advertisement

Bartlett Library revisits Pearl Harbor

On Thursday, Dec. 8, the Bartlett Library hosted the program "Pearl Harbor: A Day That Will Live in Infamy" in order to show patrons everything that led up to the 1941 attack.

Presenting the program was historian Jim Gibbons, who has been presenting on historical events such as the Kennedy assassination, the Lincoln assassination, WWI, WWII, etc. for the past few years. Gibbons' tagline is "Life is no mystery when you know and learn your history".

WWII began in 1939 when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. From then on, Germany became allies with Italy and Japan. Together, those three were known as the Axis Powers. The opposition became known as the Allies - the United Kingdom, United States, Soviet Union and China.

When the war first started out, the U.S. was a neutral territory. However, the Lend-Lease Act was signed into effect by President Roosevelt on March 11, 1941. This had the U.S. lending Great Britain naval destroyers and various other supplies to China.

Japanese officials became upset with the U.S.'s aid to China, as they were trying to obtain China's land. It was this that became the catalyst for the attack on Pearl Harbor.

On Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese hit Pearl Harbor hard and fast. They did not want to give the U.S. time to react.

In total, 18 U.S. vessels sank, capsized or heavily damaged; 188 aircraft were destroyed on the ground; and additionally 159 were damaged.

On the flip side, 29 Japanese aircraft with crews, one large submarine and five small submarines were destroyed; 74 aircrafts were damaged.

Immediately, The U.S. became involved in WWII as President Roosevelt declared war on Japan the very next day on Dec. 8. During his declaration of war speech, Roosevelt said the now-famous line that Dec. 7, the attack on Pearl Harbor, is "a date that will live in infamy."

If you missed this program, an upcoming Adult Services program at the Bartlett Library is the "Adult Chess Club" at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14. Interested in chess or simply love the game? Come learn and play in a friendly environment. All boards and pieces will be supplied. Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and provide instruction.

For information and a complete listing of scheduled programs, call (630) 837-2855 or visit www.bartlettlibrary.org.

• Submit 'Your News' at www.dailyherald.com/share.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.