The Portland, Oregon, newspaper The Oregonian is generally credited with the first use of the phrase, “Remember Pearl Harbor,” in its 9 December 1941 afternoon edition. The phrase would later be used in countless books, pennants, posters, buttons, music and other wartime propaganda.
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The “Doom and Gloom Boys” were pre-Pearl Harbor cartoon characters created by artist Daniel Bishop for the St. Louis Star Times newspaper to poke fun at anti-Roosevelt factions. Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Boys were often shown criticizing Roosevelt as a war monger for his national military build-up plans. After the attack on Pearl Harbor the “Doom and Gloom Boys” took Roosevelt to task as a President who was now to blame for not having America ready for war.
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Roosevelt’s secretary later wrote that the President, as news of the attack became fully known, “… maintained greater outward calm than anybody else, but there was a rage in his very calmness.”
“This dispatch is top secret. This order is effective at 1730 on 2 December: Combined Fleet Serial #10. Climb Niitakayama 1208, repeat 1208!” Interpreted freely, and often abbreviated as “Climb Mount Niitaka,” means “attack on 8 December.” This was undoubtedly the prearranged signal for specifying the date for opening hostilities. However, the significance of the phrase is interesting in that it is used so appropriately in this connection. Niitakayama is the highest mountain in the Japanese Empire. To climb Niitakayama is to accomplish one of the greatest feats. In other words undertake the task (of carrying out assigned operations). 1208 signifies the 12th month, 8th day, Itex time.
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The flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on 7 December 1941, was also flown aboard the U.S.S. Missouri during the surrender ceremonies in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945.
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In Washington, then White House Assistant James Rowe recalled that President Roosevelt was “cross as hell” because so many aides were out of town when Pearl Harbor was attacked.
Attorney General Frances Biddle remembers that the President was in a mood of stunned silence and FDR’s son, James, at the time a 33-year-old Marine captain, reports that his father was “sitting in a corner with no expression on his face, very calm and quiet. He had out his stamp collection he loved so much and was thumbing over some of the stamps when I came in.
“‘It’s bad, it’s pretty bad,’ he said, without looking up.”
On 3 December 1941, U.S. Adm. Charles McMorris said, “Pearl Harbor will never be attacked from the air.”
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The very existence of Japan’s two-man submarines was one of the best-kept secrets of pre-World War II. Before the fleet left Japan to attack Pearl Harbor, even very few Japanese Navy officers were aware of this very important secret weapon.
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| Senate Joint Resolution 116, Declaring War Against Japan, 12/8/1941, Records of the U.S. Senate, Record Group 46. |
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| U.S. Congress Joint Resolution signed by President Roosevelt on December 8, 1941 at 4:10 p.m., Public Law 77-328, 55 STAT 795, which declared war on Japan. |
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| Admiral Husband Kimmel. |
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| Admiral Kimmel made the cover of Time magazine on 15 December 1941. Admiral Yamamoto made the cover a week later on 22 December. |
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| Soldiers leaving the pier to board trucks for Schofield Barracks, Honolulu. They are part of the build-up of men and equipment that began after the attack. |
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| President Franklin D. Roosevelt signing the U.S. declaration of war in the White House on 8 December 1941. |
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| Tai Sing Loo, the Navy Yard’s well-known photographer, pitched in to fight fires, serve food, and later wrote up his recollections of the battle in How Happen I Were at Pearl Harbor. He is pictured here many years after the attack with his famous trademark helmet, which he had forgotten that day, and was thus afraid he might be shot as a Japanese spy. |
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| A crowd on Broadway in New York City hold up newspapers announcing the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, during World War II. |
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| “Remember Dec. 7th!” poster by Allan R. Saalburg (Rusell) 1899-1974. Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. Domestic Operations Branch. Bureau of Special Services. (03/09/1943 - 09/15/1945) |
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| “Avenge December 7” poster by Bernard Perlin. |
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