Remembering a day of infamy

Dec. 7 marks the 81st anniversary of the unprovoked and dastardly surprise attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor by Japan, an action which killed over 2,000 Americans; 1,177 alone on BB-39, USS Arizona. To quote President Roosevelt, “The U.S. was at peace with that nation.” This writer had the honor of talking with Donald Stratton, who survived the devastation on the Arizona. He described the horrors he witnessed.

Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan in the mid 1930s had murdered over 300,000 Chinese. In retaliation for the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in April 1942, Japan also murdered over 200,000 Chinese for aiding the raiders, in addition to executing a number of those raiders. Apparently it was OK in the minds of the Japanese military and government to commit these atrocities. Did a Japanese rice farmer have anything against a farmer in Iowa? I doubt it!

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was against war with the United States. He was Japan’s naval attache to Washington, D.C., for the 1921 Naval Arms Limitation Treaty. He attended Harvard and while there, quietly observed the steel mills, oil fields and the industrial might of Uncle Sam.

When asked by his own government if Japan could defeat the U.S. in a war, he gave his honest opinions. “Japan could not fight a prolonged war against the U.S.” Admiral Yamamoto further emphasized he could run rampant six months to a year across the Pacific. After that he guaranteed nothing! He also claimed if Japan ever invaded the U.S., peace terms would have to be dictated in the White House, and there would be a gun behind every corn stalk and blade of grass!” He knew well that Americans were a proud, strong and just people.

With the attack on Pearl, Japan figured the U.S. would sue for peace and be out of its way to continue their conquests. Well, the Tokyo Raid in April 1942 and the battle of Midway in June proved them wrong. The United States was now on the offensive and began pushing the Japanese back to their own shores, with Japan ultimately surrendering thanks to President Harry S. Truman authorizing the use of two atom bombs. Prior to using the bombs, Mr. Truman sent ultimatums to Japan asking them to surrender. He apprised “they would receive a rain of ruin from the skies the likes of which they have never received.” The Japanese disregard of his warning would have led to the Allied invasion of its home islands, resulting in over an estimated 1 million American casualties alone, possibly extending the war in the Pacific another two years.

It was the Japanese government’s decisions during that time frame that forced Mr. Truman to use the bombs.

Isn’t it overdue that Japan admit to the atrocities it perpetrated prior to and during WWII, as well as attacking the U.S. which had been conducting peace negotiations?

R.L. Abramson Trumbull