The unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese empire on December 7, 1941, stunned Americans like nothing else had in the history of our nation. An angry nation asked why, how could this happen, and who was responsible for the destruction of our pacific fleet, and the deaths of over 3,000 American fighting men. There were no simple answers then, and to this day arguments abound as to whether Admiral Kimmel and General Short recieved all the intelligence necessary in order to stop the attack from happening. Why were they not given a MAGIC DECODING MACHINE so they could recieve the same intercepts Washington used every day to formulate their plans. Why wasn't Admiral Kimmel given information on the bomb plot message put together by the Japanese war department and their spy in Honolulu. Why were the war warnings that were sent by Washington to all Pacific commands so ambiguous, as to create more questions then answers in Hawaii as to what the true intent of the Japanese Empire really was.
However even on the morning of Dec. 7, the warning from the U.S.S. Ward regarding their attack on a Japanese submarine near the entrance to the harbor, and the warning from the radar station on Opana Point went unheeded by senior officers.
Japans determination to be considered a major power in the world was playing out in China and other eastern countries since the 1930's, America felt they could be controlled by embargoes and repositioning of the Pacific Fleet from San Diego to Pearl Harbor. As these decisions were made, no one will ever know exactly what was said behind the closed door conferences in Tokyo and Washington between the men in power. However after studying the major players on both sides of the dispute for decades, I have attempted to reconstruct the conversations that just might have taken place as the two nations moved closer to war. It allows the story to take on a more chilling aspect when these conversations are considered.
The one major victory for the United States on December 7, was that none of our aircraft carriers were in the harbor during the attack. This allowed Admiral Nimitz to take the fight to the Japanese in the battle of the Coral Sea, and on to Midway where American pilots turned back the Japanese invasion force while destroying their carrier fleet that would never recover.
Along with the historical aspect of the story, there is always the human aspect that at times gets overlooked. So along with the factual account of the attack, I have developed a family of characters that are swept up into the attack from both the American and Japanese cultures. Both families live through the tumultuous years of world depression of the 1930's, seeking a way foward, as world leaders begin to see conquest as the solution to their nations problems. They have no way of knowing every decision they make moves them closer to a war they never really understood. But when they were called upon to fight, they did not question their orders. They fought with courage and devotion to their nation, and were not afraid to sacrifice everything, including their own lives to bring peace and security to their loved ones and the United States.
Pearl Harbor; Tragedy to Triumph offers the reader a look back into history while giving you true American heroes to cheer for that reflect the quality of men that served our nation at that time. The book will also give you a tremendous amount of factual data on many aspects of the battle many books do not give you.
Pearl Harbor; Tragedy to Triumph will not disappoint the reader in any way. From beginning to end, it will keep you on the edge of your seat and come to realize the enormity of the Day that will Live in Infamy.
