Dec. 12, 2022

Admiral Chester Nimitz Takes Command in the Aftermath of Pearl Harbor

On the morning of 16 December 1941, nine days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Rear Admiral Chester W. Nimitz was working at his desk in the U.S. Navy’s Bureau of Navigation when he was summoned to the office of Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox. Exhausted from working more than a week with little sleep, Nimitz trudged over to Knox’s

Feb. 21, 2020

Fair Winds, Donald Stratton, USS Arizona Hero

A note from the editor: Donald Stratton, who served in the Navy aboard USS Arizona (BB 39) during the attacks at Pearl Harbor, and later in the Western Pacific, passed away February 15, 2020 at the age of 97.It is with deep regret that I write of the passing of another Navy hero, Donald Stratton, on February 15, 2020, at the age of 97.Severely

Sept. 13, 2019

Passing of Navy Hero, USS Arizona Survivor, Fire Control Chief Lauren Bruner

Recently I received in the mail a piece of the battleship USS Arizona (BB-39) sent to me by Lauren Bruner - one of the last four living survivors of the ship - as a gesture of thanks for what Naval History and Heritage Command does to keep alive the memory of our Navy veterans.I admit to being incredibly choked up when I opened it, knowing what

March 1, 2018

The Plan to Attack Pearl Harbor - Again

Emboldened by a string of victories across the Pacific in the early months of World War II, the Japanese empire launched a bold and unorthodox attack that is seldom remembered today. Though a tactical victory, the December 7 attack on Pearl Harbor was also a strategic blunder, as the Japanese failed one of their most critical objectives: destroy

Dec. 16, 2016

Last Call: Honoring the USS Arizona Survivors

Smith's Union Bar, in a somewhat run-down area of Honolulu and described in tourist literature as a "dive bar", was not where I expected to be a couple nights before the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Reputed (and disputed) to be the oldest bar Honolulu, it existed at the time of the attack and was a favorite hangout of

Dec. 7, 2016

Why Commemorate Pearl Harbor?

Editor's note: Pearl Harbor Day is a day of remembrance during which we often hear from historians, veterans and Navy leadership about the importance of honoring our past and how this day of infamy inspires our future. But what do today's Sailors, the young women and men wearing the cloth of the nation, ready to go in harm's way, think? What does

Dec. 7, 2016

December 7th, 1941: a Submarine Force Perspective

"When I assumed command of the Pacific Fleet on 31 December 1941, our submarines were already operating against the enemy, the only units of the fleet that could come to grips with the Japanese for months to come. It was to the submarine force that I looked to carry the load. It is to the everlasting honor and glory of our submarine personnel that

Dec. 6, 2016

Pearl Harbor Diorama: More than 25 Years in the Making

More than 25 years ago, historian Reverend Todd Hammond decided to make a model display of the center of Pearl Harbor based in part on photos taken prior to the attack. The model has only been seen by personal invitation by a number of veterans and other interested persons over the years, but has not been on public display. An earlier, much smaller

Dec. 6, 2016

As Infamy Dawned in the Pacific, War Simmered in the Atlantic

Although Dec. 7, 1941 is marked as the entry of the U.S. into WWII, the fact is that the U.S. Navy was already in an undeclared shooting war with Nazi Germany at sea well before that. President Roosevelt and other senior U.S. and political leadership were convinced that England could not be allowed to fall. U.S. Navy leaders were particularly

Dec. 6, 2016

The Warrior of Kāne'ohe: Pearl Harbor's Only Medal of Honor Recipient for Combat Valor

More than seventy-five years ago, the tranquil wind-swept and sun-soaked skies over the then-U.S. territory of Hawaii were pierced by the whine of 353 Japanese aircraft, launched in a surprise attack from four Japanese aircraft carriers on the United States Navy's Pacific Fleet, based in Pearl Harbor, Oahu. On that day, December 7, 1941, thousands