Naval Communique No. 214 – December 6, 1942: THE JAPANESE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR, DECEMBER 7, 1941

Pearl Harbor – The narrative Nearly one year after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the Navy Department released a comprehensive report detailing the losses and destruction at Pearl Harbor. Fighting in the Solomon Islands at Guadalcanal was ongoing but after the epic sea battles in the preceding months, the battle was turning in favor […]

He’s in Submarines Now – A long line of Shared Experience

In 1942, the world was at war. There were very few places that weren’t affected by Chaos. The oceans were still the primary way that commerce traveled abroad, and those seas were filled with sharks that did their best to slow that commerce down. Those were, of course, the steel submarines that were filled with […]

A Pocket Guide to Hawaii (1940’s version)

Every Moment Mattered – Epilogue

Every Moment Mattered – Epilogue At 01:48 on 13 November, Rear Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan’s relatively small landing support group of thirteen ships engaged the enemy. The Japanese force consisted of two battleships, one light cruiser, and nine destroyers. Because of bad weather and confused communications, the battle occurred in near-pitch darkness and at almost […]

Every Moment Mattered – The Life and Death of Cassin Young, Captain, USN MOH Recipient – Chapter Twenty: “Like a ballroom brawl with the lights turned out.”

Chapter Twenty: “Like a ballroom brawl with the lights turned out.” Four days. From the moment Cassin Young reported on board until the night of October 13th there were only four days for him to prepare for the battle that was waiting just beyond the horizon. The San Francisco had nearly 1000 crew members on board […]

Every Moment Mattered – The Life and Death of Cassin Young, Captain, USN MOH Recipient – Chapter Nineteen: Into the Battle. Every Man a Hero

Chapter Nineteen Into the battle. Every man a hero The Marines that landed on Guadalcanal were about to write a page into history that would be written with blood. This tiny island in the Pacific should not have been the place where the allies would start their long drive to Tokyo. But observation planes had […]