On the morning of December 7, 1941, planes and midget submarines
of the Imperial Japanese Navy began a surprise attack on the U.S.
under the command of Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo.
This attack brought the United States into World War II.
At 6:00 a.m. on December 7, the six Japanese carriers launched a first wave of 183 planes composed of torpedo bombers, dive-bombers, level bombers and fighters. The Japanese hit American ships and military installations at 7:53 a.m. They attacked military airfields and at the
same time they hit the fleet anchored in Pearl Harbor.
Overall, twenty-one ships of the U.S. Pacific fleet were damaged.
The death toll reached 2,403 with 1,178 injured.
ALONE AND FAR REMOVED FROM EARTHLY CARE,
THE NOBLE RUINS OF MEN LIE BURIED HERE.
YOU WERE STRONG MEN, GOOD MEN,
ENDOWED WITH YOUTH AND MUCH WILL TO LIVE.
I HEAR NO PROTEST FROM THE MUTE LIPS OF THE DEAD.
THEY REST, THERE IS NO MORE TO GIVE.
SO LONG MY COMRADES,
SLEEP YE WHERE YOU FELL UPON THE FIELD.
BUT TREAD SOFTLY PLEASE,
MARCH O'ER MY HEART WITH EASE.
MARCH ONWARD,
BUT TO GOD ALONE WE KNEEL.
--AUDIE L. MURPHY
WORLD WAR TWO
USS CRAVEN, WW2 NAVY DESTROYER, RECEIVED NINE STARS FOR NEARLY FOUR YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE PACIFIC AND ATLANTIC.
THE USS CRAVEN WAS ONLY 50 MILES FROM PEARL HARBOR ON DECMEBER 8, 1941. SHE WAS DELAYED BY HEAVY SEAS.
THE DESTROYER PARTICIPATED IN THE BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA, MIDWAY, SOLOMONS, GUADACANAL, ALONG WITH THE
MARSHALL ISLANDS, GILBERTS AND WAKE ISLANDS.
BUD BOOHER (INSET), NOW RETIRED AND LIVING IN MISSOURI,
HAD FOUR WEEKS OF TRAINING, THEN WAS ASSIGNED TO THE
