Top 5 questions to ask yourself before you drive yourself to Pearl
Harbor
- Have I ever been there?
- Do I really know why we were attacked?
- While I figure out how to navigate the sites how much will I
miss?
- What do I do when the parking lot is full?
- What will keep my kids busy for 5 hours?
If you can't answer these questions confidently, then you would
probably be
better off with a tour and a guide who makes your experience smoother.
Select your Pearl Harbor Tour Now
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Bombing of Pearl Harbor News
Video 1942
Click on the image to play the video
Pearl Harbor, Oahu
 When
the Japanese attacked
Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, President
Franklin D. Roosevelt was serving his third presidential term in
office. Roosevelt had pledged the US to the "good neighbor" policy,
entering into agreements for joint action with allied nations
against aggressors. Although he hoped to avoid war, Roosevelt
provided extensive support to the British war effort prior to the
attack on Pearl Harbor created great antiwar sentiment in the US.
However, the anti-war sentiment disappeared almost overnight and the
country rallied behind Roosevelt in the war effort. After the
attack, which pulled the U.S. into the fighting, critics blamed
Roosevelt for leaving Pearl Harbor unprepared.
Concerned over Japan’s ambitions, in 1939 President Roosevelt
cancelled the US trade agreement with Japan and in 1940 imposed a
trade embargo, halting exports to Japan of petroleum products
including gas and lubricants, iron and steel scrap. In July 1941
Roosevelt ordered the freezing of all Japanese assets in the United
States. This ended all trade between the US and Japan. Roosevelt’s
order threatened Japan’s continued existence as an industrial
nation. Negotiations commended between the two countries, however a
resolution was not reached.
 In
the meantime, Admiral Richardson, Commander of the Pacific Fleet
recommended Roosevelt move the fleet to the West Coast where the
need to haul supplies, personnel and fuel oil would be eliminated.
He believed preparing the fleet for war would have been greatly
expedited if based in California. Richardson further believed a
Japanese attack would never have been attempted because of the
additional 2,000 miles and the Pearl Harbor force on their flank.
Roosevelt believed the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor would provide a
secure barrier against an attack on the west coast of the United
States. Hostilities developed between Richardson and Roosevelt and
Richardson was relieved of his command, being replaced by Admiral
Kimmel.
On December 8, 1941, Roosevelt addressed the members of Congress
asking for the issuance of a declaration of war against the Japanese
Empire. In his speech he referred to the bombing of Pearl Harbor as
“ a date which will live in infamy” – and so it has!
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Featured Pearl Harbor Tours |
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World War II Start To End |
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Pearl Harbor / Dole Pineapple Plantation / Polynesian Cultural Center |
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View Complete List of Pearl Harbor
Tours
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Honor the Pearl Harbor
Hero - George Welch
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 Welch
was assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron, 18th Fighter Group flying
P-40 Kittyhawks at Wheeler Field, near Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 1941.
A fellow fighter pilot of the 18th Group, Francis S. Gabreski (who
would later go on to become the top American Ace in the European
Theater in World War II) described him.
"He was a rich kid, heir to the grape juice family, and
we couldn't figure out why he was there since he
probably could have avoided military service altogether
if he wanted to." Many Japanese military aviators would
regret that he hadn't. Read more |
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