On December 7, 2016, the National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Commemoration was held at Kilo Pier, located in the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The 1941 Japanese attack on the US naval base Pearl Harbor was one of the defining events of the twentieth century. In that single moment, the U.S. was dragged out of its post-WWI isolationism and into a role of world leadership. The U.S. put away half a century of Mahan naval doctrine, with its emphasis on naval superiority, and moved into the age of naval air combat.
In commemoration of this historic event, Area Studies at Thompson Library created the Pearl Harbor Exhibit, which can be found on the 3rd floor at reading area Room 341. This exhibit fills two glass cases, each divided into several distinct sections.
The first glass case exhibit — curated by Bill Young, Library Media Technical Assistant — is entitled: A Day of Infamy, December 7th, 1941-December 7th, 2016: 75 years.
The first glass display
The narrative of the glass case draws from the motives and tactics of the Japanese and guides viewers through the effects of the attack on both Japan and the U.S. The top-left section provides an overall review of the US battleships that were attacked.
Descriptions of the battleships involved
Below that is a short analysis of the causes and effects of the attack in an American and international context. Though they are brief descriptions, they are clear, concise, and offer a comprehensive synopsis of the entire event.
The bottom shelf contains books that depict the experiences of firsthand witnesses and participants in the attack. For example, Pearl Harbor: A Visual History Commemorating the Date that Will Live in Infamy by Randy Roberts, looks into Japan’s actions a decade before the attack and the United States’ failure to predict the Pearl Harbor attack. These books are not only an excellent resource to review what happened on the day, but also provide compelling primary and secondary sources for historical research.
Books on the attack
On the right side of the first display, you can find operation maps made by the Japanese Imperial Navy and models of aircraft with brief descriptions explaining how they were used and deployed. The models on the first shelf include the Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress” and the PBY-5 Catalina. The second shelf has models of the Mitsubishi A6M “Zero,” or “Zeke,” and the Aichi D3A “Val” Carrier-Based Dive Bomber. The operation maps combined with the display of aircraft provide a clear window into Pacific warfare in WWII.
Models and descriptions of warplanes
On the third shelf displays profiles and short biographies of both Japanese and US military personnel involved in the attack. Examples here include Messman Third Class Doris Miller, the first African-American sailor to be awarded the Navy Cross, and Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet Isoroku Yamamoto (山本五十六), who designed the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Bios on Japanese personnel
The second glass display case, Remembering Pearl Harbor, steps away from the day of the attack to consider the rise of modern imperialism as a backdrop to Japan’s efforts to join world powers in seeking colonial influence and control in the Pacific Rim. The combination of these two displays deepen our understanding of WWII and the attack on Peril Harbor.
Second glass display
The second glass exhibit thus displays relevant materials documenting the expansion of European imperialism in East Asia from the mid-nineteenth century. One of the highlights is Tyler Dennet’s essay, President Roosevelt’s Secret Pact with Japan. Published in 1924, Dennet argues that the U.S. and Great Britain made an agreement with Japan concerning who had control of the Far East, specifically mentioning the Philippines and the Korean peninsula.
Tyler Dennet’s essay
Resources on Pearl Harbor
Want to know more about what’s going on? Come to see the exhibition in Thompson Library!
More about the Attack of Pearl Harbor and relevant information can be found at the following links:
All the Gallant Men: An American Sailor’s Firsthand Account of Pearl Harbor by Donald Stratton (New York, NY : William Morrow, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2016)
A Matter of Honor: Pearl Harbor: Betrayal, Blame, and a Family’s Quest for Justice by Anthony Summers (New York, NY: Harper, 2016)
Hawaii’s Aviation History by the state of Hawaii (Hawaii Aviation, 2016)
In Hawaii, Abe Looks to Remember War, Reinforce U.S. Relationship by Eric Johnston (The Japan Times, 2016)
Pearl Harbor: 75 Years: A day of Infamy and Its Legacy by Susan Elkin (editor) and Tessa Link (writer) (New York : Liberty Street, an imprint of Time Inc. Books, 2016)
Pearl Harbor: From Infamy to Greatness by Craig Nelson (New York; London; Toronto; Scribner, 2016)
Taft-Katsura Agreement (President Roosevelt’s secret pact with Japan by Tyler Dennett) by Tyler Dennett (Institute for Corean-American Studies, Inc., 2011)
