Well, I got to live on Ford Island for a little while. Somehow, there seems to be a Myth that the U.S. Military was Completely Surprised that War was coming. Actually, the Pacific Fleet was “Forward Deployed” TO Pearl Harbor from their bases on the West Coast in anticipation that the Japanese would attack Bases close to their Islands first, like the Philippines and Guam. Then the Fleet would sail out and fight them there. And all the planes were lined up tip-to-tip to prevent Sabotage by “Fifth Columnists.” However, they never seemed to think that the Japanese could sail all the way to Pearl and attack.
December 1st, 2011 at 10:53 am
Well, I got to live on Ford Island for a little while. Somehow, there seems to be a Myth that the U.S. Military was Completely Surprised that War was coming. Actually, the Pacific Fleet was “Forward Deployed” TO Pearl Harbor from their bases on the West Coast in anticipation that the Japanese would attack Bases close to their Islands first, like the Philippines and Guam. Then the Fleet would sail out and fight them there. And all the planes were lined up tip-to-tip to prevent Sabotage by “Fifth Columnists.” However, they never seemed to think that the Japanese could sail all the way to Pearl and attack.
December 2nd, 2011 at 9:55 am
There’s a difference between knowing that a place is a logical military target and knowing that the Japs is gonna attack us on December 7, 1941.