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"A Day The Will
Live In Infamy"
On December 7th
1941, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, inflicting
heavy casualties and severe damage to the United States naval
forces anchored there. Before a Joint Session of Congress on
December 8, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called the
attack "a date which will live in infamy." Later that
day, the United States formally declared that a state of war
existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.
On December 8, 1941, the day after
Japanese forces attacked the American military base at Pearl
Harbor, Hawaii, Franklin Roosevelt addressed Congress and asked
for a Declaration of War with Japan. The Senate and House of
Representatives approved the war declaration unanimously with
the exception of one vote - Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin became
the first member of Congress to vote "no" on both the
declaration of war on Germany during World War I and the declaration
of war on Japan in 1941...and FDR signed the resolution that
day.
Declaration of War Against
Japan
December 8, 1941
Mr. Vice President, and Mr. Speaker, and
Members of the Senate and House of Representatives:
Yesterday, December
7, 1941...a date which will live in infamy...the United States
of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and
air forces of the Empire of Japan.
The United States
was at peace with that Nation and, at the solicitation of Japan,
was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor
looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed,
one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in
the American Island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United
States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State
a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply
stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic
negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed
attack.
It will be recorded
that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that
the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago.
During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately
sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions
of hope for continued peace.
The attack yesterday
on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American
naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many
American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have
been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco
and Honolulu.
Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched
an attack against Malaya.
Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.
Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island. And this morning
the Japanese attacked Midway Island.
Japan has, therefore,
undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific
area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves.
The people of the United States have already formed their opinions
and well understand the implications to the very life and safety
of our Nation.
As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy I
have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.
But always will our whole Nation remember the
character of the onslaught against us.
No matter how
long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the
American people in their righteous might will win through to
absolute victory. I believe that I interpret the will of the
Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only
defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain
that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.
Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the
fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in
grave danger.
With confidence
in our armed forces- with the unbounding determination of our
people- we will gain the inevitable triumph...so help us God.
I ask that the
Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack
by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed
between the United States and the Japanese Empire.
About President Franklin
D. Roosevelt's Joint Address to Congress
On December 7,
1941, the U.S. naval base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, was
subject to an attack that was one of the greatest military surprises
in the history of warfare. In less than 2 hours, the U.S. Pacific
Fleet was devastated, and more than 3,500 Americans were killed
or wounded. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor catapulted the
United States into World War II.
The American people were outraged.
Though diplomatic relations between the United States and Japan
were deteriorating, they had not yet broken off at the time of
the attack. Instantly, the incident united the American people
in a massive mobilization for war and strengthened American resolve
to guard against any future lapse of military alertness.
Early in the afternoon
of December 7, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his
chief foreign policy aide, Harry Hopkins, were interrupted by
a telephone call from Secretary of War Henry Stimson and told
that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor. At about 5 p.m.,
following meetings with his military advisers, the President
calmly and decisively dictated to his secretary, Grace Tully,
a request to Congress for a declaration of war. He had composed
the speech in his head after deciding on a brief, uncomplicated
appeal to the people of the United States rather than a thorough
recitation of Japanese treachery, as Secretary of State Cordell
Hull had urged.
President Roosevelt
then revised the typed draft...marking it up, updating military
information, and selecting alternative wordings that strengthened
the tone of the speech. He made the most significant change in
the critical first line, which originally read, "a date
which will live in world history." Grace Tully then prepared
the final reading copy, which Roosevelt subsequently altered
in three more places.
On December 8,
at 12:30pm, Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress and,
via radio, the nation. The Senate responded with a unanimous
vote in support of war; only Montana pacifist Jeanette Rankin
dissented in the House. At 4 p.m. that same afternoon, President
Roosevelt signed the declaration of war.
Roosevelt misplaced
his reading copy immediately following the speech; it remained
missing for 43 years. Instead of bringing the reading copy back
to the White House for Grace Tully to file, the President evidently
left it in the House chamber, where he had given the address.
A Senate clerk took charge of it, endorsed it "Dec 8, 1941,
Read in Joint Session," and filed it. In March 1984 an archivist
located the reading copy among the Records of the U.S. Senate,
Record Group 46, located in the National Archives building, where
it remains today. |