Dec. 5, 2016

Pearl Harbor Toughness Takes Flight - Ensign Theodore W. Marshall

What does "toughness" mean to a U.S. Navy Sailor? Navy toughness means you take a hit and keep going, tapping all sources of strength and resilience. This is one such story; how, a young ensign embodied the fighting spirit of our U.S. Navy, put his toughness into action, and refused to stop - even as the bombs rained down.The first Japanese bombs

Dec. 5, 2016

Stories of Valor on a Day of Infamy

Although Pearl Harbor was a devastating tactical defeat resulting in 2,335 U.S. military deaths, the vast majority of U.S. Sailors responded immediately and in many cases with extraordinary acts of bravery, many of which were unrecorded due to the deaths of so many witnesses. Even so, Navy personnel were awarded 15 Medals of Honor, 51 Navy Crosses,

Dec. 2, 2016

The Story of USS Ward and Navy Readiness as the Sun Rose on the Day of Infamy

"At Dawn We Slept" was the title of one of the most influential books about the disastrous Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy" as President Franklin Roosevelt called it in his declaration of war speech. However, I respectfully disagree with the premise of the title, as it gives

Sept. 7, 2016

VJ Day is an Opportunity to Remember

Editor's note: Rear Adm. Roegge was the keynote speaker at the WWII-end Missouri ceremony on Friday, September 2nd. In his speech, he reflected on the lasting impression the war made on Pearl Harbor and the Navy's major contributions in the victory. Below is an excerpt from his speech. Here, in Pearl Harbor, and onboard the USS Missouri, we have a

Dec. 2, 2015

Medal of Honor recipients for Pearl Harbor attack, Dec. 7, 1941 - Part III

(Editors Note: This is the final part of a three part series blog featuring John Finn and other Medal of Honor recipients following the Dec. 7, 1941 attacks on Pearl Harbor. Click here to read Part I and Part II of this blog series.)Listed below are images and the 15 citation for the Sailors who earned the Medal of Honor for actions taken during

Dec. 2, 2015

Pearl Harbor MOH Recipient Recalls "I Could See Their Faces" - Part II

(Editors Note: This is Part II of a three part series blog featuring John Finn and brief information of other Medal of Honor recipients following the Dec. 7, 1941 attacks on Pearl Harbor. Click here to read Part I) On Sept. 15, 1942, Finn received the first Medal of Honor for World War II out of the 15 Medal recipients from the Pearl Harbor attack.

Dec. 2, 2015

Pearl Harbor MOH Recipient Recalls "I Could See Their Faces" - Part 1

(Editors Note: This is Part I of a three part series blog featuring John Finn and brief information of other Medal of Honor recipients following the Dec. 7, 1941 attacks on Pearl Harbor.)December 7, 1941 started like any other Sunday morning for John Finn and his wife. They were at their apartment about a mile from the hangar where Finn, then 32,

Dec. 5, 2014

On the Edge of Infamy: Misinformation Worked in U.S. Favor

USS Lexington (CV-2) leaving San Diego, Calif., Oct. 14, 1941, on her way to Pearl Harbor. Planes parked on her flight deck include F2A-1 fighters (parked forward), SBD scout-bombers (amidships) and TBD-1 torpedo planes (aft). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.  As the Japanese Imperial Navy Strike Group

Dec. 4, 2014

Navy Action Reports Tell the Story of Pearl Harbor Attack

As more than three-quarters of a century have passed since the attack on Pearl Harbor, a dwindling number of people are alive who remember the shock, horror and heroism that turned a Sunday morning into "a day of infamy." However, thanks to the diligence and action reports of Sailors there that day, all transcribed in their own words, the details

Nov. 26, 2014

Prelude to War: Japanese Strike Force Takes Aim at Pearl Harbor

The road to war between Japan and the United States began in the 1930s when differences over China drove the two nations apart. In 1931 Japan conquered Manchuria, which until then had been part of China. In 1937 Japan began a long and ultimately unsuccessful campaign to conquer the rest of China. Then in 1940, the Japanese government allied itself