The attack on Pearl Harbor ignited the soul of the United States. That spark inspired hundreds of thousands to join the military, and millions to labor back home in support. All Americans sacrificed. Because of our American spirit, the flame that became the US war machine succeeded in guaranteeing our freedom during those dark days.
December 7, 1941, Roosevelt’s “a day that will live in infamy”…
According to naval history,
The Japanese aircrews achieved complete surprise when they hit American ships and military installations on Oahu shortly before 8:00 a.m. They attacked military airfields at the same time they hit the fleet anchored in Pearl Harbor.
Of the more than 90 ships at anchor in Pearl Harbor, the primary targets were the eight battleships anchored there. At about 8:10 a.m., the USS Arizona (BB-39) was mortally wounded by an armorpiercing bomb which ignited the ship’s forward ammunition magazine. The resulting explosion and fire killed 1,177 crewmen, the greatest loss of life on any ship that day and about half the total number of Americans killed.
When the attack ended shortly before 10:00 a.m., less than two hours after it began, the American forces have paid a fearful price. Twenty-one ships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were sunk or damaged. Aircraft losses were 188 destroyed and 159 damaged, the majority hit before they had a chance to take off. American dead numbered 2,403. There were 1,178 military and civilian wounded.
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq66-1.htm
Men and women from across the country and throughout South Carolina clamored to respond by joining the military.
My dad, Grady Ballard, was commissioned in the Army Air Corps after graduating from Clemson, and served in the New Guinea and Philippines campaigns. My aunt, Margaret Ballard Lawhorn, served in the Navy’s medical corps and my uncle, Heyward Ballard, trained to fly aerial combat. Our family joined alongside the more than 16 million Americans who served in WWII.
Millions more went to work at home to produce record numbers of airplanes, tanks and other equipment to support our troops in combat. More than 300,000 aircraft, hundreds of ships and 80,000 tanks were produced by our great American work force. Women entered the work force in droves to ensure that the allied forces were well equipped.
Sacrifice was the common thread among all Americans. Whether it was the simple sacrifice of doing without metal, rubber or food supplies … or the ultimate sacrifice of 418, 500 Americans who fought and died, everyone did their part.
The attack on Pearl Harbor taught us many lessons. Perhaps the number one lesson is that with personal commitment, hard work, and shared sacrifice, the spark of the American spirit can become a steady flame.
