This morning, just before 8:00 AM Hawaii time, marks the 79th anniversary of the unprovoked bombing of the Pacific Naval Fleet at Pearl Harbor.
This attack led to the United States’ formal entry into World War II, where an estimated 70-85 million people lost their lives, many in the most horrific of ways. 55 million deaths were civilians, 21-25 million deaths were military, including 5 million as prisoners of war, marking a decrease of 3% of the world’s population due to war.
Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was intended to destroy important American fleet units, thereby preventing the United States Pacific Fleet from interfering with Japanese conquest of Southeast Asia.
Its bombers hit all eight U.S. battleships, sinking four and damaging four others, destroyed or damaged more than 300 aircraft and killed some 2,400 Americans at Pearl Harbor.
But the Pearl Harbor attack had failed in its objective to completely destroy the Pacific Fleet.
The Japanese bombers missed oil tanks, ammunition sites and repair facilities, and not a single U.S. aircraft carrier was present during the attack. This failure later came to haunt the Japanese, as U.S. forces scored a major victory in the Battle of Midway, decisively turning the tide of war in the Pacific.
There are many conspiracy theories to this surprise attack. Some believed that President Roosevelt was just looking for a reason to enter the war and take on Hitler’s Germany and its overpowering strength. Much of Europe had already fallen and was occupied by the Germans, and they were building their Concentration Camps throughout Europe. Great Britain, led by Winston Churchill, was barely holding on.
This “Greatest Generation” saved our world from the most brutal of leaders and their atrocious leadership. We can never forget nor can we ever allow this to happen again. Evil Tyrants and Dictators still exist in our world leadership today.
December 8th marked one of the finest speeches in American history by Franklin Roosevelt. “A day that will live in infamy” certainly changed the world.
Your Team at Prosperity Financial Group salutes the Greatest Generation for securing us the opportunity to be uniquely free and continue with our liberties. May we never take our freedoms for granted.
God Bless America.
All my best,Elliot
