Date Which Will Live In Infamy Summary

“Date Which Will Live in Infamy,” an article which was written by Stuart Thornton, illustrates the callous attack organized by Japan on the American naval base in Pearl Harbor and describes America’s vengeful retaliation in response to the attack. The article first explains how the attack on Pearl Harbor was conducted in two significant “waves” which were used to target the Pacific Fleet. The first wave included the use of 91 torpedo planes which were armed with torpedoes that could run in shallow water and effectively inflict damage on massive ships. The second wave consisted of dive-bombers and fighter aircrafts known as “Zeroes.” Thornton expresses the immense threat that these aircrafts brought to World War II as he states that, “zeroes had an enormous range, able to fly more than
It states that, “One thousand, one hundred seventy-seven officers, sailors and Marines were killed. It was the greatest loss of life of any warship in American naval history.” The article also notes how several military facilities, such as the Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, also suffered from the onslaught of Japanese aircraft. As a result, the United States could not respond as quickly since most of these facilities held planes and airstrips. More than 160 United States aircrafts were destroyed during the attack on PearlHarbor. In comparison, only 29 Japanese aircrafts had been lost when the United States was to able to reciprocate the attack. However, while the organized invasion of Pearl Harbor was an ultimate success, the Japanese did not consider how the United States might react towards this violent act of aggression. On the following day, President Franklin Roosevelt delivered his famous speech in which he referred to December 7, 1941, as “a date which will live in infamy,” and proposed that the United States declare war on the Empire of Japan. As a result, the United States no longer lived in a state of neutrality as they joined in the infamous battle of World War