Personal Viewpoint of the Attack of Peral Harbor

In my article I am going to be talking about how the Japanese attacked a Naval Base in Hawaii called Pearl Harbor. I will be taking on the perspective of a U.S military personnel, who experiences the attack first hand. Throughout my paper I will also show the reactions of the people who lived on the Naval Base, and how this attack affected America to this day.

My name is John Hopkins, and I was an American soldier, who helped during the attack on Pearl Harbor. I remember overhearing Admiral Kimmel associating with Lieutenant General Short about the the horrible and forceful ambitions Japan had planned against China. I also heard that the Japanese wanted to attack China because they needed their natural resources to build an powerful empire. They then came to the decision that they would send many donations to China to show their support. As I thought about all this information I began to think of how many children and innocent chinese people, who had been slaughtered. My heart sank. All of a sudden Lieutenant General Short raised his voice and demanded that raw materials required for Japan to make war production shall be restricted. Then in a firm serious tone he instructed that Japan’s aggressive actions towards China needed to stop. Nervous of what would happen next I rushed to my tent, where I then layed down and tried to imagine what would happen due to all this disagreement, but within a few minutes I fell asleep.

Weeks passed since Admiral Kimmel and Lieutenant Short negotiated with the japanese Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. Rumors heard it that there meeting to solve our differences did not go well and the Japanese were refusing to fall under our demand. Although they wanted to expand their rule within Asia, we had set up a...

... middle of paper ...

...y of our country making it more difficult to enter and leave the United States. Many citizens had to start from scratch, and many even suffered from mental breakdowns. Military personnel that also helped throughout the attack retired after everything was all settled, including me.

I remember President Roosevelts exact words, “a date which will live in infamy.”, and sure enough this December day will be remembered for as long as history goes on. (Hotta, Eri. The New York Times. Op-ed Contributor. December 1, 2013.) Although my life will never be the same, I had realized that the scars I earned that day, are the battlescars that will tell my story to those unaware. They will tell them about the life I saved, and the courage and strength I put into protecting my country. I am proud for what I have become and what my service in the United States Navy has taught me .