On this day in 1941, Japan attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, catapulting the U.S. into World War II. The attack left more than 2400 dead and 1000 wounded, and destroyed more than 300 planes and 20 ships. The attack also resulted in the U.S. incarceration of thousands of Japanese Americans and encouraged rampant anti-Asian hate.
The attack at Pearl Harbor, as well as the Bataan Death March in the Philippines, have often been cited as justification for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. President Truman's statement notifying the American public of the bombing on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, included the following words: “The Japanese began the war from the air at Pearl Harbor. They have been repaid many fold.”
Resources
- Pearl Harbor: "Japanese vs. American Civilian Perspectives" - Texas A&M University Corpus Christi
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