{"id":60608,"date":"2022-12-07T09:00:22","date_gmt":"2022-12-07T14:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=60608"},"modified":"2022-12-07T07:49:30","modified_gmt":"2022-12-07T12:49:30","slug":"on-this-day-december-7-1941-a-date-which-will-live-in-infamy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=60608","title":{"rendered":"On This Day: “December 7, 1941 – A Date Which Will Live In Infamy.”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"1207_big\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\"phphoto\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The chilling telegram from the morning of December 7, 1941:<\/p>\n

\n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\nHere is a cool fact about my home state, little Rhode Island:<\/p>\n

There are only a handful of newspapers in the United States that come out on Sunday afternoon\/evening<\/em>, (as opposed to Sunday morning) and one of them is the local paper for Westerly, (a small town in Rhode Island), called The Westerly Sun<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Because The Westerly Sun<\/em> comes out at the odd time of 3 pm on Sunday, it hadn’t gone to press when word of the attack came, and so it was the only newspaper in the entire country to report the bombing of Pearl Harbor on the actual day of the attack, Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941.<\/p>\n

\n\"westerly\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I am picturing that tiny clapboard newspaper office in Westerly, off route 1 … a newspaper with a miniscule circulation. It is a Sunday morning and the staff of the newspaper, who normally report on school committee meetings and the local police beat are all there, on the forefront of a national catastrophe, putting the front page together on that historic day. <\/p>\n

On December 8, 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt made what one of his most famous speeches. The speech originally read “a date which will live in world history”, but Roosevelt crossed that out and put in “infamy” instead. Similar to the editing of the opening phrases in the Declaration of Independence (where “life, liberty and property” turned into “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, much much better), “infamy” put a moral condemnation into the language. Roosevelt’s notes and edits are preserved in the National Archives:<\/p>\n

\n\"infamy-address-1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\nThe speech, as it was read:<\/p>\n

Yesterday, December 7, 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.<\/p>\n

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 Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.<\/p>\n

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. This morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.<\/p>\n

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday 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.<\/p>\n

As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.<\/p>\n

Always will we 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.<\/p>\n

I believe 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 very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.<\/p>\n

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.<\/p>\n

With confidence in our armed forces – with the unbounded determination of our people – we will gain the inevitable triumph – so help us God.<\/p>\n

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December seventh, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

30 minutes after Roosevelt finished his speech, Congress declared war on Japan.<\/p>\n

On the day before the 2016 presidential election, I took a tour of Pearl Harbor (both the U.S.S. Arizona memorial and the U.S.S. Missouri). It was a somber and patriotic day, and I am glad I did it when I did it. It was surreal, though. I have always wanted to visit Pearl Harbor. I am not a “tropical island” kind of person. Even though Hawaii is beautiful I’m not sure I ever would have chosen it as a spot for a holiday. But while I was in Hawaii for the Film Festival, it was not even a question: I had to go to Pearl Harbor and pay my respects. It was the only tourist-y thing I did. Well, I visited Ernie Pyle’s grave, too. I did the full WWII tour: Pearl Harbor, and then onto the military base afterwards to tour the impressive U.S.S. Missouri, where the surrender was signed on the deck (now known as the “surrender deck”) in Tokyo Bay. <\/p>\n

The U.S.S. Arizona memorial, by the way, was funded by a concert Elvis gave in Hawaii in 1961. He donated all of the proceeds of the concert to the planned memorial, and to this day Elvis fan clubs from around the world send donations for the upkeep of the memorial. <\/p>\n

During the course of the war, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt kept a scrap of paper with a poem on it in her purse:<\/p>\n

Dear Lord
\nLest I continue
\nMy complacent way
\nHelp me to remember somehow out there
\nA man died for me today
\nAs long as there be war I then must
\nAsk and answer:
\nAm I worth dying for?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\nMy visit to Pearl Harbor<\/big><\/p>\n

\n\"30811014076_7612bc50cc_z\"<\/a>
\nAt the back of the USS Arizona memorial: The names.<\/i><\/p>\n

\n\"30215652354_95a949670a_z\"<\/a>
\nThe submerged USS Arizona. Oil still leaks from the ship. You can smell it in the air.<\/i><\/p>\n

\n\"30215653104_4cbaf503cb_z\"<\/a>
\nThe submarine USS Bowfin<\/i><\/p>\n

\n\"30811014676_2563a30db2_z\"<\/a>
\nThe entrance to the USS Arizona Memorial.<\/i><\/p>\n

\n\"30215661134_0796aae7a9_z\"<\/a>
\nThe USS Arizona memorial. The mood was quiet. People whispered.<\/i><\/p>\n

\n\"30215682534_0a01466d38_z\"<\/a>
\nMy tour bus arrived at Pearl Harbor at 6:45 a.m. Sunrise over Pearl Harbor.<\/i><\/p>\n

\n\"30759856751_f9ecf9f485_z\"<\/a>
\nThe USS Oklahoma memorial. Every marble pole has a name on it. This memorial is on the military base, right near where the USS Missouri is docked. No fanfare: it’s at the side of the road.<\/i><\/p>\n

\n\"30811009586_ae30954173_z\"<\/a>
\nThe oil slick in the water around the sunken USS Arizona. A mass grave. Veterans of the attack are still interred there, once they die, with ceremonies attended only by the families. No press. Their ashes are placed below. They join their fallen shipmates.<\/i><\/p>\n

\n\"30811012076_f4d7711e84_z\"<\/a>
\nYou take a boat out to the USS Arizona memorial.<\/i><\/p>\n

\n\"30215654834_4ede135dbf_z\"<\/a>
\nOne of the missiles standing in the yard at the Pearl Harbor visitors’ center<\/i><\/p>\n

\"30215660514_d057452a94_z\"<\/a>
\nLooking up through the open roof of the USS Arizona memorial<\/i><\/p>\n

From Melvin Tolson’s “Rendezvous with America”:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have a rendezvous with America
\nThis Seventh of December.
\nThe maiden freshness of Pearl Harbor\u2019s dawn,
\nThe peace of seas that thieve the breath,
\nI shall remember.
\n Then
\nOut of yonder Sunrise Land of Death
\nThe fascist spawn
\nStrikes like the talons of the mad harpoon,
\nStrikes like the moccasin in the black lagoon,
\nStrikes like the fury of the raw typhoon.
\n The traitor\u2019s ruse
\n And the traitor\u2019s lie,
\n Pearl Harbor\u2019s ruins
\n Of sea and sky,
\n Shall live with me
\n Till the day I die.
\n Here,
\n Now,
\nAt Pearl Harbor, I remember
\nI have a rendezvous at Plymouth Rock and Valley Forge
\nThis Seventh of December.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The chilling telegram from the morning of December 7, 1941: Here is a cool fact about my home state, little Rhode Island: There are only a handful of newspapers in the United States that come out on Sunday afternoon\/evening, (as … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[39],"tags":[141,1102],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60608"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=60608"}],"version-history":[{"count":38,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60608\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":183819,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60608\/revisions\/183819"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=60608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=60608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=60608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}