December 7, 1941 - Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese naval force consisting of 6 aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 9 destroyers, 8 tankers, 23 fleet submarines, and 5 midget submarines.

The damage to the US naval vessels was severe:

  • USS Arizona (BB-39) - destroyed
  • USS Oklahoma (BB-37) - destroyed
  • USS California (BB-44) - sunk
  • USS West Virginia (BB-48) - sunk
  • USS Nevada (BB-36) - beached
  • USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) - damaged
  • USS Maryland (BB-46) - damaged
  • USS Tennessee (BB-43) - damaged

Casualties: 2,389 Americans dead, 1,178 wounded.

Fifteen Medal of Honor recipients emerged from this tragedy:

Posthumous recipients:

  • Mervyn Sharp Bennion, Captain, USN
  • John James Powers, Lieutenant, USN
  • Jackson Charles Pharris, Lieutenant, USN
  • Thomas James Reeves, Chief Radioman, USN
  • Robert R. Scott, Machinist’s Mate First Class, USN
  • Peter Tomich, Chief Watertender, USN
  • Franklin Van Valkenburgh, Captain, USN
  • James Richard Ward, Seaman First Class, USN
  • Cassin Young, Commander, USN

Survivors:

  • John William Finn, Chief Aviation Ordnanceman, USN
  • Samuel Glenn Fuqua, Lieutenant Commander, USN
  • Edwin Joseph Hill, Chief Boatswain, USN
  • Herbert Charpiot Jones, Ensign, USN
  • Isaac Campbell Kidd, Rear Admiral, USN
  • Donald Kirby Ross, Machinist, USN

War is not always your choice. World War II would claim over 60 million lives before its end.