Displaced Beachbums

The December 1941 Japanese attack on the U.S. was not limited to the Territory of Hawaii, but also the Territory of Guam and because of the International Date Line, the attacks occured on 7 December 1941 in Hawaii and on 8 December 1941 in Guam. In addition to Guam and Hawaii, the Japanese also attacked Wake Island and the Commonwealth of the Philippines.

Four hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese attacked Guam and struck targets such as the USS Penguin and the Pan Am facilities. Before dawn on 10 December, shortly after Navy Governor Capt. George McMillan surrendered Guam to the Japanese, the flag of the Rising Sun was hoisted and Guam became part of the Japanese Empire. In true Japanese fashion, they changed the names of geographic locations. Guam became Omiya Jima, the Great Shrine Island and the capital city of Hagåtña became Akashi.

My mother, who lived on the Big Island of Hawaii and was only 6 years old at the time of the attacks, remembers having to black out the windows. They were not allowed turn on the lights after dark and were overall fearful of a ground invasion. Thankfully for Hawaii, the Japanese didn’t invade the islands like they did on Guam, the Philippines and Wake Island.

Many of the Japanese pilots who attacked that day thought the US had been notified by the Japanese diplomats that Japan was “Declaring War on the US” They felt dishonorable that they were involved in a sneak attack. The master planner of the attacks, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto said “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.” Admiral Yamamoto was a Harvard educated economist and, during his time in the US, learned of the fighting spirit of the United States citizens.  He couldn’t have been more accurate ~ our Nation became resolved to right the wrongs and not only did soldiers and sailors go off to war on two fronts but those back in the states became a part of the fight by rationing and recycling, not to mention Rosie the Riveter and war bonds.

I have to admit it’s a bit strange to visit the Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor and be surrounded by Japanese visitors.

But I imagine it’s equally strange and awkward when the Japanese visit Nagasaki and Hiroshima and see Americans tourists there. It’s interesting to look back and to see how far we have come with our relations with the Japanese.  May we never forget but continue to forgive.