Monday, December 5, 2011

Pearl Harbor - In Memoriam

Respond to the prompt below with a developed body paragraph of at least 200 words. Make use of the notes that you took during the presentation to help you compose your paragraph so that you will have specific details that you can develop with your commentaries. Make sure that you identify what class period you are in. I have embedded the December 7, 1941 Music Video so that you can revisit it if you need to.
PROMPT: The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is ...


87 comments:

Cassel Feenstra said...
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Joy said...

The thing that made the biggest impression on me in Mr. Korling's mini presentation on Pearl Harbor was the letter that the mother sent to the Army becasue she didn't know what happened to her son. Pearl Harbor really reminds us of the importance of the individual. Each of those men and woman who died had a mother and father, and possible kids of their own. A man who is willing to fight and die for their country deserves rememberance. America fights for the individuals who sacrificed tehmselves for each of us. America fought under righteous reasons, fighting so that people around the world didn't need to die. AMerica's hesitation was also understandable during the war as they were already painfully aware of the consequences war could bring to people. SO they didn't just jump into the fray, proving their patience and wisdom, but instead waited until fighting was the only choice, until peace could no longer be achieved through humane reasoning. And so they fought for people around the world, not just taking revenge on Japan. No, instead they did the honorable thing and focused on the bigger picture, and sent tehir forces to England. And so while World War 2 and the Attack on Pearl Harbor was tragic, it was also unavoidable.

Andie said...

What I took away from Mr. Korling's presentation on Pearl Harbor was that it started so many new ideas in modern technology, mainly in the war force. I believe that it was really an eye opener for America, sort of like 9/11 in our day. Pearl Harbor was tragic, and many American lives were lost in the war that followed- more lives than even WWI took. I loved Franklin D Roosevelt's response to the attack as well,how he built up America's pride to such a devastating event. If only, as Mr. K said, President Bush had said something as great as FDR's response when 9/11 happened.

Weston said...

Is this where i'm suposed to write my blog?

Weston said...

When is the blog due?

Weston said...

Now greg said it was due wensday but I remain skeptical, I clearly remember you (Mr. Korling) stating that it was due friday.

Cassel Feenstra said...

Its do before the weekend or something I'm pretty sure but not positive

Edith said...
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Edith said...

Edith Chavez
Period 4
The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is that we must be prepared as a nation for an attack at all time. On December 7, many mistakes were made. The greatest of these mistakes was ignoring the report of the periscope spotted outside the harbor which also happened to be the first mistake that day. The military officials there should have investigated and after confirming it was an enemy submarine, should have prepared for some sort of an attack. They instead ignored it, just as they ignored the report that about fifty planes had been spotted northwest of the island. A fleet of bombers was expected that same day from California, causing the officials to believe it was alright even though California is northeast of Hawaii and what is northwest of the Hawaiian Islands is Japan. At this point, the US and Japan already had a tense relationship and this should have caused the officials to be alert for anything coming in from the west, especially the northwest, where Japan is and from where the planes were flying in from. Pearl Harbor is an example of the consequences of being ill-prepared and off-guard; this was, and still is, a sad and important lesson for the US.

K-Dog said...

I have unfortunately had to delete two comments from this current blog post due to a distinct and profound lack of discretion on the part of the blogger in selecting to use inappropriate diction and to use it in such a way as to offend rather than enlighten other bloggers. It is my hope that this individual will see that there is a connection between using one's intellect and using it intelligently rather than using one's intellect merely for effect over substance. It is my further hope that this is as far as I need to go with an explanation about what is generally expected with an educational blog associated with an educational website. As the moderator of my own blog and website, it is my decision to censor or not. Please do not treat this educational forum as a soapbox upon which you wish to rant and rave for no other reason than to rant, rave, and offend. The blog postings you leave here are and will continue to be used as a form of assessment, so do not risk your grade because you think that you can or ought to say anything you want however you want to say it. If you want that, set up your own blog through your own website and invite your own captive audience to impress with your rantings and ravings. This is not the forum for that, neither in letter nor intent.

K-Dog said...

A quick follow up, I have copied and pasted the above-mentioned content of the deleted blog postings as evidence of what is not acceptable. I trust that this knowledge is sufficient to motivate individuals to use discretion when posting.

Anika Jones said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kealani Beltran said...

Kealani Beltran
Period 6
12-6-11

The most important thing I will be taking away from Mr. Korling's Pearl Harbor presentation is that we as Americans need to understand that we are not some immortal and impenetrable being sent to laugh in the face of everyone else. First off,it is hard to believe that despite all of the obvious warnings, such as the planes that were able to be spotted long before the attack itself occured, were taken so lightly. The American military felt that no one in their right mind would ever attack such a prestigious location, simply because it was not ideal. Also,as if completely ignoring all warning signs was not bad enough, Americans orginally believed that the Phillipines was the most likely target for the Japanese Navy. Because of this ignorant assumption more than two-thousand people were killed, with another thousand or so injured. Hence the confusion of the woman searching frantically for her son, only to find out from the secratary of the American Navy during the month of March that he had passed away, months after the event occured. And third,this sad chain of events could have easily been prevented if our ego had not gotten in the way of understanding that reality hits hard, and one cannot lose oneself in a fantasy where nothing can possibly go wrong.Because of the bombing, not only were many lives lost, but America was forced to wake up from its "sleep" and realize that yes, it is possible for the unexpected to suddenly happen. Also,a connection I made in relation to this commemoration and what I took from this assignment is to nine/eleven, where similar events took place while Americans were somewhat oblivious to the fact that we were being attacked by terrorists. On a final and personal note, I would like to mention that had it not been for that memorable yet disturbingly haunting day, I would not be here today. You see, my grandma had just come from the big island of Hawaii to Honolulu in order to prepare for their return to Okinawa. She and her family remained in Hawaii. The next day, the U.S. officially declared war on Japan. The Battle of Midway was retaliation of the attack on Pearl Harbor. A few years later, the Hiroshima bomb was dropped on Japan to end the war.

Amanda said...

Amanda Jerd
Period 4

The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is that we, but especially our military and intelligence forces, need to be vigilant and heedful of all things at all times. The Japanese attacked before daybreak when there were very few people at the stations in Pearl Harbor, which was smart on their part, but exposed how unprepared and foolish we were that day. The first of our mistakes that day was that there was a report about a periscope being spotted near the harbor. Instead of addressing the report, headquarters dismissed it, but that should not have happened because there were not supposed to be any submarines as close as the first one was. Another mistake was that the fifty planes from Japan were written off as the bombers from California. Had the intelligence taken more time on these first two oversights instead of ignoring them, the fight at Pearl Harbor could have ended differently. The attack on Pearl Harbor, although devastating, taught us an important lesson that day: safety first. Although it may be inconveniencing or hard to do at the moment, we must always investigate any and all suspicions in order to protect our country. So, thank you to the Japanese for teaching us to be mindful of our pride and to heed to the warnings that finish off the calm before the storm.

Marissa said...

What I took away from this presentation was our country's incredible ability to unite during hard times. Pearl Harbor was a significant turning point in American history, for at the time it was the largest attack on American soil in the near two centuries of its existence. Roosevelt's response to the attack was impressive and inspiring. Instead of speaking plainly of revenge, he noted America's strength as a united nation, and it's undying ability and right to protect itself. This sense of irrevocable patriotism reminds me of 9/11. That is the only time in my memory of our country seeming completely united. Never before had I seen an American flag hanging above almost every doorstep I saw. This is just another example of America's ability to unite in a time of distress. However, I do have one thought regarding this. When America is not in a state of distress, how united are we then? I believe that it's arguable to say we are not nearly as united, or protective as we are post-attack. It may be possible that we grow too complacent, making us more vulnerable. After all, how many people on December 6th, the day before Pearl Harbor, would have believed that the very next day their peaceful harbor would turn into an inferno? Who would have even begun to imagine that a seemingly ordinary person would fly a plane into the World Trade Center? Both seemed inconceivable, and yet on both Dec. 7th 1941 and Sept. 11th 2001,our country was attacked. It is my belief that if the United States were to be as united as we were on those two horrible days, we would not be nearly as vulnerable. It is as the famous motto says, " United We Stand, divided we fall."

Alissabeth said...

There were two things from 9/11 that impacted me the most while watching this presentation. The first being the American lives that was loss on this infamous day. A lot of the times when we here the number of casualties in a battle/war we often think of them as a GROUP of people rather than INDIVIDUALS. Approximately 2000 Americans died on December 7, 1941. The possibilities of what each soldier were going through mentally, physically, financially, and spiritually are endless. The possibilities of what they could’ve done for our country are, too, endless. Maybe one of the soldiers could have discovered a cure for cancer. Another could have received a Nobel Prize, and one soldier could have built the ultimate submarine or air craft. Again, the possibilities are endless! To think that so many talented and inspiring individuals loss their lives by fighting for their country should make quite an impact on American pride. This leads to my second thing that impacted me the most while watching the presentation: American pride. After Pearl Harbor, President Franklin’s Roosevelt spoke to Congress about going to war. His speech was completely stimulating to the American people. If I were there, I would be so encouraged to do anything I could to help my country and I’m sure most of the Americans, at that time, would agree as well. During hard times, it’s important to come together, and this is exactly what FDR did. He brought the American people together to take pride in their country. And after a hard fought war, the United States emerged a stronger nation.

Cassel Feenstra said...

What I take away from Mr. Korling's Pearl Harbor presentation was how our nation came together in unified remorse for those soldiers whose lives were lost in the defense of liberty. These four hours gave the call to arms that roused the sleeping goliath from its slumber, these four hours forever condemned the day to infamy, it was the straw that broke the camel's back, or more aptly the straw that sent him into a battle rage. This tragedy, relatively minuscule in the grand scope of the war that would eventually claim the lives of American soldiers in the hundreds of thousands, dragged the United States into the war that would eventually come to an end only with the deaths of millions, civilian and military personnel alike. One could argue that without this single event that began the day of December 7, 1941, the United States would not have emerged from the war that left Europe in ruins as a major global superpower, and consequently, using the domino effect theory the so called "Cold War" would not have occurred, and the "proxy" wars of Korea and Vietnam would never have arose, the Taliban would not have been funded by the Unites States to combat the communist threat, and the United States would not have become the acting police force of the world. This single event that forced the United States into World War Two served as a potter's hand in shaping the United States into what we know it as today, it effectively ended our isolation from the affairs of Europe, at the end of World War One the United States refused to join the League of Nations leading to its lack of means to back up its words, now at the closing of the bullet ridden chapters of World War Two the United States took its seat at the head of the United Nations and the world, and there we have remained on our gilded throne.

Bolt the Superdog said...

Since the presentation was so jammed with information, it's hard to know where to start, let alone pick the fact that stood out to me as being the "most important". I suppose that I should first start with the facts themselves. "Midget subs" (also coined "suicide missions" by Mr. K,) are 3-man submarines whose periscopes had been spotted by the USS Condor at 3:42 AM (nowadays if a periscope were spotted out of the water looking around, we might just call it "creepy"). Opana Radar Station, located on Opana Point and consisting of two guys inside a trailer with antennas on it, spots unidentified aircraft; a report which is dismissed as aircraft originating from California. Japanese "tourists" gathered data from the ground and in the air by taking "tours" of the island and taking pictures. In the interest of stealth, the Japanese fighter pilots were told not to use their radios at all until their mission was accomplished, or else their communications could be decrypted and their plan foiled. It is quite impressive just how much thought the Japanese put into the strategic plan that was the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and perhaps just as equally impressive how emotionally tragic "Pearl Harbor" became, as losing lives always is. America likes to think that we're so tough and top-dog, but precautions always need to be taken, for anything can happen to our country when we don't expect it.

Lena R said...

Lena Rohde
Period 4

The attack on Pearl Harbor highlights America’s false sense of superiority at the time, and the country’s collective belief in its invulnerability exposed the nation to this act of violence. In the years running up to the attack, the US indulged in a foreign policy that isolated it from foreigners and fostered an attitude that it was more advanced and sophisticated than the rest of the world. This denial enabled the Japanese to take us completely by surprise. Even though the government was beginning to suspect that Japan would engage its military against us, it had no concrete evidence to suggest where this attack would take place. These events would have played out quite differently today, which illustrates the obvious and tremendous blunders made on December 7th. Had US forces reported and taken action against the mysterious submarine in the opening of the harbor or the numerous bomber planes flying in from the northwest, the damage may have been reduced. As with any unfavorable occurrence, we are able to learn from our mistakes and evolve with each new situation. The events at Pearl Harbor shattered the idea of America as an untouchable fortress and brought home the frightening truth that we are vulnerable to pre-meditated attacks, much like September 11th is for our generation. With this loss of innocence, America now turns its focus outward with continued vigilance in the hope of thwarting future attacks.

Weston said...

^^^ wow, thats a cool name! ^^^^^

Weston said...

Who could that be?

Alissa Maggard said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Alissa Maggard said...

I think Weston is having a bit too much fun with a simple blogging system, lol.

Alissa Maggard said...

What I am able to take from the incident of Pearl Harbor is to know when you are rendered helpless in a situation and figure out a positive outcome that could be derived from said situation. Had the operators stationed at the radar station upon Opana peak made the correct assumption about the first wave of Japanese fighter planes, what difference could it have made? If, by some miracle, their warning made it to Pearl Harbor base before the first wave, what actions could have been taken in that already short amount of time to help prevent a significant amount of damage upon the island of Oahu? The amount of fighter planes that were located at the base were lined up wing tip to wing tip and heavily guarded in a form of protection from the Japanese, before the attack on Pearl Harbor was thought possible. Rendered useless and no possible time to successfully get them all in the air before the first wave came and destroyed them one by one. If they somehow all made it into the air, the American fighter planes were severely outnumbered. While the deaths and losses will always be tragic, it’s generally overlooked that, statistically, Pearl Harbor was a disaster for the Japanese. Their main goal was to destroy to the two main aircraft carriers of the pacific navy and severely set the US army back. This goal was not achieved and the result was the release of the American “industrial beast”. To quote a historian, “Pearl Harbor was a blessing in disguise”. Extremely tragic and devastating, but, like any other unexpected national attack, it united our nation and kicked off an industrial advancement for the United States. From this event, we must learn to accept what has already happened and focus more on ways to benefit from the previous situation.

Anonymous said...

Mr. K's presentation presented me with information that I already knew. Although it helped to remember, this attack can always be remembered so such a breakdown of command will not happen again. Although the exact breakdown will never happen again, due to the development of technology, the basis of the surprise attack can be taken to the hearts and minds of the civilians as well as the commanding officers in the field as well as the pentagon. The closest to the attack on Pearl Harbor in modern days as far as surprise factor was the 9/11 attack. Although these attacks took many American lives, they have succeeded in "waking" the U.S. up. There have been many cases of this in history such as: the first shot of the Revolutionary War in Lexington, the burning down of the White House in 1812, the attack on American commercial ships by the German's in WWII. These surprise attacks have succeeded in waking up and making the U.S. advance their technology or tactics and in a way these have united the U.S. the most of any other single events in our history. This events show the U.S. ability to be able to unite at the most crucial times as well as prove the statement of The United States of America.

Joseph said...

Joseph, Period 3
The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is how it changed the U.S. significantly at the time. World War II was such a devastating time period Japan had attacked us in almost an unnecessary way, atleast that is my view on it. Americans then seemed to take this issue pretty lightly by seeing the planes coming ahead of time and not making it such a burden. Americans also thought lightly about the fact of how dangerous this is for our troops and most assuming that they would arrive back safely. Of course in our time period now, that seems not to be an issue. This event that took place was tragic yet even more encouraging for our country to fight, stay united or fall divided and it taught us in certain ways to increase our strength, deeply because this is a time of new military tactics/weaponry and soon will assist in a new beginning of who we are today.

Jessica Wirth said...

Jessica Wirth
Period 4
What I take away from Mr. Korling's presentation is that during this period of time, the United Sates believed itself to be invincible and superior to all other countries. No one could imagine ever being attacked, epically on American soil. It was this mentality that led to the horrific attack on Pearl Harbor. The attack on Pearl Harbor was strategically planned out by the Japanese and was meant to come as a shock to the United States. Because America had never imagined themselves being attacked, they dismissed all the warning signs, the first being the stray submarine spotted in the harbor in the early morning. This discovery should have triggered some kind of response or investigation as to how and why it was there, seeing that there were not supposed to be submarines in the harbor, but nothing was done. The second and biggest mistake the U.S. made was to disregard the many reported bombers flying over Opana Radar Station. Since there were supposed to be Californian bombers also flying into Pearl Harbor that day, it was thought that the planes were merely early so the warning was ignored. Because of these huge mistakes, the United States was taken completely by surprise by the Japanese attack and was useless in defending itself. However, if there was at least one good outcome, it was giving America a much needed wakeup call to the undeniable truth that it is not invulnerable. Because the U.S. as a nation has now realized this, it has made it stronger and more powerful, but at the same time much wiser.

Ben said...

The most important thing that really hit me was how can multiple "rising suns",(Japan, America, Germany, Russia, and Britain) rise and don't expect to run into each other at one point or another. The major key that killed us at Peal Harbor was that we fully and completely underestimated the power and intelligence of our enemy. F.D.R;'s response to this tragic attack that left American and her military deeply scared was extremely moving and returned a direct attack with a direct response that struck the hearts on Americans with vengeance, strength, and and for the ones lost. This attack that devastated our Navy and nation also, worked as a positive because this was a defining point that where our nation would either be recognized as a unified nation that will stand up with the strength that has not yet been defined or seen as a nation that will be confused, discombobulated, and not function in a time of chaos and distress. PD. 5

Camden W said...

What I've taken away from Mr.Korling's presentation is the affect Pearl Harbor had on the America and how it as a result brought America into WWII. The destruction and death caused by the Japanese brought to light the horrible organizations which were forming throughout the world. America had no desire to put itself in another World War for obvious reasons. Pearl Harbor revealed that "the war to end all wars" was sadly in no way true. The nightmare of world war would continue and the enemy had taken an offensive on them. However the unification brought on by this tragic event created a driving force capable of great victories for the safety of their nation and peace of mankind. Pearl Harbor shows the American ability to unify in the face of trials a quality which makes us a great and revered nation throughout the world.

Sonia Mendonca said...

The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is, you should always be prepared for the worst because you never know when destruction can hit. On the day of December 17th 1941, tragedy had come to Oahu when the Japanese had arrived. It had brought great misfortune to the families of the ones who had died in this attack. In the video, the mother had received a call confessing that her son had died, but he had died as a supreme sacrifice in the defense of his country. The Japanese planned the attack on Pearl Harbor as a shock to the United States. Because Japan was poor in natural resources, Japan's leaders responded by resolving to seize the resource-rich territories of Southeast Asia, even though that move would certainly result in war with the United States. The United States would never have expected to be attacked on a casual Sunday morning. For this reason, they had ignored all the warning signals, such as the submarine detected in the Pearl Harbor, and the Japanese planes that were spotted by radar before the attack, assumed to be a flight from America due in from the west coast. Just by taking care of that first warning, less damage could have taken place. These warnings could have been taken care of if the United States would have been more prepared. This attack that the Japanese had done was more of a “wake up call” on our part. Since then, the United States no longer was untouchable, meaning anything at any time could come our way. This also relates to 9/11, coming from our generation, as another “wake up call”. Only these tragic events could make the United States stronger and also more prepared for the future of our safety.

Karina said...

During this presentation in class, I could not help but feel proud to be an American. It is sad thinking about the Americans who died and all the destruction. But in that moment of crisis when there was so much distress, Americans were able to unite and come together. Dec 7 1941 was a horrible day. For me it is hard to even think what pain people must have felt when they realized their loved ones were gone. I imagine it must have been like 9/11. So much remorse has come from both of these days. But at the same time Americans are seen coming together and working together to protect themselves. I would like to think Americans can come together without another crisis occurring.

Ricky said...

The primary thing I have extracted from Mr. Korling’s incredibly accurate presentation is learning of the brave men who died a most atrocious death during Japan’s well planned attack on Pearl Harbor. During this well coordinated assault on Pearl Harbor, one of America’s most heavily fortified bases, the USS Oklahoma, an American ship, cap-sized and drowned the vast majority of it’s occupants. Throughout most of the assault there were many similar cases of men dying because they were trapped in the hull of their own ship due to the continuous Japanese bombing. Although the Japanese were incredibly effective in their frontal assault on Pearl Harbor, they failed to destroy their primary objectives because at that time the U.S. Air carriers were not docked in Pearl Harbor as previously thought by the Japanese. This, to some extent, removed the necessity for a third assault, as the Japanese previously planned, and so as soon as the second Japanese bomber group concluded their attack and returned back to their air carrier, they left satisfied with their successful assault. Now the thing that disturbs me most about the attack on Pearl Harbor is the completely evil and distort motives Japan had on attacking a nation that insisted on remaining neutral. Japan’s primary reasons for attacking Pearl Harbor was to gain complete Naval and Air dominance in the pacific to obtain the ability to conquer and dominate oil rich nations in the pacific which I find to be completely evil. But anyway to sum this all up, my take upon the attack on Pearl Harbor is that I find it entirely atrocious on why Japan attacked a neutral nation and that those mindless Japanese bombers killed innocent men, women, and children.

Cammie Gelbuda said...

Cammie Gelbuda
Period 4

The most important thing that I took from Mr. Korling’s presentation is the affect Pearl Harbor had on the Americans. December 7, 1941 was a tragic day for many American people as many lives were lost and many loved ones were hurt. Although this will never happen again because we have better technology and more people watching over us. This day that Pearl Harbor was attack might remind people of when 9/11 came and we lost many loved ones. Some people say that the U.S planned 9/11 so we would wake up and do what was best for us this stuff this is not a joke this is real and people need to believe it and help out many others, although this attack took many lives, know we just know that we have to have more control on who comes on our territories, and what they do. Many people may say that this was just the Japanese, planning to mess with us, its not, it’s more than that. The Japanese have been planning this attack on Pearl Harbor for a while and they planned to do it on a Sunday when nothing ever happens. Know that we know what to do to prepare for these tragic times and we all know that we have to stick with it and know that we just have to wake up and become better Americans.

Anne Broussard said...

Anne Broussard
Period 4

The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is how America, at the time, had such a superiority complex. We believed, as a country, that we could not possibly ever be a target because we thought that we could fight off any one man, vessel, or aircraft that dared attack us. America believed that they we're unstoppable, unshakeable, and most of all they believed that they were untouchable. What happened on December 7th, 1941 and what happened on September 11, 2001 though very different, have the samesad moral story coming out of both attacks. America wasn't prepared for such attacks because they had the mindset that something like that would be impossible. Why plan for something thats never ever going to happen? The mindset of the military leaders that choose Pearl Harbor to use as a U.S. Navel base was because it would be theoretically impossible for the ships to be attacked, "the water was too shallow", obviously meaning that those ships couldn't possibly be touched. Those attacks were a rude wakening for our country, we learned many things from them.

brynnlynae27 said...

Brynn Villa
Period 6
The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling’s presentation is….to enjoy the things and the people around you because you never know when that thing or person will be taken away from you. With Pearl Harbor, many lives were lost. In the video you can hear a letter written by a worried mother whose son is in the army. We don’t know if her son left on a bad note with her, but we learn to cherish the moments with our family as heard in this clip. Though the times may get tough with each family member, you never know when that family member will be killed in one way or another. From this clip we also learn to prepare for the unexpected. Pearl Harbor was a surprise for many people. The destruction not only affected those in the battle but also those in their homes hearing of this tragic incident. Whether a family member was in the accident or not, heart ache and pain quivered through their spines, realizing that many things can happen within a split second of being at peace. At the begging of the clip we see and hear the joy of everyone living their normal lives not giving a care in the world…and then the tragic incident occurred and people were dumbstruck and crushed. Cherish lifes every moment cause one second you have everything you could ever hope for and the next thing you know, it disappears.

Missy Smith said...

Melissa Smith
Period 4
The thing that I took away from Mr. Korlings presentation is that you have to always be ready for something strange and sometimes horrible to happen. You never know when you are going to be attacked whether it be in the business world or the military world there is no way you can calculate when or why something happens, it just does. You have no control over someone else's opinion. That's also what makes you human, the ability to make your own choices and to choose what path you walk. The only thing you can do in these situations is prepare yourself and be ready when people attack you. There are always people in the world that won't agree with what you do and may even hate you, but the only thing you can do is to fight back. But on that day we felt scared and unsure, we didn't know what was happening and by the time we did, it was too late. World War 2 wasn't a mistake and, as an American, I am proud that we did not stay down for long. After Pearl Harbor we got backup stronger than before and on a mission, a mission to protect our country, to never allow that great of an attack happen again.

Anika Jones said...

So what I took out of Mr. K's presentation on Pearl Harbor was that the attack on Pearl Harbor was like the 9/11 of our day. In both situations, many American lives were lost and they both led to the US going to war-but only for our protection. The US waited to jump into the war. America thought about the consequences of war and the troubles it causes. We did not just fight for our selves in WW2. It was for many other countries around the world. Times for American citizens were hard during the war. Family members sent their sons and dads off to war not knowing if they would return. The letter from the mother about her MIA son really got to me. For MONTHS, she did not know if her son was alive! Imagine living with the fact not hearing from your son and finally recieving the news that he was killed Many sacrifices were made to support machinery and weapon manufacturing. Normal citizens were contributing to the cause just by recycling metal, buying less food, and living more simple lives. Americans had to cut down on a lot of simple things used everyday in order to support troops around the world.I think it's pretty amazing how the country was able to come together in this time of troubles and fight for the right cause, whether on the battle front or in your hometown.

jack mcclain :D said...

the important thing i am taking away from the incident at pearl harbor is the affect that one persons choice can have on many people. knowing you have all these peoples lives at stake a person might think that its better safe then sorry. the moment that man got a report saying there was a submarine that was not responding or able to identify itself he blew it off. the fact that someone has the guts to think that because he/her are in a well fortified place that thinking about his comrades and friends are safe rather then being alert for any surprise attacks. if pearl harbor had sent that message out and america was able to get there fast enough lots of lives would have been saved that day. the fact that one mans carelessness killed many soldiers that day affected us all. realizing we are not as invulnerable as we thought made us more aware of the things going on around us so we can be ready for another attack anywhere at any time. we are ready to defend the people we care for and even die for them. rather then being lazy and costing many lives we are more alert and ready to counter any attacks that come our way.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Krizelle
Period 4
The most important thing i am taking from Mr.Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is that we should have been better prepared for this and had precautions at the ready considering that there was a periscope seen on December 7th but was totally ignored. They should have investigated the unknown submarine and assumed the worst instead of just dismissing the periscope sighting. If they had they would have been able to prepare for an attack if confirmed that it was an enemy submarine. But they believed that no one in their right mind would attack Pearl Harbor considering how it just was not the most ideal place for a naval base. The military officers also failed to find any serious threat when a radar spotted 50 or more aircrafts going toward Oahu. The attack was not even meant to be a surprise but considering that the US military ignored some hints of an attack, it was a complete surprise. We Americans need to always be prepared for any situation at any time so a situation like Pearl Harbor's doesn't ever happen again. The attack on Pearl Harbor shows us of what can happen if we are not prepared.

Bella said...

The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is the fact that we as Americans were very unprepared for any kind of attack at that hour. There were not many people on guard so it was the perfect time for any smart enemy to attack. The tragic thing is that the Japanese succeeded with what they planned to do. The good men and women that died in the event could have been spared if the intelligence had looked into the origins of the bombers or the course for the unknown submarine. There should have been warning bells going off at these sings. The men and women that risked their lives to protect the United States reminds me of yet another horrific event in our history: 9/11. We were unprepared for this accident as well. The number of lives lost in Pearl Harbor was around 2000, for 9/11 it was almost 3000 people. Those 5000 or so Americans could have been spared if people in charge paid closer attention to the warning signs! What it winds down to is the fact that the US is cocky. We think that people dare not take us on either by ship, car, plane, or train because we could simply take them out in a heart beat. These events were a rude awakening that teaches us Americans to be mindful of ourselves and of others around us, whether they are allies or enemies.

Zach N. said...

Period 4
In 1941, on December 7th, the attack on Pearl Harbor in Oahu Hawaii astonished millions of U.S. citizens and changed our nation’s sense of security. Not only was this a mortifying and stunning act by the Japanese navy, but one of their most successful Japanese strategies in the war had they completely destroyed the US navy for fear of encountering their carriers. What I get out of this is that one should always be aware of ones security and must be ready for possible problems to arise. Pearl Harbor’s first sighting of possible attack are at 3:42 am when the US minesweeper Condor less than 2 miles away from the mouth of the harbor spots a submarine periscope about 50 yards away and signals the nearby destroyer Ward of the submarine’s presence. This shows that the US patrols around Pearl Harbor were aware of an unidentified presence but had no thought of reporting to headquarters until sinking the sub several hours later. This shows that the US navy, like the rest of the US, felt no feeling of danger or incoming attack. They felt that no one would be crazy enough to attack the great United States of America, unthinkable, especially on a Sunday. Another act of the harbors’ active security is when an Opana Radar Station van on the northern part of Oahu spots more then fifty unidentified aircraft heading southward straight towards Oahu at 7:02am. The report is later dismissed by an army lieutenant in Fort Shafter because US B-17 bombers are supposed to head to Hawaii from California the same day (except, California is west, right?). This shows that even the heads of command were not expecting their coming demise; Japan had not declared war, and the harbor’s defenses were left wide open. This shows that since Japan had not declared war or communication was too late to established with Washington, the US Navy was unaware and dismissing of an impending attack. The Japanese Navy attacked with two waves of bombers, fighters, torpedo bombers, and dive-bombers that left the harbor weak and almost destroyed, the attack ended upon fear of being found by US carriers. This day was the first battle of the US-Japanese that not only stunned the nation, but also united its people against a common enemy.

Unknown said...

The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is America's unity. Although America was surprised by the attack on Pearl Harbor we were able to come together through the hard times. Roosevelt's response to the attack only strengthened America's pride and unity. Another thing i am taking away from the presentation is a reminder that the soldiers lost in the attack should not just be remembered as a whole. The mother's letter in the video reminds us that the soldiers were individuals. This only strengthens my pride and makes me grateful to be an American.

Unknown said...

That comment was by me. Sheridan

Quinn Wamsat said...

On December 7th 1941 the greatest disaster in United States history occurred. Truly this was and is, “A date which will live in infamy.” As Mr. Korling brought to my attention during his presentation on Pearl Harbor, the most important thing about that fateful morning was not the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but in fact, rather for the rude awakening of a nation losing a war. It was a surprise attack, an attack that occurred at a time when the United States was least expecting it. It was a slap in the face to those who thought of our country as indestructible. In Oahu, Hawaii, early on the morning the War in the Pacific was already over an hour old. The First unknown sighting of the start of the Japanese attack was overlooked by the minesweepers periscope. As is protocol when the submarine is spotted the U.S.S. ward tries contacting it to see what business it has on military grounds. When there is no answer the ward shoots it, causing it to report to the Japanese that their spy was spotted. Not little after that the Japanese sent in two waves of plane attacks killing 2,403 and wounding 1,178 United States soldiers.

Eva Gaza said...

The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is how we take our lives and the lives of others for granted every single day. During this moment of time the United States thought they were invincible and never imagined being attacked. This attack took a tremendous toll on the United States because so many soldiers had to fight and many people were killed. The attack on Pearl Harbor was by the Japanese who were underestimated by the Americans. The Japanese set out a strategy to attack without the United States even suspecting them at all since there were no signals. The events on the attack of Pearl Harbor would not be able to occur today due to the fact that the United States developed technology so it would be suspected unlike the attack on Pearl Harbor. This attack really opened my eyes to how America is not untouchable and how everything in the world can change so dramatically in an instant. I feel that the attack on Pearl Harbor showed how we should never let our guard down because we never know what might happen. Pearl Harbor is a day that will never be forgotten and we shall honor all the people who helped defend us and took their own lives.

Manisha said...

Manisha Dail
Period 4

The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is that back then people did not worry about being attacked by surprise. They were not prepared because they did not know that people would do such a thing to them; the government had a hunch that they Japanese may do something fishy but they had not core evidence to support it. If the US had taken account of the mysterious submarine or taken note of the numerous suspected bomber planes flying overhead maybe just maybe the event could have been avoided. Since we are just human mistakes are to be made. Pearl Harbor, just as September 11th had an impact on our nation but the impact was both devastating and enlightening. It was a time where everyone could come together as a nation and stand by each other and unite the nation as a whole. I think the US has never been stronger than when these two tragic events took place both Pearl Harbor and September 11th. The attack on Pearl Harbor left people shattered and crushed not only literally but also emotionally and that’s what made us come together as a whole.

Sonia Mendonca said...

I'm sorry I forgot to say my period, Im period 4

Greg Thyberg said...

Greg Thyberg Period 4 10th grade
The most important thing I took from Mr.K’s presentation of attack on Pearl Harbor is merely another U.S policy blunder that caused the death of many American troops.One of the cornerstones of U.S foreign policy is to provide aid to foreign nations and groups. This policy has backfired in many instances and the attack on Pearl Harbor is a prime example of it. The U.S helped modernize Imperial Japan with western technology,which they previously shunned for centuries. Japan began to boom due to the technology the U.S gave them. This gave Japan the power to solve their problems with military might. The U.S helped modernized economy,which built the infrastructure to support such an attack on that scale. The U.S gave that technology to Japan in an attempt to create a modernized nation with western values but ultimately the radical eastern ideologies of Japan were to deep rooted to be changed. This fatal combo of extremism and advanced technology led to a costly war that escalated the use of nuclear weapons.The attack on Pearl Harbor was an event in the making ever since the U.S shared its prized technology. The U.S created their own enemy with their flawed policies and poor political decisions. The attack on Pearl Harbor should have been a warning for the U.S to stop giving weapons to other countries.If it was not for the flawed foreign policies of the U.S the attack would have never occurred,which might of caused the U.S in World War Two to never happen.

Pauly B said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gaby Guzman said...

Period 4
The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is that us as a nation need to be more prepared at any time of the day and always be thankful for who we have in our lives and what we have because you will NEVER know when something might happen to us. This "war" that had happened and was a surprise attack on pearl harbor was very sad yeah, but made us stronger and unstoppable. What we gather from this day will always carry with us because we have to be prepared, strong, there, and show them that non of their weapons or whatever they build will never tear our nation apart. It is important to realize whats really happened and why this hit us so much. But now we are prepared for anything to come around the corner and hit us and stronger than ever.
I believe that this was a surprise and we did not see this coming obviously, but even though this didnt involve our country it still hit us even harder. We should be thankful that they didnt put the surprise attack on us because we would have lost everything and we probably might of been scared but yet get stronger. I think anyone would risk their life for someone they dont know because they dont want to be here but they made it threw the scariest time of their life. Us as a nation now have a stronger and better army that cannot be torn apart because we are ready for whatever or whenever another surprise may come our way. But we do not know when something like this will happen. So we have to go on living life day by day being prepared and strong for anything to occur..

Pauly B said...

Period 6

The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is that we always need to be alert and on the ready. We would've suffered smaller losses if we had been prepared and had paid attention when the first shot was fired by the destroyer on the submarine and the radio operators at Opana Radar Station had sent the message about the unidentified aircraft. Another important thing I am taking away from the presentation is the idea of racism that America had towards the Japanese. The American military had underestimated the Japanese war machine and thought that anyone who would attack Pearl Harbor would be dumb because of the shallowness of the harbor. The Japanese soon developed a way to destroy the American ships and thus were able to cripple the American forces in Hawaii and delay them.

Weston said...

Period 4

The attack on Pearl Harbor gives the United States a new perspective by knocking it off of its preverbal pedestal over the rest of the world. At the time we thought that we were so powerful that no other country would ever attack us. Due to the United States’ feeling of superiority and untouchable mentality the military got careless, which allowed for game changing mistakes to be made. When the people stationed at Pear Harbor received intelligence of a Japanese attack on America, but concluded that because of Pear Harbor’s geographical location and strength that we were sure that the Japanese would not engage the U.S. at Pearl Harbor, but instead attempt to attack the Philippines. Also when a large formation of planes headed strait for Hawaii was detected on their radar, they figure that it is a group of bombers from the United States, scheduled to fly through Pearl Harbor on their route to the Philippines. Finally once the formation of Japanese planes was spotted over head, it was too late and the damage Pear Harbor was going to sustain would be irreversible. Through a large amount of unawareness, the United States inadvertently allowed the Japanese to deliver a truly punishing blow that would eventually change the U.S. into the great nation you see before you today.

Quinn Wamsat said...

I forgot, PERIOD 4! haha sorry

NMagahis said...

Nikka Magahis
Period 3 and 5

The most remarkable aspect I absorbed from Mr. Korling’s presentation on Pearl Harbor was how America came to unite as one nation, devoting itself not on revenge, but rather focusing on the sense of undying nationalism and humility. December 7, 1941, a “date which will live in infamy,” happened to set the scene for America’s entrance into World War II. Who knew that on an ordinary Sunday morning, before daybreak, in Honolulu, Hawaii the Japanese Imperial Army and Navy would go to battle against the U.S. and British forces in the West Pacific. As a result, the attack on Pearl Harbor serves as a significant and memorable turning point in American history. At the same time the Japanese invaded the islands of the Philippines and there imposed their harsh regime. Not only was Pearl Harbor a “premeditated invasion” on American soil and a turning point in history, but a story accompanied with a moral. This event challenged the principle that America was invulnerable and superior. But if America was so invincible why was she not able to fend for her children and cease the incessant firing that pierced the air above in that dire moment of need? It was then, that her people came to realize that the strength needed to “win through to absolute victory”, as Roosevelt had proclaimed, was complete unification in times of affliction. The people did not let vengeance or animosities linger and harbor within them. Instead a feeling of steadfast and irrevocable patriotism was aroused. In a similar perspective, America was humbled by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The citizens of the United States were taught to first come together and join as one nation in order to become great. This idea of lowly beginnings contributes to their success in World War II and remains inter weaved in American culture until today. With this new mindset, the United States of America emerged as a rising superpower after World War II. The invasion illustrated the fact that anything could occur in the blink of an eye and often when we are caught off guard. Such an occurrence has ensued on September 11, 2001, when a member of the Taliban flew an American plane through the World Trade Center. This unfortunate incident in American history also demonstrates that history repeats itself. In a sense the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and 9/11 are instances where history repeats itself. During both of these trying times it is necessary that America, as a nation, must be in absolute unity. These occasions call for the cooperation of its people and their responsibilities to their country as American citizens. Therefore, as we have done and remained, we must continue to rise and fly like wings on eagles.

bailey fitzpatrick said...

I didn't know a lot about the attack on Pearl Harbor so I took a lot from Mr. Korling's presentation. The biggest thing I took from the presentation though was the fact that the American troops would let their guard down because they were so confident and they just assumed no one would attack them on Pearl Harbor. One of the biggest mistakes that the U.S. made was that they underestimated the intelligence of the other countries. The Japanese took advantage of this by staying under the U.S.'s radar and secretly planning an attack on the American military's weakest area. Another mistake they made was being too lazy. When the they saw the planes coming in on the radar they assumed they were coming from California. They didn't make sure they were coming from California because they thought there was no way that anyone would attack Pearl Harbor. This was also a good day for the United States because they realized that when they're facing adversity, they have the ability to unite and defend themselves from attacks. Pearl Harbor was an eye-opening experience for the U.S. military because they realized they aren't the smartest country in the world and that if they let their guard down then the other countries will capitalize on it.
Bailey Fitzpatrick
period 6

Moriah said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ConnerSwanson said...

Conner Swanson
Period: 3/5

I took away that the attack on Pearl Harbor was an extremely decisive moment in World War two due to the emotional motivation that it created in the minds of Americans. Although previous tragedies had occurred at the hands of the Germans resulting in the loss of American lives, Pearl Harbor would firmly unite the Americans to fight back vigorously against the newly perceived evildoers. The Japanese were able to plan a successful attack but not a successful future. While the Japanese altered the short term capabilities of the United States, they set in motion a future that would result in their defeat. This future would expose the reality of American ability as a superpower that still is recognized today. Because of the Japanese brutality in the tragedy of Pearl Harbor, Americans were reluctant to be compassionate towards the Japanese when they had the power to devastate cities and thus the Japanese suffered far greater losses in the atomic bombings. Throughout the presentation I saw how helpless Americans must have been at Pearl Harbor and that this was more than a Hollywood love story, it was a tragedy and a new beginning. In conclusion, I am taking away that Pearl Harbor sparked the removal of hyperactive evil at the cost of tragedy and pain.

Anonymous said...

Hailey Wall
Period 4

The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling’s presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is the importance of always being prepared for the worst. December 7, 1941 sent shock waves throughout the United States and other parts of the world. The Japanese had successfully bombed the most unthinkable harbor at the time—Pearl Harbor. There were many indications that could have stopped this tragic day in history, such as sightings of Japanese submarines and airplanes. The Japanese were able to pull off something so simple yet so deadly. This attack would finally cause the United States to realize the severity of the war and the enemy at hand. On December 8, 1941, a day after this alarming raid, the United States joined the war, heartbroken over the lives lost due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As we think back to that awful day in our country’s history, we need to remember the soldiers whose lives were lost, and realize how lucky we are to have men and women who are willing to risk their lives every day so that we don’t have to. It is said best in the quote by Elmer Davis: “This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.”

Greg Thyberg said...

The attack on Pearl Harbor occurred on December 7, 1941 on the island of Oahu and prompted U.S involvement in world war two. The attack can interpreted in many ways but the most important interpretations are the attack ended the innocence of the entire nation and its youth. Another interpretation suggest that the attack is merely another U.S foreign policy blunder. The music video was used to drive the point that attack on Pearl Harbor was the start of a decade of pain suffering for American people because it started the U.S involvement in one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history. The attack robbed the innocence of the youth and introduced to them to vicious and cruel world that they live in. The Japanese's actions that day will cause destruction of many families, the death of loved ones, but ultimately will cause japanese-americans to suffer in interment camps. The attack will cause the U.S government to imprison a whole ethnic group and this tainted the youth’s perspective of racism and enforced the racial stereotypes of that era.Thus shattering the youths innocent view that all races are treated equal. Despite the war ending in 1945 the repercussions of this malignant conflict carry over to this day and it all began with the attack Pearl Harbor.The United States now and in the past have been known to help modernize militaries of other countries and factions.The United States has given weapons to the Ba’athist regime of Iraq, The Taliban, and Imperial Japan and the U.S has been at war with all these groups. The United States helped modernize Japans army which ultimately created a collision course between these two powers.The help of the U.S allowed Japan to assert itself as a powerful nation and gave them the ability to solve their issues by warfare. The attack is the indirect handiwork of a flawed U.S policy. The most important thing about the attack on Pearl Harbor is that the attack came from an enemy that the United States created through the transfer of weapons and tactics. From our modern perspective it can be seen as the 9/11 of the 20th century because it will define a generation as it did during that time.

Merrick Santos said...

Period 6

The most important thing that I took away from Mr. K’s presentation is that Americans’ judgment is often clouded by our pride and the belief that we are a superior nation. And because we feel superior we often think that we cannot be touched by other nations or groups. With the thought of being superior settling in the back of our minds we tend to think that no one will even think about attacking us, which can cause us to be unprepared for an imminent attack. The soldiers that were at the radar station just assumed that the planes heading for the Harbor were U.S. planes and did not get a confirmation because they were hungry and would not have even considered it being an enemy plane. The fact that no one was warned or even thought to tell someone amazes me. Also, we had few ways to defend ourselves from a possible attack. Most of our firepower was somewhere else and we had no way of getting to it because the Japanese had surrounded the Island and were trying to cut off any way of leaving the Harbor. Had we not have been blinded by our pride, we would not have lost so many good people that day.

Brianna Brinzo said...

Brianna Brinzo
Period 4
The attack on Pearl Harbor sent a nation identified as indivisible into complete disarray and uncertainty. The ruthless acts of violence by the Japanese initially brought about nothing but grief and anguish but later symbolized the need for the US to be prepared for a national catastrophe at any given moment. The melancholy caused by this adverse was the threshold for the declaration of war on Japan and ultimately lead to the rallying and support of the US troops. The unpreparedness of the US government played a significant role in the success of the attack, surprising both the Americans and the Japanese. The incompetence of our government did contribute to the premeditated attack, the Japanese ultimately acting as the agent. This displays the discreditable ignorance within our own system that could have been prevented, just as other tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 could have. Revisions have been made to national disaster plans following the attacks that America has endured to uphold the standards held by our country, but potential breaches of international protocol subsist. The attack on Pearl Harbor and those subsequent to it indicate the renovations the government must undergo in order to reassure a protected and secure country.

Brianna Brinzo said...

Brianna Brinzo
Period 4
The attack on Pearl Harbor sent a nation identified as indivisible into complete disarray and uncertainty. The ruthless acts of violence by the Japanese initially brought about nothing but grief and anguish but later symbolized the need for the US to be prepared for a national catastrophe at any given moment. The melancholy caused by this adverse was the threshold for the declaration of war on Japan and ultimately lead to the rallying and support of the US troops. The unpreparedness of the US government played a significant role in the success of the attack, surprising both the Americans and the Japanese. The incompetence of our government did contribute to the premeditated attack, the Japanese ultimately acting as the agent. This displays the discreditable ignorance within our own system that could have been prevented, just as other tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 could have. Revisions have been made to national disaster plans following the attacks that America has endured to uphold the standards held by our country, but potential breaches of international protocol subsist. The attack on Pearl Harbor and those subsequent to it indicate the renovations the government must undergo in order to reassure a protected and secure country.

Cori Brunet said...

Cori

The most important thing I took away from Mr. Korling’s presentation is unity brought about from Pearl Harbor. America thought of itself as superior to other countries at this time. It is arguable that the bombing and losses at Pearl Harbor could have been prevented because seemingly obvious warning signs were dismissed. If these indications were investigated immediately upon suspicion and the uninvited presence of the Japanese was revealed, many lives could have been saved and a lot less destruction would have come about. However, there most likely would still be loss due to the thorough plans of the Japanese and the fact that us Americans were somewhat cornered in the harbor. But what happened happened, and though December 7th, 1941 was “a date which will live in infamy,” it did bring America together as a whole, causing us to depend on one another as well as giving us a better sense of unity. The United Sates ended up having to pull together for WW2. Many men were recruited to fight in the war (as well as at Pearl Harbor) and risk or give their lives. Those men were husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers. In the video Mr. Korling played, a mother of a killed soldier from Pearl Harbor wrote a letter that was read aloud concerning her son and his whereabouts. She didn’t find out for roughly three months that her son was dead. Everyone suffered some sort of loss, some greater than others. Those fighting directly in the war had obvious sacrifices and had to unit, but the people at home in the states did as well. They did so in other ways like having certain materials and foods rationed and volunteering in professions that assisted with the war like making more weapons in factories or being nurses for the wounded soldiers. It is unfortunate the events at Pearl Harbor had to occur, but it was necessary to remind the United States we are not unstoppable. Lessons have been learned from the Pearl Harbor Attack and WW2, and the gaps in security and government that existed then and may have led to those events have now been taken care of. The U.S. was made aware of some weaknesses and reminded of the saying “Pride comes before fall.” These lessons and values have not gone to waste but in fact have made us stronger, and who we are today, as one nation.

bri.nic said...

The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is not only how America came together and united to fight against Japan, but also how powerful America really is. Pearl Harbor completely took the U.S by surprise which lead to WWII and yet we still managed to win the war. The attack on Pearl Harbor influence many new technologies mainly for the war force that they used during WWII. Another thing that I took from the presentation was the letter a mother had written to the Army to find out where her son was. Every single one of those soldiers had a life before going into the Army and they had made sacrifices for their country. Yes, many loved ones were killed during this time but they died in place of their loyalty for their country.

steven F said...

steven fraser per4

the most important thing I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentaion on pearl harbor is America's unfounded sense of superiority, and how the countrys belief in this left it open to the attack. it was the years of acting like the rest of the world was less advanced and sophisticated then us that allowed japan to completely take us by suprise. though the goverment had a suspition that japan was going to attack us, they didnt have any clues as to where. the attack would never been possible today with the advanced technology we have today, but the damage could have been avoided or termendously reduced had the US armed forces followed up on the many warning signs they saw leading up to the attack.this attack destroyed the idea of america being a unassialible fortress and shook the nation to its core much like september 11 did for our generation. as with any tragic events we have learned from the mistakes we made and have continued to improve our defenses so that we can prevent another event like this.


steven fraesr per4

steven F said...

steven fraser per4

the most important thing I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentaion on pearl harbor is America's unfounded sense of superiority, and how the countrys belief in this left it open to the attack. it was the years of acting like the rest of the world was less advanced and sophisticated then us that allowed japan to completely take us by suprise. though the goverment had a suspition that japan was going to attack us, they didnt have any clues as to where. the attack would never been possible today with the advanced technology we have today, but the damage could have been avoided or termendously reduced had the US armed forces followed up on the many warning signs they saw leading up to the attack.this attack destroyed the idea of america being a unassialible fortress and shook the nation to its core much like september 11 did for our generation. as with any tragic events we have learned from the mistakes we made and have continued to improve our defenses so that we can prevent another event like this.


steven fraesr per4

Zachary Vavra said...

Zachary Vavra
Period 4
There are many important things that I could take away from Mr. K’s presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor, but I think that the most important aspect that anyone can take away from this discussion is the warning to the next generation of leaders not to be overconfident in the midst of war. Because of the technology today nothing exactly like Pearl Harbor could ever happen again, but the significance of the warning still holds. No one is invincible and during a war the gross neglect of evidence is unacceptable. I think that the purpose of learning about history is to recognize the mistakes of the past in an attempt to prevent them in the future. I think Mr. K’s presentation did just that. I now know what went wrong on December 7, 1941 and how it can be prevented from happening in the future.

Zachary Vavra said...

I am sorry I was late.

Anonymous said...

Our country has been through many wars and this event in time was heartwrenching. The destruction of homes, stores, and lives is just so devastating. What really got me was the letter from a mother who sent letters to her son and who hasn't responded back to her. In the army many lives are at stake and families should always be prepared for what will happen in the end. A man who is willing to die for his country to protect his home is a honarable and noble thing to do which makes them superheroes of our country. It was sad that the mother had to find out that her son died during the attack. Some wars the soldiers were not on top of their game waiting for the last minute to fight but in Pearl Harbor the soldiers were on their feet waiting for the big fight coming their ways. The Civil War brothers fighting brothers was terrible, World War 2 all those innocent lives secretly being murdered without notice was so terrifying and sad. Then Pearl Harbor another war for our country to fight. Instead of getting revenge which never solves the problem the U.S went to England for back-up. This event couldn't be stopped it was going to happen eventually. We see that day as a reminder of how our country pulled through another tragic event that only made us stronger today.

Tristan said...

Tristan Mauricio
Period 6
The most important thing that I am taking from Mr., Korling’s presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is that you can never be too careful. The people who were in charge of Pearl Harbor thought that no one would ever attack the base because it was not an “ideal” base to attack and the people who were stationed there did not think anyone would attack them. Early in the morning an American ship spots a periscope from a submarine and report it to the station but no one can report it because everyone was asleep. If someone important was awake they could have spread the word and at least prepare for an attack. A couple hours later a radio station positioned in the north side of the island picks up a large group of planes heading towards them but turns off their radio to get breakfast. Yet again we make the mistake of ignoring a potential threat. A couple minutes later another American ship sees a Japanese sub and opens fire on it but when they report it in everyone important is asleep or playing golf. That was our last warning to get everyone up and ready for a fight. Our final mistake that decided the fate of the harbor was when a very close radar station picks up that same group of planes but decides it’s the group of B-17’s coming in from California but we were completely wrong. With those obvious mistakes and us not taking the precautions to protect ourselves thousands of Americans and various ships were destroyed and if it had not been for the fear of them being attacked and our aircraft carriers being somewhere else we could have lost the war in the Pacific and the war could have had a different outcome.

Brenna said...

The most important thing that I am taking away from the Pearl Harbor presentation is the letter from the mother to her son that died during the Japanese Attacks. This reminds the Americans that no matter how many people have died in battles or wars or attacks like this, it impacts others. Each of these men and women that died had families that were all affected from this. Also, the mother did not receive notice of her son's situation until almost three months after writing. The rescue teams were constantly searching through the destruction for lost soldiers. Each of these people sacrificed their lives for this great nation, and the new generations of today don't realize the importance of the numbers lost, and those still not found. These soldiers deserve respect and remembrance which today is a hard thing to come by, for something that occurred 70 years ago. Attacks like this do not bring the nation together because it already is, however, it points America in a direction to display our power each as individuals and as one nation. As history repeats itself in 2001, with 9/11, we prove our power, and through each of these trying times, and constantly, America is strengthened.

K-Dog said...

Two things: first, it is important that you clearly identify who you are so that you can receive credit for what you have written; second, it is important that you do not simply cut and paste your entry from som other site. The thing about the internet is that I can copy what you have written and paste it into a Google search and then find where you got your "blog entry". It takes a few seconds, but it works beautifully. Plagiarism will not be tolerated either in formal papers or informal blogs or any other form.

ChaosAxel said...

Evelyn Pantoja
Period 6
WC: 324

The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is that we have to be prepared for anything at all times even when it is least expected. Things like this mostly always happen when we least expect it. One moment we are enjoying our lives thinking that we can not ask for anything better and the next moment everything we love is gone. Just because we are at a higher level than everyone else does not mean that the “impossible” can not happen. We were completely sure that no one would attack us and that there was no way anyone would even dare to do so. The Japanese knew this and took the opportunity to bring us down. Compared to us, they carefully and intelligently planned everything out and even sent us a warning that they were on their way, even though it did not make it through on time, thinking that attacking secretly was not honorable at all. They cared a bit at least and wanted to give us a chance to fight back. Other than that, there were many hints and clues that we were going to be attacked and no one did anything about it and many lives were lost. Many families that were actually enjoying time together did not expect that that day would be their last. One moment they are laughing and having fun and then the next their family is torn apart because of a couple of their deaths or serious injuries, or they are completely killed off. This is what reality is and we did not think about that. Maybe if we could have just done something about at least one of those clues, some lives could have been saved. Then again, that horrible attack made us, or at least most of us, realize that anything could happen and that we must be prepared at all times.

Ciera said...

The thing that stood out the most in Mr. Korling's presentation about Pearl Harbor was the note that was sent to the mother four months after she had written hers. This stood out because it really shows how much the army cared, which was not at all. It shouldn't have taken approximately four months for them to write the mother back, and it wouldn't have if they actually cared. Another thing I took away was how the United States became more united after this, the attacking of pearl harbor triggered an advance in technology that was necessary to form a more united army. Technology that was created in this time period influenced technology that is used in the war that's going on right now, due to 9/11. In a sense, Pearl Harbor was like the "9/11" of that time period. Since the United States was under a terrorist attack on December 7th, just as on September 11th.

Drew said...

The most important thing i took away from Mr. K's presentation on Pearl Harbor is that we cannot sit idly and remain neutral believing that no one would dare attack us because of how powerful we are while their is chaos all around us. That led to both the Pearl Harbor and 9/11 attacks. As Gandhi said we need to be the change we want to see in the world. America believed that the Japanese would not attack us at Pearl Harbor and if they did it would be in San Francisco or somewhere along the West Coast. The same thing happened in 9/11 in which the all powerful America believed that the terrorists would never dare to attack us because of our advanced technology with its hugely destructive capability. If we are to prevent another Pearl Harbor, another 9/11, we need to stop believing that we are untouchable by the world's problems and wake up and realize that nowadays everyone in the world is connected and that unlike 200 years ago when were taking our baby steps as an independent nation events in Iran or Pakistan can impact us in a huge way. We are no longer able to be an isolationist country, ignorant of what goes on outside our borders and that we need to take a more proactive approach in our international relations and foreign diplomacy.

Thorhian said...

Hey, this is josh, sorry being so late, things haven't been great.

The most important thing I got out of your presentation Mr. Korling is that because of this disaster, we as a nation are a bit more careful and not to be so proud. The fact that people detected planes coming from somewhere out of nowhere and ignored it because they had bombers coming in that day was ridiculous. Just because its a Sunday, things sometimes happen on Sundays. Especially after 9/11, we now have stricter rules and better technology to prevent this sort of thing from happening again. One thing would be the satellites that orbit our planet, so you can see the anything you want to see. We now take these things for granted, but after seeing this presentation, I have really thought about how lucky we really are.

Tyler Barrett Pomeroy said...

The most important things I took away from Mr. K’s presentation on Pearl Harbor are how ignorant we were on that day and how full of ourselves we were back then. We thought we were invincible. For example, we thought the depth of Pearl Harbor would protect us and we didn’t even think about ways the enemy could overcome it, like how they used just some wooden fin extensions to easily overcome the depth problem of dropping torpedoes into the harbor. Also, an example of how ignorant we were is how two radar stations ignored the large amount of planes coming in, and they just marked it off as our own bombers coming in to refuel. They didn’t even check to see if it was the planes they were expecting and just blew it off. Another example is how we ignored the report of a periscope spotted in the harbor and just continued on. But we should not always focus on the bad things that happed we should commemorate the men and women who fought back at the Japanese. We should also remember the brave men and women who died that day fighting back at an enemy that had the upper hand because of our negligence.

Chad said...

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was not only a devastation moment in the history of the United States because it was a crushing blow to the majority of the United States naval power in the Pacific, but also because of the unexpected nature of the attack that resulted in the deaths of so many of the American armed forces. The United States, which, had up until this point in World War 2, avoided any official involvement in the war, was provoked into the fight as a result of Japan. The attack on Pearl Harbor ultimately resulted in arousing the United States into the armed conflict, both in Europe and in the Pacific. It can even be said that, had not the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the Axis powers might have won the war. The attack on the United States by one of it's, at the time, allies was the final straw which drove American armed forces into the conflict, which ultimately resulted in the destruction of Axis powers. The deceitful way in which the attack was carried out, with a Japanese general touring the Pearl Harbor defenses under the guise of belonging to a delegate to continue peaceful relations between the countries in the weeks preceding the attack, only served as a bellows feeding the flames of American's anger. Which in turn brought the United States together and tempered it into the sword that struck down the Axis powers.

Unknown said...

Cynthia Arocan
period 6



The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is the that we Americans were very unprepared for any kind of attack on American soil. This tragic attack could have been avoided if we didn't ignore the warning signs. It was said that they spotted a submarine scope popping out of the water. Although i do have to give some credit to the Japanese they modified the torpedoes so they wouldn't descend as deep. This reminds me of the tragic event 9/11. We completely ignored the obvious signs of attacks. These two major encounter had a big impression on our country, and gave us a huge rather rude awakening; in which us Americans aren't the best and we need to be mindful of other countries. On that note its rather phenomenal how we came back stronger and smarter. In all we were very arrogant to think that we couldn't be attacked on our own soil.

Moriah said...

What I took away from the Pearl Harbor presentation was that they should have been prepared and that having the attack happen, I hope they are prepared for the worst and "Expect the Unexpected" because they never know when something horrible like that, neitherof them were aware that destruction was going to hit on either of those days. I think thay it was a strong awakening for September 11th to happen after December 7th because they were almost the same even repeated, just an unexpected attack. Having the first attack I think they should have been more aware even though they were two entirely different types of attacks, one was just a sign of war and the other was a terrorist attack. It makes sense that they weren't as prepared but in the future they should be more aware of an upcoming attack.

Camden W said...

What I've taken away from Mr.Korling's presentation is the true effect of Roosevelt's speech to the public. The destruction and death caused by the Japanese brought to light the horrible organizations which were forming throughout the world. America had no desire to put itself in another World War for obvious reasons. Pearl Harbor revealed that "the war to end all wars" was sadly in no way true. The nightmare of world war would continue and the enemy had taken an offensive on them. However the unification brought on by Roosevelt created a driving force capable of great victories for the safety of their nation and peace of mankind. Pearl Harbor shows the American ability to unify in the face of trials a quality which makes us a great and revered nation throughout the world. From the destruction of Pearl Harbor the U.S. rose substantially as a strong and powerful nation, but in addition the U.S. rose as a nation that fights for peace and a moral cause. America has since become the strongest nation because of the effect of the conflicts the nation has gone through. However instead of using this power for conquest, the U.S. utilizes this power to maintain peace on a worldwide scale. Therefore it is seen that in our modern age we must continue to harness this incredible national ability to rise from devastation. We must be able to unify in times of peril and make moral decisions that are beneficent to our nation and all others.

Andie said...

The letter that the mother sent to the army had a big impact on the presentation as well. The mother had not heard from her son for months, and a year later the army broke the news to her that her son had died serving our country. It is such a joy to me to live in a country where we dont have to worry about getting shot down in the street, when we didnt do anything wrong. Pearl Harbor had a big impact America's freedom and modern technology in the war field.

ruth. said...

Ruth Bozhko
Period 3
A couple of things I took away from Mr. Korling's Pearl Harbor presentation were that America was attacked because it was the Saudi Arabia of that time; it had control of all the oil supply. American’s was given tips about the attack. But nobody took it seriously at first. The Japanese were successful at the attack because they used no radio signal, so the fleet easily cam in unknown. Sunday morning at 6:10 the first wave of Japanese planes took off towards the island of Oahu. The planes started dropping torpedos, causing massive disaster. They bombed the island mercilessly. Luckily for the Americans the attack did not touch the petroleum; otherwise there would be a lot more damage to recover from. The planes also attacked the Navy, USS Arizona sank straight down from the attack, and it had exploded because it was filled with gunpowder. The USS Shaw was also an enormous explosion. The UUS Oklahoma was trapped upside down after it had been bombed. The Japanese were extremely successfully at bombing the American island the suicide bombers caused and immense amount of destruction in very little time.

Ricky said...

Mike Garr
APUSH/ Period 3
1/11/12
The most important thing that I am taking away from Mr. Korling's presentation about the attack on Pearl Harbor is the fact that America didn't even expect the attack to happen. Japanese spies traveled to Hawaii and took tours, flying over Hawaii, and by using that opportunity to their advantage, they gathered the knowledge of how Pearl Harbor was layed out, in order to plan their attack. America took in these Japanese spies, who they thought were tourists, thinking that they were giving them an enjoyable experience of touring Hawaii, however Japan was taking advantage of America's trust and they stabbed America in the back. This scenario is very similar to the 9/11 scenario(America trusted those men, who happened to be terrorists, by allowing them into the U.S., and those terrorists, unexpectedly, stabbed America in the back and attacked it). Not only did the attack on Pearl Harbor effect the American soldiers who fell victim, but it also effected the families of those soldiers. For example, in the video in Mr. Korling's presentation there was the part where the family of a soldier, who was a victim of Pearl Harbor, had written letters to the Navy to find out the status of the soldier after the attack. During the chaos of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Secretary Knox wasn't able to confirm the death of the soldier to the family until three months after the attack. The attack on Pearl Harbor shocked Americans and caused the U.S. to intervene with World War II. Pearl Harbor, as well as 9/11, shows that even though the U.S.'s goal is to spread peace, America can not let its guard down.

Ciera Wilson said...

Mine was too short so I would like to add that another think I took away from Mr. Korling's presentation on Perl Harbor was how our nation has to be prepared as a nation at all times and always be alert of your surroundings. Our nation was exceptionally great at coming together as one when something very large and extremely tough is thrown in it's face but it needed to learn how to work together and unite as one on a regular basis. Being attacked was the last thing American's thought they had to worry about since they were such a large super power in the world at the time. They believed that no one would dare attack them, but the Japanese were smart enough to not use any radar so America could not track them.

Karina said...

During this presentation in class, I could not help but feel proud to be an American. It is sad thinking about the Americans who died and all the destruction. But in that moment of crisis when there was so much distress, Americans were able to unite and come together. Dec 7 1941 was a horrible day. For me it is hard to even think what pain people must have felt when they realized their loved ones were gone. I imagine it must have been like 9/11. So much remorse has come from both of these days. But at the same time Americans are seen coming together and working together to protect themselves. I would like to think Americans can come together without another crisis occurring.




( My blog entry was too short so I am adding to it. )


In addition to how inspiring it was to see Americans coming together, the letters the mother sent questioning her son's whereabouts was heartbreaking. She as a mother did not know where her son was, what he was doing, or whether or not he was alive. Reading her letters and finding out that her son was dead months before she knew reminds us that it was not just soldiers risking their life, but also the family they left behind. In addition to the men and women who served, it is important to also remember their families sacrifices as well.