Three Days Later, the Nation Learned the Truth About Pearl Harbor

December 8, 1941, was a day that would go down in history as one of the most devastating surprise attacks on American soil. The Japanese had launched a coordinated assault on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, catching the US military and the nation off guard. Three days later, on December 11, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed Congress to inform them of the attack, marking the beginning of a new era in American history.

The destruction at Pearl Harbor was so extensive that officials in Washington took time to reveal the full extent of the damage to the public. The USS California, one of the six powerful American battleships sunk or seriously damaged during the attack, was a stark reminder of the severity of the Japanese strike. Over three thousand sailors lost their lives, and half of the American airplanes in Hawaii were destroyed or damaged.

The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was a turning point in World War II, marking the entry of the United States into the conflict. The news of the attack spread like wildfire, with many Americans initially believing that the Japanese planes must be new types of American aircraft on training flights. But as the sounds of guns and bombs filled the air, it became clear that this was no drill.

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a masterclass in surprise warfare, with Japanese warships, including several aircraft carriers, crossing the western Pacific undetected before launching their planes at dawn on a quiet Sunday morning. The nation was shocked and outraged by the brazen assault, and President Roosevelt's address to Congress three days later galvanized public opinion and paved the way for America's involvement in the war.

In this special report, we explore the events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the devastating consequences of that day, and how it changed the course of American history. From THE MAKING OF A NATION – American history in VOA Special English.