Pearl Harbor Day

[ConchRepublican]

Today is the 78th anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

A couple of interesting things I thought some may appreciate:


youtu.be/JBDbrf6Nktk

This next one is very interesting, and brought to my attention by a former Marine and War on Terror vet I follow, Coop LoPresto. His comments:

While technically occurring on December 8th, due to the International Date Line, almost simultaneously with the Attack on Pearl Harbor, the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked a small Marine garrison on Wake Island, a commercial and government airline waypoint about 1200 miles Southwest of Midway.

Together, Marines of the 1st Defense Battalion, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211, and civilian contractors battled the full force of the Imperial Japanese Navy, setting up what almost amounted to a Pyrrhic victory for the Japanese, surrendering only because the BC had no fucking clue that his Marines were WINNING due to lost comms.

Captain "Hammerin'" Hank Elrod became the first US aviator of WWII to receive the Medal of Honor (posthumously.)

The survivors were imprisoned and severely punished for their valiant defense of the Island. Many were executed in a blatant war crime, committed by Japanese Rear Admiral Shigematsu Sakaibara, in anticipation of the US Navy coming to retake the island two years later. An escaped POW immortalized the event by inscribing "98 US PW 5-10-43" on a rock on the island, which can still be seen today. The escapee was recaptured and beheaded.

You should learn more about Wake Island, especially if you have any connection to the US Marine Corps.

You can start by reading Pacific Alamo, by John Wukovitz, Facing Fearful Odds, by Gregory Urwin, and Given Up for Dead, by Bill Sloan.

And, while you're waiting for those to arrive in the mail, there's a nifty little documentary available on the interwebs that was made when many of the survivors were still alive called "Wake Island: Alamo of the Pacific," which I will provide a link to in the comments below so that facebook doesn't censor this post.

Also, here's the Wikipedia article. Get a load of those battle stats on the side, there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... mdHgojEyQ0


youtu.be/Os3PmiXl3DU

Not on a par with the above, but this is something I had written over the years . . .

December 7th renku ~

Radar blips ignored
"I believe I have no choice
Forgive me Fala"

From out of the West they came
The land where the sun does fall

With vicious fury
Death rained down in paradise
Our innocence lost

Day of Infamy remains
Bleeding a slick reminder

An idyllic morn
Western Rising Sun brings fire
Giant wakes with death

[Pahonu]

Today is the 78th anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

A couple of interesting things I thought some may appreciate:


youtu.be/JBDbrf6Nktk

This next one is very interesting, and brought to my attention by a former Marine and War on Terror vet I follow, Coop LoPresto. His comments:

While technically occurring on December 8th, due to the International Date Line, almost simultaneously with the Attack on Pearl Harbor, the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked a small Marine garrison on Wake Island, a commercial and government airline waypoint about 1200 miles Southwest of Midway.

Together, Marines of the 1st Defense Battalion, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211, and civilian contractors battled the full force of the Imperial Japanese Navy, setting up what almost amounted to a Pyrrhic victory for the Japanese, surrendering only because the BC had no fucking clue that his Marines were WINNING due to lost comms.

Captain "Hammerin'" Hank Elrod became the first US aviator of WWII to receive the Medal of Honor (posthumously.)

The survivors were imprisoned and severely punished for their valiant defense of the Island. Many were executed in a blatant war crime, committed by Japanese Rear Admiral Shigematsu Sakaibara, in anticipation of the US Navy coming to retake the island two years later. An escaped POW immortalized the event by inscribing "98 US PW 5-10-43" on a rock on the island, which can still be seen today. The escapee was recaptured and beheaded.

You should learn more about Wake Island, especially if you have any connection to the US Marine Corps.

You can start by reading Pacific Alamo, by John Wukovitz, Facing Fearful Odds, by Gregory Urwin, and Given Up for Dead, by Bill Sloan.

And, while you're waiting for those to arrive in the mail, there's a nifty little documentary available on the interwebs that was made when many of the survivors were still alive called "Wake Island: Alamo of the Pacific," which I will provide a link to in the comments below so that facebook doesn't censor this post.

Also, here's the Wikipedia article. Get a load of those battle stats on the side, there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... mdHgojEyQ0


youtu.be/Os3PmiXl3DU

Not on a par with the above, but this is something I had written over the years . . .

December 7th renku ~

Radar blips ignored
"I believe I have no choice
Forgive me Fala"

From out of the West they came
The land where the sun does fall

With vicious fury
Death rained down in paradise
Our innocence lost

Day of Infamy remains
Bleeding a slick reminder

An idyllic morn
Western Rising Sun brings fire
Giant wakes with death

Great information, Conch.

I have a former student in the Navy. He came back for a visit several years ago and mentioned his last deployment was on the Hammerin’ Hellrod. I just looked it up and made the connection. The ship was named for Elrod. It seems it’s been decommissioned since. Thanks for the post!

[NotthatRick]

Thanks for posting this. Great info. Will be using it.

[ConchRepublican]

Glad you guys enjoyed it!