Photo Credit: via WikiMedia
Photo Credit: via WikiMedia

Today, December 7, 2014, is the 73rd Anniversary of the day which President Franklin Roosevelt declared, “a day that will live in infamy”, the bombing of Pearl Harbor. During that fateful day, more than 2,300 people were killed and over another 1,100 individuals were wounded. One day later, the United States declared war on Japan. Three days later, Germany and Italy declared war on America…placing America right in the middle of World War 2.

I decided to do something a little different today and list some interesting and fascinating facts about this tragic day. I am sure that you will learn some new details that will present you some further insight and give you a deeper appreciation of what our military personnel faced that day.

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The Japanese reportedly had intended to declare war prior to the attack. However, the message never got to the President.*

The entire attack lasted just under two hours, 110 minutes.

The Japanese also used submarines, including smaller ones called midget submarines, in the attack.*

The Japanese only lost 64 people that day.

When the USS Arizona was destroyed, it took with it, the lives of 1,177 servicemen.

The reason for choosing the attack on a Sunday morning was because the Japanese felt that Americans would be less alert on a weekend. Many U.S. servicemen were having their morning breakfast when the Japanese aircraft hit the U.S. Naval base. **

Eighteen ships, including five battleships, were sunk and 188 aircraft were destroyed while another 159 others damaged. The Japanese only lost 29 aircraft, five midget submarines and just 64 men.***

Although the Japanese aerial attack was very successful, their submarines failed to finish off any wounded ship inside the harbor.#

A U.S. army private who noticed the large flight of planes on his radar screen was told to ignore them because a flight of B-17’s from the continental US was expected at the time.#

Twenty-three sets of brothers died aboard the USS Arizona.##

The USS Arizona’s entire band was lost in the attack. It is the only time in American history that an entire military band had died in battle.##

The USS Arizona, the division 1 battleship docked at Pearl Harbor, is still leaking fuel. The ship had filled up her massive 1.5 million gallon tank the day before the attack. While much of the fuel was burned up in fires from the attack, experts say as much as 9 quarts leaks into the water daily. ###

Lt. Annie Fox was the first woman to receive a Purple Heart for being wounded in action and her leadership during the attack.###

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*Ducksters.com http://www.ducksters.com/history/world_war_ii/pearl_harbor_attack.php

**Facts Barn.com – http://www.factsbarn.com/facts-about-pearl-harbor/

***Learnodo-newtonic.com – http://learnodo-newtonic.com/pearl-harbor-facts

# Erikanderson.net – http://www.erikanderson.net/pearlharbor/facts.html

##History.com – http://www.history.com/news/5-facts-about-pearl-harbor-and-the-uss-arizona

### Fallenheroesfund.org – http://fallenheroesfund.org/News-and-Blog/IFHF-Blog/5-Little-Known-Facts-About-Pearl-Harbor.aspx?sf34261619=1

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