Washington, D.C., Dec. 6, 2022 — Eighty-one years ago today, Commander Mitsuo Fuchida was preparing to lead an airborne strike force of 49 “Kate” bombers, 40 torpedo bombers, 51 “Val” dive-bombers and 43 “Zeke” fighters on the first wave of an assault on Pearl Harbor. At 0854 that terrible Sunday morning, a second wave of 167 aircraft added to the devastation. When the surprise attack was over, 3,581 Americans were dead or wounded; the largest naval anchorage in the Pacific was littered with sunken and burning U.S. warships; the best dry-dock and ship repair facilities west of California were in shambles, and less than 25% of U.S. military aircraft based in Hawaii were still operational.
The Japanese surprise attack was but the first blow in a cascade of disasters. The following day, as Imperial troops invaded the Philippines, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt proclaimed Dec. 7, 1941, to be “a date which will live in infamy,” and Congress declared war on Japan. Three days later, on Dec. 11, fascist Italy and Nazi Germany declared war on the U.S. in support of their Axis partner in Tokyo. By then, nearly half a million young Americans had already visited military recruiting stations volunteering to fight, and the phrase “Remember Pearl Harbor” was a watchword. When the conflagration finally ended in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945, more than 16 million men and women had served in the U.S. armed forces.
Each year we praise the courage and resolve of the Americans who were in Hawaii that terrible day. Yet, few now acknowledge massive intelligence failures and lack of “situational awareness” in Washington that allowed such a horrific surprise attack to occur. Nor do they mention that America’s poor preparations for war resulted in the loss of every engagement with the Japanese from Dec. 7, 1941, until the battle of Midway on June 4, 1942.
Absent from reflections on what happened at Pearl Harbor are acknowledgements of culpability for officials in Washington who dismissed Japanese communications intercepted and decrypted at “Station HYPO” that would have forewarned defenders in Hawaii and the Philippines. Unmentioned are the shortages of weapons and personnel — even searchlights — that prompted commanders to park U.S. aircraft on Oahu and Manila wingtip to wingtip so they could be protected from sabotage.
The paucity of spare parts, fuel and navigation equipment — the consequence of inadequate appropriations — sorely limited how many long-range patrol aircraft could be dispatched to provide early warning. Worse, FDR and his closest advisers simply ignored warnings from the British, Dutch, Australians and his own Pacific Fleet commander, Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, about Japanese threats.
FDR dismissed allied alarums about the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Today, a four-sided “Axis” — Communist China, Russia, Iran and North Korea — poses greater risk to U.S. national security than Tokyo ever could. All four have or are developing nuclear weapons and the means of delivering them — against the U.S. and our allies.
In Beijing, Xi Jinping threatens the freedom of Taiwan with advanced weaponry and more naval power and airpower in the Pacific and South China Sea than we and our allies can muster.
Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is the largest military operation in Europe since World War II. Russia’s armed forces have already employed hypersonic missiles — of which we have none, nor the means of defending against them.
The Biden White House discounts Israeli warnings about existential threats from Iran in hopes of convincing the ayatollahs to pump more oil.
In North Korea, the Kim dynasty, despite draconian sanctions, has managed to build nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them against U.S. territory.
The Biden administration has missed the lessons of Dec. 7, 1941. Production of new B-21 stealth bombers has been cut from 150 aircraft to 100. While America’s defenses are gutted, our adversaries prepare for aggression. Pray we wake up before another Pearl Harbor.
The only thing that concerns the doddering idiot is if any aggression that Red China does will interrupt his ice cream or diaper change.
Every check written by Xi cleared, so in Sleazy Joe’s limited understanding, all is well.
Never thought we’d have our defense/foreign policy deliberately sabotaged by a sleepwalking fool.
The timid simpleton Biden couldn’t aid & abett our enemy’s any better than if Xi himself sat in the Oval Office. (At least Jimmy Carter was only incompetent.)
The Democrats have been unserious about U.S. national security for decades. It’s in their DNA.
Forget our enemies overseas. The greatest existential threat to America comes from within. And thedrooling, gibbering, palsied face of it is Joe Biden.
This administration predicates its foreign policy on the appeasement aiding and abetting of terror and evil regimes
OLIVER NORTH???
Is this the same “Ollie” who was behind the Iran/Contra Affairs? Smuggling weapons to the satanic muslims in Afghanistan? Which encouraged Al Qaeda to rise up? Which led to 911 and Benghazi and the smuggling of weapons to our so called enemy in Syria, ISIS???
Folks… don’t be duped…
Evidence shows our American government was behind Pearl Harbor… juts as it was behind 911 and the creation of the corona virus and deadly vaccines… just as it was behind the Election Fraud! Just as it was behind the fake ‘War on Terrorism’…
It’s all been about a New World Order… ever since World War One…
The article says…
“Communist China, Russia, Iran and North Korea — poses greater risk to U.S. national security than Tokyo ever could.”
What HYPE!!! Ollie must be working for the MSM now…
The greatest threat to our national security is immigrating millions of satanic worshiping muslims into America who are taking control of political positions through Election Fraud… who are promoting Leftist/Woke policies that are creating chaos and dividing Americans through stupidity!
The satanic islamic way…
1) Immigrate
2) Saturate
3) Dominate
4) Subjugate
Who needs weapons? Especially when A.I. Technology can easily control any countries military and weapons…
The Democrats are still rubbing elbows with the enemy no matter what we see and hear from the M.S. Media gutter dwellers
I agree. There is so much self-hatred and hatred of the status quo that we are on a slippery slope to self-destruction. Always remember : empires fall from within. The barbarians are inside the gates already. The tragedy is that we are losing the freedoms of a liberal democracy: that’s the price paid for internal cleansing. Not to mention that while the horrors of the
inexcusable invasion of Ukraine continues NYrkers in particular go on with their daily lives as if nothing is happening. An interesting fact: The Lincoln Brigade (composed of mainly young socialistically inclined individuals) went to Spain to fight against fascist Franco and many paid the price – so is there always just a small percentage of Americans who are willing to see beyond their personal ambitions and help others in need? And do they have to be Leftists? Just wondering. There are a few SF veterans who’ve gone over to fight with the Ukrainians but that’s about it. And Biden is dribbling out weaponry – but not enough to repel the Russian invaders.
America Awake! We are not protected by the pond anymore in this hazardous world.
S.M.
Artistic Director
The Great American Play Series
https://youtu.be/tKk1tqyrDeU ( which shows how Republics turn into Empires and the loss of freedom for its citizens which it once cherished).
I seem to recall that FDR wanted to reduce oil sales to Japan and a secretary of state cut off all the sales without his consent. If FDR and his ideas had prevailed, perhaps Japan would have decided to refrain from extreme war measures and WW II might have ended with less destruction. I seem to remember that Franco was better than the communists. It does seem that most communist governments are pretty bad, and only their true believers defend them, like Che or Castro are considered good guys by some leftists.
I seem to recall that the political elit RINOs in the Republican party help the leftist political elites to keep power and win elections so that the old elite Republicans can hold onto power and avoid reforms. Perhaps the problem with Biden is also a problem with the RINO elites of the Republican party Not just bad Joe and bad Nancy and bad Chuckie. Or not
Just how much did FDR know in advance of Pearl Harbor and why were all the Carriers out to sea?
Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.