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Pearl Harbor Attack Remembered

Seth 1 Comment


The Pearl Harbor Attack took place t 7:55 am on the morning of December 7, 1941. Under the command of Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 165 planes attacked Pearl Harbor. This attack on Pearl Harbor led to the United States entering into World War II.

In his now famous address, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said about this Pearl Harbor attack, “a date that will live in infamy.”

Some kids and adults that visit Kids Speak for America may have a great-grandparent, grandparent or other relative or family friend that may have served in World War II.

Some of your grandparents or people you know, may have been in Hawaii at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States of America.

Some of you have been in Hawaii and had the opportunity to visit the USS Arizona War Memorial.

For many kids Remembering Pearl Harbor will be a new experience as you watch this video. For others it will help you Remember Pearl Harbor.

Filed Under: Historical Events Tagged With: America, Dec 7, Franklin D Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Hawaii, Japanes Navy, Pearl Harbor, President, United States, USA, Video, World War II

Hiroshima Connection to Hawaii

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The Hiroshima connection to Hawaii begin on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. This surprise attack triggered the Pacific War. Four years later America dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima to bring it to a close.

The connections between Hiroshima and Hawaii is much deeper than that brought on by war. In many ways this Hiroshima connection was a financial connection. This connection goes back to the late nineteenth century to a boom in the Hawaiian sugar industry. This boom attracted a large numbers of male Japanese migrant workers who were seeking to escape difficult economic conditions in Japan as that country underwent modernization.

Early workers came from the Yokohama area of Japan. These workers did not prove satisfactory, so more docile and harder working Japanese from rural areas such as Hiroshima and Yamaguchi prefectures were preferred to work the sugar cane plantations.

The young men who went to Hawaii found that there were no Japanese women around whom they could marry. A new industry therefore sprang up which is referred to as “picture brides”. Girls wanting to marry would send photos to an agency and receive a selection of photos of eligible Japanese men. Once a choice had been made, the young woman would get on a boat and sail to Hawaii to meet and marry her intended husband.

Those Japanese who emigrated to Hawaii were know as “first generation” or “issei” in Japanese. It was impossible for them to get American citizenship. Their children, however, born in America, grew up as American citizens and are known as “second generation” or “Nisei” Japanese Americans.

However, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and brought America into World War Two, the Japanese community found itself in a difficult situation. On the American West Coast the Japanese, both Japanese nationals and American citizens, were arrested and concentrated in “war relocation” camps.

In Hawaii, however, the situation was different as the Japanese made up a large minority of the population, about 34% in 1941, and were considered by Lt. General Delos Emmons to be necessary for the war effort.

There was deep suspicion of those Japanese-Americans who were serving in the US armed forces at the outbreak of the Pacific War, with fears that they might act as enemy agents. Nevertheless, in the spring of 1942 a new Japanese-American unit was formed out of the nisei soldiers and called the 100th Infantry Battalion, serving under Caucasian officers.

In 1943 the unit went into action on the Salerno beachhead in Italy. The 100th was later absorbed into the 442nd, a unit of new Nisei recruits. By the end of the war the 100th/442nd had fought in seven campaigns in Italy, France and Germany and been awarded 18,000 decorations for valor.

Because so many of the first generation of Japanese-American migrants went to Hawaii from Hiroshima, many of the Nisei soldiers would have had relatives living in the Hiroshima area when the atom bomb was dropped on 6th August 1945.

After the war, the Hawaiian Nisei veterans returned home changed by the experience of war and determined to fight for their constitutional rights. Many took advantage of the G. I. Bill of 1944 to get a college education. Many of them entered the legal and other professions.

In 1952 the first generation were granted U. S. citizenship and voting rights and two years later dozens of Japanese Americans became candidates for legislators in Hawaii. At that time, Hawaii was a Territory and not a State of the U. S. A. so full voting rights were denied until the Japanese Americans and others succeeded in their campaign to have Hawaii made a U. S. state, which happened in 1959.

Today, Hawaii remains one of the most popular overseas destinations for Japanese tourists, many of whom travel from Hiroshima and feel quite “at home” when they arrive in Hawaii and find they have many opportunities to speak Japanese, and perhaps even the Hiroshima dialect of Japanese.

~Submitted by a Supporter of Kids Speak for America~

Filed Under: Historical Events Tagged With: America, Hawaii, Money, War

Pearl Harbor Proclamation by Pres. Roosevelt

Seth 2 Comments

Pearl Harbor Proclamation by President D. Roosevelt.

Pearl Harbor Proclamation December 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt delivered his “Day of Infamy Speech, proclaiming December 7, 1941, “a date which will live in infamy”.  Immediately afterward, Congress declared war, and the United States entered World War II.

Pres. Franklin D. RooseveltMr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives:

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And, while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya.
Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.
Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island.
And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has therefore undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense, that always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph. So help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt – December 8, 1941

 

Filed Under: Historical People Tagged With: America, Franklin D Roosevelt, Hawaii, Japanes Navy, Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, USA, Video, World War II

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Presidents Day: Not Just a No School Day Presidents Day is not just a day off from school or work. On Presidents Day became a national holiday in 1879. First celebrated on Washington’s birthday it was later changed to the third Wednesday of February. Today, we celebrate all Presidents that have led our nation. This […]

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