On December 7, 1941, at about 9:00 AM Eastern U.S. time, the final part of a 14 part Japanese message is sent by Tokyo to its' Washington D.C. embassy. The message states that the diplomatic relations with the United States is going to be ended. The message is decoded by U.S code breakers.

The Japanese embassy is further directed by Tokyo to deliver the main message at 1:00 P.M. (U.S. Eastern Time), to the White House. The military in Pearl Harbor is sent a message advising of the Japanese message, but it is not sent through regular military communications channels. It will take several hours to be delivered.

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor at 7:55 A.M. (Hawaii time.)

In Washington D.C. it was early afternoon. President Roosevelt was having lunch with Harry Hopkins, his trusted friend and chief policy aide. The phone rang . It was Roosevelt's Secretary of War, Henry Stimson. Stimson told the President of the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Hopkins refused to believe the report. The President believed it.

The rest of the afternoon was spent receiving news of the attack, in bits and pieces, from the Navy Department. Other members of the President's advisory committee would eventually come to the Oval Office and be brought up to date regarding the events at Pearl Harbor. Grace Tully, the President's secretary would take down the information from the phone in shorthand as it was relayed by the Navy then transcribe it to her typewriter. The massive impact of what had happened slowly became apparent to all. Shortly after 5:00 P.M. the advisors, with the exception of Hopkins, left the Oval Office. Roosevelt requested that his secretary, type a draft of the speech he had prepared for his war message to Congress. He spoke the words to her slowly and clearly.

The entire message delivered to a joint session of Congress on December 8th was short. It took the President less than six minutes to read. The opening phrase, "Yesterday, December 7,1941 - a date which will live in infamy -- The United States was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." would later be regarded as the most famous phrase ever uttered by an American President.

NATIVE AMERICAN VETERANS - PEARL HARBOR DECEMBER 7TH

Following the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Osage tribesman and Army Col. Clarence Tinker was promoted to brigadier in 1941. He was promoted to major general in 1942 and was shortly thereafter killed in action while leading a group of LB-30 bombers near Wake Island. Oklahoma's Tinker Air Force Base is named after him.

NATIVE AMERICANS IN WORLD WAR II

AMERICAN INDIANS IN WORLD WAR II

Shortly after "This Day of Infamy" on December 7, 1941, there were many songs made popular during this era.......here are the words of one song that was popular state-side.

Let's REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR
As we go to meet the foe
Let's REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR
As we did the Alamo.

We will always remember
how they died for liberty,

Let's REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR and go on to victory.

REMEMBERING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR - WITH HONOR, RESPECT AND IN MEMORY OF ALL THOSE WHO SERVED, OF ALL THOSE WHO GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE ON DECEMBER 7, 1941.

NEXT - RECOLLECTIONS FROM A SURVIVOR

Veterans Reports