl. We where both at the Navy dental office in the waiting room. We talked for awhile and when I asked him how long he was in and what did he do, he mentioned he was on the Arizona. I asked if he served during Pearl and he said yes. I was in my dress uniform, I stood up in front of him, snapped to attention and saluted him. He started crying and said no one has every done anything like that for him. Most don't know but almost half of those killed during the Pearl attack were on the Arizona.
What is commonly not known or mentioned, is that there were a number of survivors in the partially sunken ships below the waterline in air tight compartments. Rescue crews started cutting their way into the ships to rescue the sailors, when the order came to stop all rescue operations, because they might cause the ships to sink completely. The banging from the abandoned sailors lasted for days.
My Grandfather fought in this war. He lost 2 toes as a result. He had nightmares to his dying day. These nightmares were so violent, he and my grandmother had to sleep in separate beds.
My grandparents were in high school in 1941. My grandpa signed up for the army as soon as he was old enough in 1943. His brother signed up for the navy.
They both saw action. My great uncle in the pacific and my grandfather on the Normandy landing at d-day. He fought through France and pushed the Germans back until he found a concentration camp. He told me they just couldn’t do anymore then because they were needed to help those people.
My grandfather was a good man who was also unfortunately an alcoholic and my grandmas life was hard. She’s still around, she’s 95! But the ripples of WWII still are felt.
This was an excellent video. It showed that despite the material damage done and the casualties inflicted the attack had very little effect on the USN's war fighting capabilities. The battleships that were hit were too old and slow to operate with fast carriers and could not operate on their own without air cover. The Pearl Harbor attack along with the sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse by air attack proved the vulnerability of ships without air protection.
When my dad owned his restaurant 18 to 20 years ago 1 of the people that would come in was on 1 of those ships at Pearl Harbor after we sold the restaurant it got burned down about 10 years after we sold it. I’m guessing the guy that would come in to my dads restaurant has passed away by now it’s been so long I can’t remember the guys name or which ship he was on at Pearl Harbor I do know that it was 1 of the surviving ships though
I couldn’t even imagine what that must’ve been like
Winston Churchill was pretty stoked about Pearl Harbor.
The targeting is a great example of why military discipline and professionalism has won out over individualism like in warrior cultures like vikings or samurai. A great historical example in Japanese history came when the first of the great unifiers oda nobunaga exploited the cultural norm of presenting heads of slain enemies to your feudal lord, attacking a much larger force and defeating them and taking over the region. He also ended the practice of capturing heads for exactly that reason, in addition to the more widespread use of firearms the warriors under his command would be a more professional lest individualistic force that would ultimately conquer Japan.
They definitely can aim. The problem is the weapon doesn't necessarily behave identicaly evey time, Even with mass production variations do occur. Also miniscule differences in Speed, Angle & Altitude can make a big difference and that's not considering things like winds or the water currants of the harbour...