Pearl Harbor

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Barbara J. Feldman

The Pearl Harbor Naval Station on the Hawaiian island of Oahu is the hub of United States Pacific naval power. Most of the Navy's major commands have headquarters there. Yet even after sixty-five years, its name is still synonymous with the surprise Japanese attack of "December 7, 1941 � a date which will live in infamy." The United States suffered 3,700 casualties, along with damage to twenty-one ships and 300 planes.

Eyewitness to History: Attack at Pearl Harbor

4 stars

"The surprise was complete. The attacking planes came in two waves; the first hit its target at 7:53 AM, the second at 8:55. By 9:55 it was all over. By 1:00 PM the carriers that launched the planes from 274 miles off the coast of Oahu were heading back to Japan." This single page description of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor includes quotes from eyewitnesses and some amazing photographs. Links to related pages (The Japanese View and The White House Reacts) are in the right-column, below the ad.

MSNBC Interactive: Pearl Harbor

5 stars

This interactive movie from MSNBC starts as soon as the page loads, so have your speakers turned on. At first glance, this looks like a regular "old-fashioned" video, but there are interactive activities to explore in between each chapter. Start by examining four clues to the impending Japanese air strike that were mostly ignored, and then move through the chapters using the Next button, or the direct navigation menu at the bottom of the player. Peppered with first-person narratives, this is an outstanding example of multimedia learning.

National Geographic: Remembering Pearl Harbor

5 stars

The National Geographic Pearl Harbor site is overflowing with excellent features. The following are just two of my favorite clicks. Beyond the Movie takes a look behind the scenes of the 2001 "Pearl Harbor" movie from Touchstone, and at characters such as Dorie Miller, the real-life cook played by Cuba Gooding. The Attack Map is a multimedia map and time line created with photos, narratives, and footage that "bring the attack on Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, to life � moment by moment, target by target."

Pearl Harbor Remembered: The Day

4 stars

Propaganda posters began to appear in early 1942, as the country prepared for war. One of the first, created soon after the Pearl Harbor attack, declared "Remember Dec. 7th!" As the war continued, the cry changed to "Remember Pearl Harbor." The Oregonian (of Portland) is generally credited with this phrase that became the rallying call of a nation at war. Explore the rest of the Pearl Harbor Remembered site by following the link to the Main Menu.

Voices of World War II: Pearl Harbor

5 stars

In partnership with the Truman Presidential Museum and Library, The University of Missouri-Kansas City has published a collection of World War II audio and video. The Pearl Harbor page includes a dozen radio broadcasts ("It's no joke. It's a real war."), film footage of the attack from aboard USS Enterprise and USS Franklin, and nine popular songs ("Pardon me boys, is that the. Chattanooga Choo Choo?") Best click, however, is the audio recording and the typed draft of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech to a joint session of Congress on December 8, 1941.