#AIR RAID PEARL HARBOR

[retrocgads]

USA 1990

[irohlegoman]

[sweaterkittensahoy]

So, imagine you're a teenager from rural Arkansas who grew up working on the family farm equipment. And you grow up in the poverty of the Depression, then as you first come to an age of understanding the world, a war breaks out.

And then that war hits Pearl Harbor.

And you, teenager from rural Arkansas, end up a mechanic because you grew up working on farm equipment, and you're really fucking good at it. And at the age of 19--probably the same age your parents married, frankly--you're in charge of a whole crew of other mechanics for an entire bombing company. And you are considered the absolute best of the best. You're not just respected; you're talked to as an equal. You're teased by men way above your own status but in a friendly and welcoming way.

And you are so goddamn good at what you do that one of the very best pilots in that whole company absolutely believes that you can fix a serious issue while he taxis on the runway and you balance on the landing gear.

And then you do it.

And then that pilot doesn't come back.

*

And imagine you're a guy from Wisconsin with wishes of being a gangster from New York City, so you create yourself a bit of a persona, all charm and swagger and quick smiles. And you go to flight school and meet a guy who looks like your childhood best friend, and when you nickname him the same as that guy, this other guy doesn't stop you. And he doesn't like any of your vices. But he doesn't care that you have them. He doesn't mind being around them. Enjoys watching you act out and enjoys riling you up as well.

And he tells you, "You need a pass to London," and you invite him along, meaning it, but also not surprised when he turns you down. Because he doesn't paint the town red. He has fun in his own way. Like picking up a full-grown Husky and dancing with him to the slow song the band is playing.

And you go to London and drink and fuck and start realizing your own mortality. And then you see how bad the bombing run really was, and you call in and find out that your dearest friend in the world (so dear that no matter how casual you come off, everyone knows how devoted you are to each other), didn't come back.

From a raid you could have been on.

*

And imagine, one last time, you're a navigation genius who makes the best charts in the whole company. And your best friend is damn near as good as you but just needs a little confidence. So fucking good is he, in fact, that he can pick up on the fly when you're sick and take care of those boys you both care about so much.

You give him your good luck charm and tell him to keep it. He never tells you he kisses it or puts it where he can always see it when he's scared.

And your best friend knows you don't actually like the part where you have to be in the bomber, and he gives you a gift: When asked to be the one to stay on the ground (where he wouldn't have to fight air sickness to do his job), he says no. And gets you the job instead.

Because you love each other. You care for each other. You take care of each other.

And then he doesn't come back. On a mission you personally plotted for the whole company. On a mission that might have been yours if you'd stayed in the air.

And his wife says hello to you in all her letters and the way she signs her name makes your best friend smile like nothing has ever gone wrong in the world.

[majorhortonisonleaveinlondon]

An updated (April 3, 2024 7:48am pst) list of WW2 movies and TV shows in chronological order

thought out WW2 -(Imitation Game 2014) -(The Book Thief 2013) -(The Zookeeper’s Wife 2017) -(The Pianist 2002)

1937

October 26, 1937 Defence of Sihang Warehouse (The Eight Hundred 2020)

December 13, 1937 Nanjing Massacre - (John Rabe 2009) - (The Flowers of War 2011)

1938

Fall of 1938 (Munich – The Edge of War 2022)

1939

Summer 1939 (Six Minutes to Midnight 2020)

September 3, 1939 King George VI first wartime speech (King’s Speech 2010)

September 17, 1939, Soviet Union Invitation of Poland (The Way Back 2010)

November 30, 1939 Soviet Union invades Finland (The Winter War 1989)

1940

April 9, 1940 Operation Weserübung -(April 9th [movie] 2015) -(King’s Choice 2016) -(Narvik 2022) -(War Sailors 2023)

April 27, 1940 (Into the White 2011)

June 4, 1940 -Churchill gives “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech (Darkest Hour 2017) -Dunkirk Evaluation (Dunkirk 2017)

July 10-October 31, 1940 Battle of Britain (Battle of Britain 1969)

1941

May 1941 (Call to Spy 2019)

June 22, 1941 Operation Barbarossa -(Fortress of War [The Brest Fortres 2010) -(Defiance 2008)

September 8, 1941, Siege of Leningrad begins. -(Battle of Leningrad [Saving Leningrad] 2019) -(Leningrad 2009)

October 1941 Battle of Moscow (The Last Frontier [The Final Stand] 2020)

October 1941 Battle of Sevastopol (Battle for Sevastopol 2015)

December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacks Pearl Harbor (Tora! Tora! Tora! 1970)

December 8, 1941 Japan invades Shanghai International Settlement (Empire of the Sun 1987)

1942

January 20, 1942, Wannsee Conference (Conspiracy 2001)

February 1942 Battle of the Atlantic (Greyhound 2020)

February 1942 (The Railway Man 2013)

February 19, 1942, Bombing of Darwin (Australia 2008)

Spring 1942 (U-571 2000)

April 18, 1942 The Doolittle Raid (In Harm’s Way 2018)

June 4, 1942 Battle of Midway (Midway 2019)

1942 Summer Occupation of Jersey Island (Another Mother’s Son 2017 Prime)

July, 10 1942 Easy Company Trains in Camp Tocca (Band of Brothers 01x10 Currahee 2001)

July 21, 1942, Kokoda Track Campaign (Kokoda: 39th Battalion 2006)

August 7, 1942, 1st Marine Division land on Guadalcanal (The Pacific Ep. 1 Guadalcanal/Leckie 2010)

August 19, 1942, Dieppe Raid (Dieppe 1993)

August 23, 1942 Battle of Stalingrad begins (Stalingrad 1993)

September 1942 Formation of Troop 30 (Age of Heroes 2011)

September 18, 1942, 7th Marines Land on Guadalcanal (The Pacific Ep. 2 Basilone 2010)

Autumn of 1942 Battle of the Atlantic (Das Boot 1981)

October 18, 1942, Operation Grouse (Heavy Water War Ep. 2 2015)

November 8, 1942, Operation Torch (The Big Red One 1980)

November 10-17 1942 Vasily Zaytsev kills 225 German Soldiers during the Battle of Stalingrad (Enemy at the Gates 2001)

December 1942 The 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal is relieved (The Pacific Ep. 3 Melbourne 2010)

December 15, 1942, Battle of Mount Austen (Thin Red Line 1998)

1943

March 13-14 1943, liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto -(Schindler’s List 1993)

April 17, 1943 Operation Mincemeat (Operation Mincemeat 2021)

April 19, 1943, beginning of the Warsaw Uprising (Uprising 2001)

May 4, 1943, Final Mission of The Memphis Bell (Memphis Bell 1990)

May 15, 1943, Salamo Arouch and his family arrive in Auschwitz Concentration Camp (Triumph of the Spirit 1989)

May 27, 1943 Louis Zamperini plane crashes on a search and rescue mission (Unbroken 2014)

May 30, 1943 first All-American Girls Professional Baseball League game played (A League of Their Own 1992)

June 25, 1943, 100th Bomb Group flew its first 8th Air Force combat mission (Master of the Air: Part One 2024)

July 1943 -(The Tuskegee Airmen 1995) -(The Liberator Ep. 1 2020) -(Heavy Water War Ep. 5 2015)

July 16, 1943, The 100th Bomb Group bombed U-Boats in Tronbhdim (Masters of the Air: Part Two 2024)

August 17, 1943 the 4th Bomb Wing of the 100th Bomb Group bombed Regenberg (Masters of the Air: Part Three 2024)

September 16, 1943, William Quinn and Charles Bailey leave Belgium (Masters of the Air: Part Four 2024)

September 18, 1943 John ‘Bucky’ Egan returns from leave to join the mission to bomb Munster (Master of the Air: Part Five 2024

October 14, 1943, John ‘Bucky’ Egan interrogated at Dulag Lut, Frankfurt Germany (Masters of the Air: Part Six 2024)

December 26, 1943, 1st Marine Division lands on Cape Gloucester (The Pacific Ep. 4 Gloucester/Pavuvu/Banika 2010)

1944

January 22, 1944, Battle of Anzio -(The Liberator Ep. 2 2020) -(Red Tails 2012) -(Anzio 1968)

February 20, 1944, Hydro Ferry bombing (Heavy Water War Ep. 6 2015)

March 7, 1944, Stalag Luft III Sagan, Germany, Germans find the concealed radio Bucky was using to learn news of the War (Master of the Air: Part Seven 2024)

March 24/25, 1944 Allied Mass Escape of Stalag Luft III (The Great Escape 1963)

June 1944 (Cross of Iron 1977)

June 6, 1944, 00:48 & 01:40 First airborne troops begin to land on Normandy (Band of Brothers 02x10 Day of Days 2001)

June 6, 1944, 06:30 D-Day landings -(Storming Juno 2010)

-(Saving Private Ryan 1998)

June 10, 1944, Easy Company Takes Carentan (Band of Brothers 03x10 Carentan 2001)

June 15-July 9, 1944 Battle of Saipan

-(Windtalkers 2002)

-(Oba: The Last Samurai 2011)

July, 1944 The Monuments Men land in Normandy (The Monuments Men 2014)

July 20, 1944 Operation Valkyrie (Valkyrie 2008)

August 12, 1944, The 332nd Fighter Group attack Radar stations in Southern France (Masters of the Air: Part Eight 2024)

September 15, 1944, U.S. Marines landed on Peleliu at 08:32 (the Pacific Ep. 5 2010)

September 16, 1944, U.S Marines take Peleliu Airfield (the Pacific Ep. 5 2010)

September 17, 1944, Operation Market Garden

-(Band of Brothers 04x10 Replacements 2001)

-(A Bridge Too Far 1977)

October 2, 1944 Battle of Scheldt (Forgotten Battle 2021)

October 12, 1944, Battle of Peleliu, Assault on Bloody Nose Ridge (the Pacific Ep. 7 Peleliu Hills 2010)

October 13, 1944, Rovaniemi public buildings were destroyed (Sisu 2022)

October 14, 1944, Erwin Rommel is arrested (Rommel 2012 Prime)

October 22/23, 1944, 2100 – 0200 Operation Pegasus (Band of Brothers 05x10 Crossroads 2001)

November 1944 middle of the Battle of Hürtgen Forest (When Trumpets Fade 1998)

December 16, 1944, Battle of the Bulge (Band of Brothers 06x10 Bastogne 2001)

December 1944 (Hart’s War 2002)

1945

January 2, 1945 (The Liberator Ep 3 2020)

January 10, 1945 (Attack Force Z)

January 13, 1945, Battle of Foy (Band of Brothers 07x10 The Breaking Point 2001)

January 30, 1945 The Raid at Cabanatuan (The Great Raid 2002)

February 14, 1945, David Webb rejoins the 506th in Haguenau (Band of Brothers 08x10 The Last Patrol 2001)

February 19, 1945, Battle of Iwo Jima starts. - (Letters from Iwo Jima 2006) - (The Pacific Ep. 8 Iwo Jima 2010) - (Flags of our Fathers 2006)

March 21, 1945, Operation Carthage (The Bombardment 2021)

April, 1945 (Fury 2014)

April 5, 1945, 506th Finds abandoned Concentration Camp (Band of Brothers 09x10 Why We Fight 2001)

April 26, 1945, near the end of the war in Europe (A Woman in Berlin 2008)

April 29, 1945, 45th Infantry Division liberated Dachau Concentration camp (The Liberator Ep. 4 2020)

May 2, 1945, Fall of Berlin -(Downfall 2004) -(Jojo Rabbit 2019)

May 1945 Battle of Okinawa -(Hacksaw Ridge 2016) -(The Pacific Ep. 9 Okinawa 2010)

May 7, 1945, Germany Surrenders V-E Day - (Master of the Air: Part Nine 2024) - (Band of Brothers 10x10 Points 2001)

July 30, 1945, USS Indianapolis sank. (USS Indianapolis 2016)

August 15, 1945, The Empire of Japan surrenders end of the War. -(Oppenheimer 2023) -(The Pacific Part Ten: Home 2010)

September 11, 1945 US Military search and Arrest Japanese Leaders for war crimes (Emperor 2012)

1946 April 29, 1946 Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal (Tokyo Trial 2016)

[mads-nixon]

100th Bomber Boys: Major Robert 'Rosie' Rosenthal: Pt. 1

Ahead of the show's release, I bought Donald Miller's book and am reading it! Here is a little bit about Major Robert 'Rosie' Rosenthal (played by Nate Mann) from the prologue of Masters of the Air (pg. 13-14)!

Lt. Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal had not trained with the Hundredth's original crews. He and his crew had been assigned to the group that August from a replacement pool in England, to fill in for men lost on the Regens-burg raid. "When I arrived, the group was not well organized," Rosenthal recalled. "They were a rowdy outfit, filled with characters. Chick Harding was a wonderful guy, but he didn't enforce tight discipline on the ground orin the air." Rosenthal didn't fly a mission for thirty days. "No one came around to check me out and approve me for combat duty. Finally, my squadron commander, John Egan, had me fly a practice formation. I flew to the right of his plane. I had done a lot of formation flying in training and I was frustrated; I desperately wanted to get into the war. I put the wing of my plane right up against Egan's, and wherever he went, I went. When we landed, Egan told me he wanted me to be his wing man." Rosenthal had gone to Brooklyn College, not far from his Flatbush home. An outstanding athlete, he had been captain of the football and baseball teams, and later was inducted into the college's athletic hall of fame. After graduating summa cum laude from Brooklyn Law School, he went to work for a leading Manhattan law firm. He was just getting started in his new job when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The next morning he joined the Army Air Corps. He was twenty-six years old, with broad shoulders, sharply cut features, and dark curly hair. A big-city boy who loved hot jazz, he walked, incongruously, with the shambling gait of a farmer, his toes turned inward and there wasn't an ounce of New York cynicism in him. He was shy and easily embarrassed, but he burned with determination. "I had read Mein Kampf in college and had seen the newsreels of the big Nazi rallies in Nuremberg, with Hitler riding in an open car and the crowds cheering wildly. It was the faces in the crowd that struck me, the looks of adoration. It wasn't just Hitler. The entire nation had gone mad; it had to be stopped. "I'm a Jew, but it wasn't just that. Hitler was a menace to decent people everywhere. I was also tremendously proud of the English. They stood alone against the Nazis during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz. I read the papers avidly for war news and listened to Edward R. Murrow's live radio broadcasts of the bombing of London. I couldn't wait to get over there. "When I finally arrived, I thought I was at the center of the world, the place where the democracies were gathering to defeat the Nazis. I was right where I wanted to be." Rosie Rosenthal didn't share these thoughts with his crewmates, simple guys who distrusted what they called deep thinking. They never learned what was inside him, what made him fly and fight with blazing resolve. Later in the war, when he became one of the most decorated and famous fliers in the Eighth, word spread around Thorpe Abbotts that his family was in a German concentration camp. But when someone asked him directly, he said "that was a lot of hooey." His family-mother, sister, brother-in-law, and niece (his father had recently died) were all back in Brooklyn. "I have no personal reasons. Everything I've done or hope to do is strictly because I hate persecution... A human being has to look out for other human beings or else there's no civilization."

Rosie was part of the 'Bloody 100th' Bombardment Group of the 13th Combat Wing, of the 'Mighty Eighth' Air Force with John 'Bucky' Egan and Gale 'Buck' Cleven (played by Callum Turner and Austin Butler) His plane was called Rosie's Riveters, and him and his crew were an integral part of the bombardment group.

On October 8th, 1943, the 100th went on a bombing run to Bremen, Germany, and Buck Cleven was shot down. Two days later, Egan and the rest of the 100th went on a supposedly "easy" mission to Münster, accompanied by P-47 Thunderbolts almost all the way to the target. Rosenthal and his crew were not flying their beloved Rosie's Riveters due to damage from their two previous missions in Bremen and Marienburg. Instead, they flew Royal Flush.

Rosie's crew was worried about flying a brand new plane, and became incredibly nervous. Bringing them together under one of the wings, he calmed the boys down and lifted their spirits. This mission proved disastrous, and Royal Flush was the only one in the 100th to make it back to Thorpe Abbotts (the 100th's air-base in East Anglia).

Needless to say, I love Rosie already!! I've read up to chapter 6, and I feel like my brain is going to explode with all the information I've taken in :3

lmk if y'all want more posts like this one or would like to be tagged in them!!

[real-reulbbr-band]

Some promotional images from Cats at the CPAC Musical Theatre.

Production description undercut (x)

Cats is based on T.S.Eliots 1939 poetry Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, the songs in the musical consists of Eliot's verse set to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

On September 3, 1939, Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced that the country was at war with Germany, a sombre moment for a nation still reeling from the losses of World War I. Despite this, the war still felt remote to those on the home front – that is, until December 1941, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and began advancing through Southeast Asia. Suddenly, the threat of invasion placed Australia directly in the line of fire, as was evidenced by the bombing of Darwin on February 19. Enter Melbourne, where only a quarter of street lamps were lit and even electric trains had reduced lighting. The city's "brown out" period was a response to the danger of air raids, and it had a profound impact on daily life. In this production, amidst this tumultuous time, one unique story stands out – the inhabitants of Melbourne’s Jellicle Cats and the threat of war upon them. This assemblage of cats must decide who will journey to the ‘heavyside layer’ in a process of selection for each nominated cat to be considered to be reborn into a new life. In this newly reimagined production, our "Cats" tell this tale, set against the backdrop of wartime Melbourne in 1942, with a nod to the social changes brought on by the war effort, post-war reconstruction, migration, and the reintegration of returned servicemen into the local economy. The musical features no dialogue, only music, and provides a unique perspective on a pivotal moment in Australian history.

[usafphantom2]

28th July, 1935. First flight of the Boeing B-17 strategic bomber, later to be named the ‘Flying Fortress’. The type was designed to conduct high altitude operations using the newly developed Norden bombsight, and was intended to protect itself against attack with heavy defensive armament. Combat experience, especially over Europe, would prove that precision bombing was rather more difficult in practice than theory, and fighter escort was indispensable. Over 12,000 B-17s were built.

Initially used operationally by the RAF in limited numbers (see my post of 8th July), the B-17 was first saw service with the USAAF in the Pacific. Famously, a flight of the aircraft arrived over Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack on 7th December 1941 and B-17s suffered significant losses during the initial phases of the Pacific war. Further use during the battles of Coral Sea and Midway yielded poor results, though the type had more success during the battle of the Bismarck Sea. Fewer than 200 B-17s served in the Pacific, and had largely been replaced by the longer ranged B-24 in the theatre by mid-1943, though some were later used in the search and rescue role.

It was over occupied Europe that the ‘Flying Fortress’ would make its name. Limited operations from Britain began in August 1942 and initially it seemed that the concept of a self-defending bomber formation was vindicated. However, once larger scale raids into Germany began in 1943, losses from Luftwaffe fighters quickly mounted. Though the B-17 gained a reputation for its ability to absorb combat damage, and German pilots respected its firepower, this was not enough. Following two operations against Schweinfurt which cost over 120 aircraft, deep penetration raids into Germany were temporarily halted.

With the arrival of the P-51 Mustang in early 1944, the B-17, alongside the B-24, was able to operate as far as Berlin, though losses to German defences remained significant for some time. The type was key to the Allied daylight bombing offensive and inflicted massive damage, though extravagant claims of ‘pickle barrel’ precision bombing proved groundless. For a variety of reasons, not least the prevailing weather conditions and cloud cover, USAAF accuracy was often little better than that achieved by the RAF at night.

Quickly phased out of use as a bomber after the war, many B-17s remained in service in a variety of secondary roles. These included air-sea rescue, reconnaissance, mapping, atomic sampling, airborne early warning, drone targets and even CIA special operations. Others were converted for civilian roles, with some B-17 firebombers (a number of which have since found homes in museums) remaining operational into the 1980s. B-17s also served with a variety of air forces and civilian operators around the world including in Brazil, Israel, Portugal and France.

Pictured:☝️

1) Prototype Boeing Model 299/XB-17. Early Fortresses had significant differences to later models, including waist blisters and a ventral ‘bathtub’ for the gunners.

📷 boeingimages.com

2) B-17C of the 19th Bomb Group, which was damaged and caught fire attempting to land at Bellows Field during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The crew survived, but a flight surgeon passenger was killed by a strafing Zero.

📷 warfarehistorynetwork.com

3) The YB-40 ‘gunship’ was an attempt to give B-17 formations extra firepower. Mounting an extra top turret, twin waist guns and a new chin turret, its extra ammunition load left it too heavy to keep up with the aircraft it was supposed to protect, particularly after they had released their bombs. Only 48 operational sorties were flown, with 5 Luftwaffe fighters claimed destroyed.

📷 warbirdsresourcegroup.org

4) A handful of B-17s were captured intact by the Germans. ‘Wulfe Hound’ of the 303rd Bomb Group force landed in France on 12th December 1942 and was later used by the Luftwaffe’s clandestine operations squadron, KG 200.

📷 American Air Museum FRE 8941

[captain-price-unofficially]

Sailors in a motor launch rescued a survivor from the water alongside the sunken West Virginia during or shortly after the Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor, 7 Dec 1941.

[silverwingwashere]

The Philippine Army Air Corps' Baptism of Fire

December 10, 1941

The Philippines was at war. The US Naval base at Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese Navy, while US Air Corps installations in the Philippines were bombed by Japanese aircraft from Formosa. These two attacks resulted in heavy loses on American ships and aircraft. With the destruction of most of the aircraft of the United States States Armed Forces - Far East (USAFEE), both the US and Philippine forces had to rely on the remaining US Air Corps aircraft, as well as the Philippine Army Air Corps' 6th Pursuit Squadron.

Under the command of Captain Jesus Villamor, the 6th Pursuit Squadron was deployed at Zablan airfield, ready to take to the air in an event of a Japanese air raid. On December 10, 1941, the pilots of the squadron heard the sound of distant church bells, thus alerting them to an impending air attack. Rushing to their outdated P-26 fighter aircraft, they began taking off just as Japanese Zero fighters started to strafe their airfield.

In the battle the followed, four P-26s fought against the more advance Japanese Zero fighters. Despite the disadvantage towards the Filipinos, the squadron managed to evade the Japanese fighters by hiding in the clouds. Because of this no Filipino aircraft was lost that day. The same could not be said for the Japanese, as they lost two fighters that day, with one kill going to Villamor and a probable kill going to Lieutenant Juliano.

Over the next few days, the Filipino fighter pilots in their P-26s would engage the Japanese in hit and run attacks. In the end the 6th Pursuit Squadron shot down three enemy planes, while losing two of their own in air battles.

By December 24, due to the rapid advance of Japanese ground forces, the Philippine Army Air Corps was forced to abandon their planes, while their personnel retreated to Bataan and Corregidor to help in the defenses there. Because of that the pilots and mechanics were forced to destroy their aircraft.

The Filipino pilots of the 6th Pursuit Squadron fought bravely, despite being outgunned. Their exploits are the legendary and are still remembered today. During the late 40s, as the Philippine Air Force was reorganizing, the 1st Fighter Squadron was redesignated as the 6th Fighter Squadron in honor of the legendary unit that fought in the early days of World War 2.

----------------------------------------

Featuring:

Rooster and @ask-jetstream as pilots of the 6th Pursuit Squadron rushing towards their aircraft during a scramble.

[faememes]

𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐁𝐎𝐑 (𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟏) 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒

TW: BLOOD, WAR, SWEARING, PREGNANCY MENTION, DEATH MENTION

Change pronouns/titles as needed!

"The mission I am asking you to volunteer for is exceptionally dangerous. Take a look at the man beside you. It's a good bet that in the next six weeks, you, or he, will be dead. Everyone brave enough to accept this...step forward."

"Your grandma could take a B-25 off a mile-long runway. Well, I'm gonna train you to do it at 467 feet, because at 468 feet, you're dead, and once you get it up, you're gonna learn to fly it like a fighter. Thirty feet off the ground. I want you to say hello to Lt _________, Navy Aviation. He's gonna help us lighten these fat ladies here."

"Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the empire of Japan. It is obvious that planning the attack began many weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American military forces. I regret to tell you that over 3,000 American lives have been lost. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. Because of this unprovoked dastardly attack by Japan, I ask that Congress declare a state of war."

"When the action is over and we look back, we understand both more and less. This much is certain. Before the Doolittle raid, America knew nothing but defeat. After it, nothing but victory. Japan realized, for the first time, that they could lose and began to pull back. America realized that she would win and surged forward. It was a war that changed America. Dorie Miller was the first black American to be awarded the Navy Cross, but he would not be the last. He joined a brotherhood of heroes."

"Slow down, flyboy. And instead of the bottom, read the very top. Both eyes."

"World War II, for us, began at Pearl Harbor, and 1,177 men still lie entombed in the battleship Arizona. America suffered, but America grew stronger. It was not inevitable. The times tried our souls...and through the trial, we overcame."

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I really am, but Army and Navy requires 20/20 vision."

"From Berlin, Rome, and Tokyo, we have been described as a nation of weaklings and playboys who hire British or Russian or Chinese soldiers to do our fighting for us. Let them repeat that now. Let them tell that to General MacArthur and his men. Let them tell that to the soldiers who today are fighting hard in the far waters of the Pacific. Let them tell that to the boys in the Flying Fortresses. Let them tell that to the Marines."

"Oh, I... It's not a problem with my eyes. I mean, I can see. I mean, I can hit a runnin' rabbit with a three-dollar pistol. I got a problem with letters, that's all."

"You are so beautiful, it hurts."

"________, you can't die. You can't die. You know why? Because you're going to be a father. You're going to be a daddy. I wasn't supposed to tell you. You're going to be a father."

"_______, I'm pregnant... I didn't even know until the day you turned up alive... and then all this happened... I haven't told _______... I don't want him to know. All he needs to think about is how to do this mission and get back alive."

"Most nurses would've gone on to somebody else instead of keeping their fingers plugged in your artery."

"Oh ______, all I ever wanted was for us to have a home and grow old together, but life never asked me what I wanted. Now I'm going to give _______ my whole heart... but I don't think I'll ever look at another sunset without thinking of you... I'll love you my whole life."

"You know, the only thing that scares me is that you might love him more than you love me."

"If I had one more night to live... I'd wanna spend it with you."

"I joined the army to do MY patriotic duty... AND... to meet guys."

"You're acting like I didn't love you."

"I almost did die, you little son-of-a-bitch. And her face was the last thing that went through my mind."

"I should've died over there. When I was in that water, I made a deal with God. I told him I was sorry, I told him I knew I'd been a fool for leavin you and tryin to go over there and be a hero, and I promised I'd never ask for anything again, if I could just see you one more time... And ya know what? It was worth it. You kept me alive _______, you brought me home. So I'm gonna stand by my end of the deal, I'm gonna walk away, and I won't ask you for anything... but I just want to know why... Just tell me that, will you please? Just tell me why."

"He told me you were a great flyer... The same night he told me, he volunteered to go to England."

"________, loving you kept me alive."

"He volunteered? He-he told me he'd been assigned. He was always tryin' to protect me. But ya know what? I look at myself in the mirror in this uniform... and I still don't know who I am, I look like a hero... but I don't feel like it."

"That's what I want to come home to. That's what I want to have to think about and dream about. I wanna know that the best part of my life is still ahead of me."

[writingbyricochet]

AUTHOR (RE)INTRODUCTION: @WRITINGBYRICOCHET

Having been on Writeblr for ten months and with a recent uptick of followers, I thought it was due for a refresh of my intro! Fingers crossed this one will be a bit more informative about what kind of a writer I am than my first one!

— THE AUTHOR; ♡ —

Megan, Meg, or Lucky (she/her)

20s, Taiwanese American, Eastern Time Zone

Interacts from @luckyricochet

Ask/tag game friendly

In love with history, art, and romance itself

— WRITING; ♡ —

Primarily romance, historical fiction (or historically-inspired), fantasy, fanfiction

Aspirational: Dark academia, gothic

Favorite tropes: friends to lovers, hurt/comfort, sunshine/grump pairings, mutual pining

I love prose that is moody, atmospheric, and deeply emotive in its examination of the human condition almost to the point of romanticism. Besides the universal aims of a solid plot and characters, these are the qualities I want my own work to reflect the most.

— WORKS IN PROGRESS; ♡ —

Between Heaven and Earth

low fantasy/adventure; intro post, tag, wip page

Raised as a princess and heir apparent to the Velitovan throne, Laeisa Durecane's world is suddenly turned upside down when a diplomatic mission turns deadly and her father the King and his entire delegation are killed, leaving Laesia the sole survivor. Having to now abandon peace talks that would have formalized independence for her country, Laesia is forced into exile and takes refuge in the home of a young farmer. The distant rural district she now finds herself in is a far cry from the life of privilege she once enjoyed, but she at least has plenty of time to plot exactly how she will reclaim her throne and finally liberate Velitova.

Tomorrow is a Place

low fantasy/romance; intro post, tag

Do you believe in love at first sight? It’s fine if you don’t—that’s not how it happens in this story, at least not entirely. Even though Merity first takes a shine to the boy next door in childhood, it might have stayed an unspoken crush forever if not for a fateful decision that leaves Fendley wracked by his conscious and Merity his sole confidant. 𝔄𝔪𝔬𝔯 𝔳𝔦𝔫𝔠𝔦𝔱 𝔬𝔪𝔫𝔦𝔞. (Companion work to Between Heaven and Earth)

Poco a Poco

contemporary romance; intro post, tag

Welcome to Fujiwara Academy of Music, the most prestigious music conservatory in Japan. Balancing academics, work, and an attempt to win a lucrative scholarship is hard enough, but when Rika and Masahiro end up as duet partners, Rika has one more challenge to deal with: Breaking through to the academy’s best musician. It’s just as well that she keep trying, though. After all, chamber music is considered intimate for a reason.

Where Paradise Died and Lived

historical romance/the pacific au fanfic, intro post, tag

The attack on Pearl Harbor takes place far from most Americans’ homes, but for Sophie Holland, it’s right in her backyard. The idyllic tropical isle she knows is now a war zone, where death, suspicion, and martial law are a fact of daily life. With all of America mobilized for the war effort, Sophie joins the Women’s Air Raid Defense to do her part. The job is a welcome diversion that mostly keeps her from her own self-destructive habits, but it’s 1943 now, and her demons only become harder to ignore when the heroes of Guadalcanal—including one new 1st Lieutenant—arrive in Honolulu for rest and recovery.

Other WIPs that I have not formally introduced but am working on in some capacity are here and here. Please send me an ask if you would like to be added to any tag lists!

— CODA; ♡ —

If you've made it this far, thank you for reading! I would love to make new friends and connect with writers who have similar interests, so if any of the above is your cup of tea, please interact and I'll check out your blog! Farewell for now~

[darkmaga-retard]

https://www.globalresearch.ca/us-military-destroyed-66-japanese-cities-before-planning-wipe-out-same-number-soviet-cities/5680934

World War II: US Military Destroyed 66 Japanese Cities Before Planning to Wipe Out the Same Number of Soviet Cities

By Shane Quinn

Global Research, August 08, 2024

Global Research 18 June 2019

Hiroshima, August 6, 1945

Nagasaki, August 9, 1945

Timely historical analysis: This article was first published in June 2019. Reposted for the 79th anniversary of America’s bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The extent of devastation inflicted upon Japan by the American military during World War II is not broadly known, even today. In reprisal for the attack over Pearl Harbor, which killed almost 2,500 Americans, US aircraft first began unloading bombs on Japan during the afternoon of 18 April 1942 – attacking the capital Tokyo, and also five other major cities, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Kobe and Yokosuka.

Participating in this opening incursion over Japanese territory, known as the “Doolittle Raid”, were a modest 16 US B-25 medium bombers which killed about 50 Japanese, while meting out minor overall damage. Yet the air strikes represented an embarrassment for Tokyo’s leaders, and they further dealt a sharp psychological blow on the Japanese mindset. To rub salt into wounds, not one of America’s B-25 aircraft was shot down. It was a sign of things to come.

As months elapsed into years, the destruction increased many times over. By 15 June 1945, 66 Japanese cities had been annihilated by the US Army Air Force, through firebombing attacks primarily unleashed by the new B-29 four-engine heavy bombers.

The number of Japanese metropolitan areas destroyed here was the exact figure that the Pentagon compiled when finalizing plans, in mid-September 1945, to eviscerate the Soviet Union. Indeed, 66 Soviet cities were earmarked to be wiped out – with 204 atomic bombs – less than two weeks after Japanese representatives signed surrender terms on 2 September 1945, finally closing out World War II.

Regarding atomic attack proposals against the Japanese Empire, General George Marshall, the US Army Chief of Staff, revealed in 1954 that,

“In the original plans for the invasion of Japan, we wanted nine atomic bombs for three attacks”.

Just prior to Hiroshima the Pentagon had less than half a dozen A-bombs, however.

[47burlm]

April 18, 1942

The Doolittle Raid, also known as Doolittle's Raid, as well as the Tokyo Raid, was an air raid on 18 April 1942 by the United States on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other places on Honshu during World War II. It was the first American air operation to strike the Japanese archipelago. Although the raid caused comparatively minor damage, it demonstrated that the Japanese mainland was vulnerable to American air attacks. It served as an initial retaliation for the 7 December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, and provided an important boost to American morale. The raid was planned by, led by, and named after Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle.

Apr 10, 2019

Richard “Dick” Cole didn’t just have a front-row seat to history. On an April day in 1942 – just four months after Pearl Harbor – he sat next to Jimmy Doolittle as 16 B-25 Mitchell bombers lumbered down the deck of an aircraft carrier to begin a mission that ended in a huge morale boost for the United States.  

Eighty gallant men volunteered for that successful mission – which turned out to be a one-way attack – vengeance for Japan’s strike on Hawaii that crippled the US Navy fleet and left 2,403 dead.  

Cole, the last surviving Doolittle Raider, died Tuesday in San Antonio, the US Air Force announced. He was 103.  

[weirdestbooks]

Strike Back (Wattpad | Ao3)

Requested by @doubleawart22

Event: Doolittle Raid

Codename: Conceal

Location: USS Hornet, Pacific Ocean off Japan

Date: April 18, 1942

Ohio shivered as the cold sea air bit into his skin, the cold seeming to pierce him to his bones. North Carolina, his sister and fellow pilot, laughed.

“Cold?” She asked, a joking tone to her voice. Ohio rolled his eyes.

“At least I'm handling it better than you,” Ohio said, knowing full well that his cold tolerance was much better than his sister’s as he was further north. North Carolina bumped his shoulder playfully. 

“Okay, Mr. Tough Guy,” she said with a smirk before walking over to her modified B-25B. Ohio smiled and then walked towards his own plane. 

“You know the girl?” One of his crew members, Richard, asked as Ohio approached. Ohio nodded

“She’s my sister.”

“Why did they let that stupid girl be a pilot?” Another one of his crew members asked the one that had always gotten on Ohio’s nerves. 

His name was Jackson Southgate. His family was poor and from California, but he always talked about moving his family to Hawaii. He had an inability to shut up and always thought he was better than North Carolina. He had even assumed when he first came onto the ship that North Carolina was someone’s wife or had bought her way onto the ship with sex. It pissed him off.

“Because she’s more capable of flying than many people like you.” Ohio shot back. The rest of the crew snickered, and Jackson glared at the state. Ohio just smiled and climbed into the plane. He then started doing his pre-flight checks, knowing that everything had to be perfect, as taking off from a carrier in an army plane was stupid, risky, and dangerous.

That’s why North Carolina and Ohio volunteered for this. They had the most training of all their siblings, certainly more than the humans here.

“Everything good, Lawrence?” Ohio’s best friend and crew member Jermey asked. Ohio nodded.

“We are most likely not going to die today. The jury’s still out on Jackson, though,” Ohio commented, causing another round of snickers. Jackson wasn’t the most well-liked person on the carrier, and everyone tended to avoid him due to his superiority complex. 

He just thought they were assholes. He was entitled.

“You are a defensive brother,” Jackson said, but he didn’t say anything else. Ohio looked back at him and noticed he was giving the state an eerie, strange look. It made Ohio uncomfortable, and he moved his gaze back to the instruments on the front of the plane.

“Thank you, Jackson. That means a lot. I really love my sister,” Ohio said, watching as the first plane began to take off. He swallowed nervously and exhaled, trying to calm himself. The first plane left the ship fine, so Ohio should be okay. He would be alright. 

“Ready boys?” Ohio asked as he was signaled that it was his turn to take off.

“Hell yeah, we are Law! Let’s go bomb Tokyo and get some revenge for our boys in Pearl Harbor,” Evan, the last crewmate, said.

“And maybe impress some lovely exotic Hawaiian ladies in the process,” Jackson said, making Ohio feel uncomfortable. He knew Hawaii would not like this man and that one Hawaiian lady wouldn’t be impressed with him. 

Well…when she was free of martial law, that is. Who knows what she thinks now? Dad and DC were both busy with their own things, so for now, it was mainly her government controlling things.

As Ohio considered Jackson’s strange comment and wondered about what Hawaii was like now, he prepared for takeoff. He then pushed those thoughts away and focused on takeoff. North Carolina had already gone, so it was time to join his sister in the sky. 

Thankfully, the takeoff went smoothly, and soon Ohio was on his way to Tokyo. 

“Remember, boys, we are aiming for military targets. No civilian targets.” Ohio said.

“We know, we know, don’t worry, Rent,” Richard said. The plane then fell into a comfortable silence, save for the sounds of the plane and wind. They were all nervous about this mission. After the bombing, they would be heading to China to land. This, unfortunately, was very dangerous, as they could land in a place that was controlled by the Japanese and be captured, tortured, executed, and killed. 

And that’s if we aren’t shot down by Japanese anti-aircraft fire or fighters. 

Ohio didn’t want to know what Dad would do if he or North Carolina were captured. They already had enough family and friends in Japan's hands.

“I see Japan!” Jermey called as the island came into view. Ohio rolled his eyes at Jermey’s excitement. They could all see the islands. As they got closer and began to fly over the bay, anti-aircraft fire began. But it was too little, and the few planes Ohio saw were not enough to take on all sixteen planes in the sky. 

Thankfully, no one had been shot down as far as Ohio could see. He began to fix his sights on the city, scanning the wooden buildings for his target. Eventually, he saw it and alerted his crew, who prepared for the strike.

Then, as they flew over the target, the bomb was dropped, and the plane lurched at the loss of weight before Ohio turned the plane to China. They flew over Japan, not being pursued by anyone—not yet. But even then, Ohio didn’t relax until they were out over the Sea of Japan.

Ohio sighed in relief as he realized he was safe, now in the clear.

Ohio hoped North Carolina would be as well. In any case, he’ll see if she makes it in China. Ohio doesn't think anyone was shot down—at least, he hopes not.

[whitepolaris]

Battlefield Oregon

Japan's attack on the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, marked America's entry into World War II. Immediately after December 7, 1941, Americans were hot for revenge, and they got their first taste of it on April 8, 1942. The Doolittle Raid, named after its strategist and leader Lt. Col. James Doolittle, involved sixteen B-25 bombers striking military and industrial targets in several Japanese cities, including Tokyo. At the time, the offensive was considered to be of little tactical advantage; its main goal, which it achieved, was to boost American morale.

Planned as a one-way operation, the planes had been launched from an aircraft carrier 650 miles from the Japanese coast. (Lacking fuel capacity to return to the carrier, most of the planes were crashed-landed in China or Russia.)

The United States would later realize that the raid garnered some strategic significance, after all. The Japanese, surprised by the attack assumed that the United States had developed a new kind of long-range bomber. As a result, they reassigned many of their fighter planes to protect the home islands, limiting their air capabilities elsewhere.

Japanese leaders staged retaliatory strikes, without combat aircraft, on the American mainland-three of them in Oregon. They all became unlikely historical milestones.

The Shelling of Fort Stevens

Shortly after the Doolittle Raid, Japan sent two submarines to disrupt shipping along the western United States and Alaska. One of them, named I-25, torpedoed a freighter off Neah Bay, Washington, and then proceeded south. At about 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 12, 1942, the sub's commander, Meiji Tagami, ordered his crew to fire on Fort Stevens.

As the submarine's huge deck gun boomed, pandemonium broke out in the fort. Maj. Robert Huston, the senior officer in charge, realized that almost all of the incoming shells were landing harmlessly on the beach or in the surrounding marshland. Major Huston figured that even if the submarine were in range (which it was, but a hasty assessment suggested it wasn't), why shoot back and give the Japanese a better idea of where to aim? So he never gave the order to return fire.

In all, submarine I-25 fired at Fort Stevens seventeen times before departing in a westerly direction just before midnight. The most significant damage it did was nicking some phone cables that later rusted and had to be replaced. Shortly after, the sub suffered from a fatal case of mistaken identity (see "Aquatic Anomalies: The Tragedy of Tommy Turtle" in the Beaver State Beasts chapter). The short-lived attack on Fort Stevens was the only assault on a military base in the continental United States during World War II, the first since the War of 1812.

Firebombing the Klamath Mountains

Submarine I-25 returned to the Oregon coast later that year, on the foggy morning of September 9. The new Japanese tactic was to create a national emergency that would panic Americans and, hopefully, divert priorities and resources from the war. A massive forest fire might produce pandemonium, and the Klamath Mountains, in Oregon's southwestern corner, were chosen at the site.

A small seaplane was launched from the submarine. Pilot Nobuo Fujita flew about five miles inland toward Mount Emily and dropped an incendiary bomb on Wheeler Ridge. Howard Gardner, a local forest ranger, heard the explosion and noticed the plane, then filed a report at a ranger station. However, his report was dismissed, as it was common for military patrols to fly over the area.

When the fog lifted later that morning, Gardner and a coworker found a circle of smoldering forest about fifty to seventy-five feet wide, complete with fused earth, melted rock, and a crater measuring three feet in diameter in the center.

The Forest Service had thought the crater had been caused by a lightning strike until they noticed fragments of bomb casing and thermite pellets scattered around the embedded in surrounding trees. Even so, they reasoned that the bomb had to have accidentally dropped from an American plane. The military soon confirmed otherwise and tried in vain to suppress news reports of the incident. They needn't have worried: The first bombing of the continental United States by an enemy aircraft only strengthened America's-and Oregon's-resolve. The site of the bombing was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

The plot to start a massive fire never did succeed. Nobuo Fujita flew a second firebombing mission later that month. It failed too.

Balloon Bomb Tragedy at Gearhart Mountain

On May 5, 1945, Paster Archie Mitchell drove east of Bly with his wife, Elsie, and several children from his Sunday school class (ages eleven to fourteen), intent on fishing and picnicking near Gearhart Mountain. Elsie, who was five months pregnant, exited the car with the children and walked off into the woods while Paster Mitchell parked. Moments later, as Pastor Mitchell was walking up to meet them. Elsie called out, "Look what we found, dear!" Almost immediately, a gut-wrenching explosion killed her, their unborn child, and five youngsters in their charge. A stunned Pastor Mitchell drove back to Bly to report the incident.

What the unfortunate group had found was the latest-and weirdest-weapon in Japan's arsenal: the Fu-Go, or balloon bomb. Fu-Gos consisted of a large spherical balloon, about a hundred feet in diameter, made of impermeable mulberry paper and filled with hydrogen. Tethered beneath it were termite bombs and other high explosives.

The method of delivering innovative for the time. The Japanese did research in meteorology and were the first time to discover the jet stream, a series of fast-traveling easterly air currents about six to nine miles above Earth. The Fu-Gos traveled along the jet stream toward North America. A series of sandbags were used as ballast; an altimeter triggered electric charges that would drop them, two by two, if the Fu-Gos dropped below certain altitude. The intent was for the balloons to descend in North America, with bombs exploding as they hit the ground.

Fortunately, Fu-Gos were unreliable, as there was no way to guarantee where the bombs landed or that they would explode. Of about nine hundred Fu-Gos intended for the United States, only about a third of those have been accounted for; the rest were probably lost at sea.

The relative lack of public awareness of the balloon bombs is due to government efforts at playing down their treat. The news briefly covered the incidents, but the federal government quickly discouraged any further reports. They did not want Japan getting the impression that the Fu-Gos were in any way effective, especially since they could so easily be adapted to biowarfare. That bit strategic censorship worked, and Japan phased out its Fu-Go program.

The relative ineffectiveness of the Fu-Gos lends an especially sad and random tone to the deaths of Elsie Mitchell and the children. They were simply investigating an unfamiliar object and accidentally triggered the bomb. Curiosity made all the difference in what had essentially been a failed bid to spend terror. Today, a bronze plague on a stone marker at the site serves as a monument to the victims, the only people killed by enemy actions in the continental United States during World War II. It is located in the Mitchell Recreation Area, a small picnic ground adjacent to Leonard Creek.

[celticcanon]

The U.S. didn’t give a fuck about WWII or the Holocaust until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, get the fuck over yourself lmfao

I love it when people put lmfao on the most smooth-brained generalizations out there.

Don't worry kid, I don't blame you for your lack of knowledge. I blame your high school/college history teacher.

Anyway, this is a teachable moment and there's actually a lot to unpack here, but I'll try to keep it brief.

Let's deal with WWII itself first.

While it is true that many Americans wanted to stay out of the war and leave it as a "European" problem, a lot of Americans volunteered to fight all over the world. Interestingly, by 1940 (before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor) so many American pilots volunteered to fly for Great Britain, that our big brothers across the pond were able to man three whole squadrons, which became known as Eagle Squadrons. Look them up, they were awesome!

The thing was that the U.S. still had a culture of isolation at the time and it took a lot for public opinion to shift from "that's awful" to "we need to send an entire generation of men overseas to deal with the genocidal funny mustache man and his fascist friends."

So what did the U.S. do instead? We started the Lend-Lease Program in 1940 (also before Pearl Harbor), which was responsible for supplying the Allied Powers throughout the war.

Interestingly, the Lend-Lease Program was not entirely altruistic. There were two good reasons for the program besides just keeping the Allies supplied.

Firstly, President Roosevelt wanted to keep the Allies on their feet so that the war would stay in Europe. (Think of it as the forerunner what we're doing in the Ukraine right now.)

Secondly, the U.S. was under no illusions that its military could compete with the Axis Powers as it was. The Lend-Lease Program bought us space to build a military that could crush the Axis.

Alright, lets get to the emotionally charged subject. The Holocaust.

Nonny says the U.S. didn't care about it before the Japanese attacked.

Is that true? No.

Why? Simply put, we didn't know that the Final Solution had been ordered.

In the current era of instant access to information it is probably odd to think that just 50 years ago, it could still take years for information to become available. But that's the way it was.

In a dictatorial police state like Nazi Germany, controlling this information was easy, which is why we didn't find out about it until August of 1942, nine months after Pearl Harbor. Even after that, the news wasn't broken to the American Public until November, after the State Department had verified the story.

IMO, Nonny's bad take is just a great example of why you shouldn't jump to hating on historical people without context.