Wake Island Essay Example For Students

Wake Island Essay When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, America was at last forced to officially enter World War II. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt officially declared war on the Japanese and in his famous radio address to the American people, he professed that December 7 was a day that would live in infamy. Americans and Japanese alike, still remember Pearl Harbor Day, but how many remember the gallant, fighting Marines who served on a tiny atoll in the Pacific by the name of Wake Island?Prior to the war, Wake Island, located 2300 miles west of Honolulu, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, which was placed under the jurisdiction of the Navy in 1934. It was also a Clipper stop on Pan American Airlines famed Trans-Pacific run, and in 1939, the U.S. Navy began construction of an air and submarine base, which was half completed at the time of the attack.Because of the construction of the base, approximately 1200 civilians were on the island, working for the Ame rican construction firm, Morrison-Knudsen, in addition to the Navy personnel and Marines who had been sent to defend the island. The first attack came at noon on December 7, 1941, when 36 Japanese bombers initiated the first bombing of the island. The bombings by the Japanese continued until December 23, when under continuous shelling, the Americans, under U.S. Navy Commander Winfield Scott Cunningham, were finally forced to surrender. Although the Japanese finally took the island, they incurred heavy losses. Three cruisers and one transport sustained heavy damage, two destroyers and one patrol boat were sunk, while 820 Japanese soldiers were killed, with another 333 wounded. In contrast, American military casualties included 120 killed, 49 wounded, with two missing in action. Initially, Japanese strategists assumed that the tiny island would be overwhelmed in a matter of hours. However, they underestimated the fighting spirit of the military personnel and civilians stationed on the island. For sixteen days these brave men fought against overwhelming odds, but demonstrated both to the Japanese and to their fellow Americans back at home that the Americans could and would put up a courageous fight. During the first air raid, Pan Americans facilities were destroyed, and ten civilian employees of the airline were killed.When the assault on the island was first launched, the Americans had twelve aircraft. By December 21, they were down to two planes and by the 22nd of December, none was left in the fleet. In addition, the Japanese used the technique of pattern bombing which caused heavy damage to practically every installation on the island.On the final day of the siege, over 1000 Japanese went on shore and the fighting that ensued continued for six hours.The Marines struggle to hold on to Wake Island came at a time when American installations in the Pacific were being both attacked and captured and the heroics of the fighting Marines on Wake did much to lift the s pirit of the American people. Even when it looked as though Americas chances of winning the battle for Wake were few, it has been said that when asked by radio if there was anything they wanted, the Marines replied: Yes, send us some more Japs.This became a popular slogan during the war, much like Remember the Alamo. We will write a custom essay on Wake Island specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now After the surrender, the Japanese rounded up all of the civilians and enlisted men and forced them to march to the airfield. There they were stripped and bound with wire and made to stand in the hot sun for two days with no food and very little water.Back on the homefront, besides worrying about the safety of their loved ones, the families of the civilians were left without the regular financial support that the construction crew had been sending prior to their unintended involvement in the war. Twenty-six civilians died during the sixteen-day siege of Wake. .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f , .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .postImageUrl , .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f , .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f:hover , .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f:visited , .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f:active { border:0!important; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f:active , .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u53e2b71bf97c1db0682d27eab6e9be9f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Nitrate Contamination Of Groundwater Poses A Serious Health Threat Nit EssayOn January 12, 1942, approximately 1200 American prisoners of war were loaded on board the Japanese passenger ship, the Nitta Maru, for the twelve-day voyage to China. Twenty of the wounded passengers were dropped off in Japan while five of the Americans were beheaded while aboard ship. The prisoners arrived at Shanghai on January

Catherine Earnshaw as a dominating presence in Wuthering Heights essays

Catherine Earnshaw as a dominating presence in Wuthering Heights essays In the novel Wuthering Heights there was one character who had a dominating influence on the way the novel went. Her name was Catherine Earnshaw and even after she died she still left a lasting impression on the people around her and after she was gone people still made some decisions based on her. While she was alive she had Heathcliff and Edgar rapped around her finger; she could have made them do anything she wanted and sometimes she did. While Catherine was dying Heathcliff spent the most time with her and she knew that at that point he would do anything for her and she used that against him. There are many examples of Cathys dominance in the novel and they will all be discussed in detail. The major instance of Catherines dominance is one that continues through the entire novel and that is her influence over Heathcliff. Catherine acquires this grasp over Heathcliff by telling him that he is not good enough for her and that he is also not civilized enough for her to marry him. To make Heathcliff even more desperate Catherine decides she will get married to Edgar instead of Heathcliff; she is naive enough to think that by doing so she will be able to lift Heathcliff from the degradation into which he has been thrust by Hindley. When in fact this makes Heathcliff very jealous and he goes away to make him self more refined for Catherine. When Heathcliff returns to find Catherine has married Edgar it sends him over the edge he gets furious and revenge is on his mind. He thinks that if he marries Isabella that it would bring Catherine back into his arms. Of course this does not work it only succeeds in making Edgar furious. Edgar disowns Isabella and tells Catherine she is not allowed to see Heathcliff, this enrages Catherine and she locks herself in her room with no food or water. She hopes that this would change Edgars mind as well as give her th...

Liberty, Equality, fraternity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Liberty, Equality, fraternity - Assignment Example This  redefinition  can be seen by the passage of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen during the beginning of the revolution 1. A revolutionary document that declared all men are born and remain free, and have inalienable rights to liberty, security, property and to resist being oppressed. Pre-revolution France was an unequal society where the aristocracy and the clergy enjoyed enormous privileges and power above ordinary  countrymen 2. The two groups were subject to different laws, and this created legal inequality. Peasant rebellions during the early days of the revolution saw the abolition of feudalism 3. This elimination in addition with the Rights of Man and of the Citizen had the effect of granting equality to all French citizens. The concept of fraternity had not exercised prior to the French revolution with the monarchy being indebted to the whims of the aristocracy and clergy4 . Fraternity requires putting the interest of others above your own. The Rights of Man and of the Citizen eliminated the privilege enjoyed by the nobility and clergy. Therefore, the French residents were not indebted to the monarchy but each other. The French revolution personified the ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity which the old regime had failed to protect. Revolts and riots led by the middle and low-class citizens resulted in several fundamental legislation such as the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and the elimination of the feudal system. These laws unified French citizens and signaled the entry of an era where every man free and