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Photographer: Mike Wintermantel
Taken: May 14, 2014
Caption: Pearl Harbor
Additional Description: In less than 90 minutes the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor took a terrible toll: 18 ships lost; 2,386 Americans killed; 1,139 wounded. That count would come later. Just days after the event, an American seaman had his own view:

"Well, we arrived at Pearl Harbor this morning and we were all prepared to see a sad sight...but we were still appalled at the amount of damage done. It was the greatest disaster that had befallen any navy...
As we came in the harbor the first thing we saw was the Nevada ruined and run aground...The loss of life was terrific. Over 3,000 men went down with their ships. Liberty parties returning from Honolulu were strafed. Their white uniforms were perfect targets.
All of this was mighty heartbreaking, and I saw many a tear...But the men were not broken in morale...We lost the first round but are not whipped. We are just mad. We do not understand how a nation can do a thing like that. If they tho't our morale would break, they are badly mistaken. We want to fight. The only trouble is we have nothing to fight with, but we hope to soon."

Frank B. Hass diary entry, December 15, 1941
Submitted: May 14, 2014, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Database Locator Identification Number: p273303
File Size: 1.800 Megabytes

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