- 2 days ago
Echoes of Pearl Harbor (1943) is a powerful wartime documentary that revisits the shocking events of December 7, 1941 โ the day that changed history. This restored film combines authentic footage, military reports, and heartfelt narration to capture the tension, courage, and aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Originally produced to inform and unite audiences during World War II, it remains a stirring reminder of resilience, sacrifice, and national spirit.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Your War and Navy Departments present December 7th.
00:30The End
00:59Early Sunday morning, on the island of Oahu.
01:13On a hilltop, Uncle Sam lay fast asleep,
01:16warned of the fire that was licking across the oceans from without,
01:20warned of the dangers that were threatening from within,
01:23tired from wrangling with his conscience
01:25and fatigued after a long, dark night full of disturbing events
01:29as indeed the year 1941 was.
01:32He slept in the early Sabbath calm.
01:35Safe and secure behind its military and naval ramparts,
01:39the city of Honolulu, like many another unsuspecting American community,
01:43was also asleep.
01:45At all the Army and Navy establishments on the island,
01:47after repeated warnings from the War and Navy Departments,
01:50a number one alert had secretly been in effect for 11 days.
01:53This alert provided suitable defense against possible acts of sabotage
01:58and uprisings within the island itself,
02:01but made no provision against attack or invasion.
02:05At Hickam Field, the Army's bomber base,
02:08precautions were taken to safeguard the equipment against sabotage.
02:11Hence, on this Sunday morning,
02:14the planes were concentrated in hangars
02:16or lined up row by row on the open field.
02:21Immediately adjacent to Hickam Field is Pearl Harbor,
02:24the Navy's hundred-million-dollar fist.
02:28Here, on this morning of a tragic day of reckoning,
02:31capital ships, heavy and light cruisers, lay at anchor.
02:35At anchor two lay several destroyers, tenders, minesweepers,
02:40and repair ships, 86 vessels in all.
02:44By seven o'clock, the city began to stir.
02:49For the most part, the atmosphere was serene and quiet.
02:53At Hickam Field, ground crews were at work.
02:57On a dock in Pearl Harbor,
03:00a few blue jackets idled away a few minutes.
03:02At Coniore, a field mass was being held.
03:11Shipmates, today is the third Sunday of Advent,
03:15the 7th of December,
03:16which means that Christmas is not far ahead.
03:20I don't have to remind you fellows
03:22that the old Earlene is about to shove off
03:24carrying Christmas gifts and letters to the home site.
03:29Why not buy them a few presents?
03:32You might get them, uh, get Mother a pukaki lay,
03:36or a little sister of who's skirt.
03:40I think they'd rather have something
03:41for little Johnny out here in Hawaii.
03:44This is the time when
03:46you're going to be missed.
03:50So,
03:51send them a present for Christmas.
03:53But that letter is so important, however.
03:56Don't put that off.
03:57A few minutes past 7,
03:59an incident occurred at a temporary
04:01Army aircraft warning station.
04:03This station, as indeed the entire aircraft warning system,
04:06had officially closed at 7.
04:08But Private Joseph L. Lockhart,
04:09who had been receiving training here,
04:11was granted permission to remain at the station.
04:13While listening, he discovered something
04:15coming over the detector that alarmed him.
04:17He listened intensely.
04:19Then, certain of his findings,
04:21he called the Central Information Center.
04:23An inexperienced lieutenant answered the phone.
04:25Excuse me, sir.
04:26This is Private Lockhart.
04:28I believe a large flight of planes
04:29are approaching slightly east of north of Oahu
04:32at a distance of about 130 miles.
04:34It must be our own.
04:36We're expecting some B-17s in the mainland.
04:39Thank you, sir.
04:40This incident, where it's acted upon,
04:42would have given our forces
04:43brief but precious time for defense action
04:45and may have considerably affected
04:47the events of this fateful day.
04:50Regrettably, Private Lockhart's warning went unheeded.
04:53It was 7.50 a.m. by the clock on the Aloha Tower
04:57when the drone of planes was faintly heard.
05:06Out of the misty Pacific skies,
05:32like tiny locusts,
05:34they swarmed in from the sea.
05:44From the south.
05:52From the southeast.
05:59And from the north.
06:04At this very moment,
06:09on a quiet Sunday afternoon in Washington,
06:12Japan's smooth-talking, grinning envoys,
06:15Nomura and Kurusu,
06:17were blandly delivering to Mr. Hull
06:19a lengthy protestation of Japan's peace intentions.
06:23Yes, at this very deceitful moment,
06:26about 200 of Japan's messengers of death
06:28swooped in over our Pacific paradise.
06:30On they came, wave after wave,
06:34boldly, fearlessly.
06:36They had little to fear.
06:39They knew that our task forces were at sea,
06:41and they knew their disposition.
06:43They knew that no long-distance airplane reconnaissance,
06:46no inshore airplane patrol,
06:48was being maintained.
06:50They knew from detailed maps they carried with them
06:52the exact location of vital airfields,
06:55hangars, and other structures.
06:58Each was given a specific objective,
07:00and straight toward that objective he came.
07:02Over the Kuklau Range.
07:21Pass the Polly.
07:22Pass Diamond Heads.
07:39And over Waikiki Beach,
07:42the treachery of an empire was on the way.
07:50Planned for months with brilliant coming,
07:52favored by our lack of readiness
07:54with the sky and sea all their own,
07:57at 7.55 a.m.,
07:59hell broke loose.
08:01Man-made hell.
08:03Made in Japan.
08:04Many neighbors.
08:30Oh, dear.
08:30Oh, dear.
08:31Oh, dear.
08:31Oh, dear.
08:33I don't know.
09:03I don't know.
09:33I don't know.
10:03I don't know.
10:33I don't know.
11:03All men, take your battle stations.
11:05I don't know.
11:35I don't know.
12:05I don't know.
12:35I don't know.
12:36I don't know.
12:37I don't know.
12:39I don't know.
12:41I don't know.
12:43I don't know.
12:45I don't know.
12:47I don't know.
12:49I don't know.
12:51I don't know.
12:52I don't know.
12:53I don't know.
12:55I don't know.
12:56I don't know.
12:57I don't know.
12:58I don't know.
12:59The ferocity of the attack momentarily subsided.
13:07In the city, the people awakened by the bombardment believed the army and navy were staging large-scale maneuvers.
13:15Scattered bombs, incendiaries, and machine gun fire had changed their minds.
13:29One gentleman, when interviewed by a reporter, was stubborn and refused to change his mind.
13:37I don't think it is an attack by Japan.
13:40But you must have seen the Japanese plane.
13:42No, I did not.
13:43What about the bombing and gunfire?
13:45I thought the army and navy were having maneuvers.
13:48Look, Mr. Key, do you know that I know that you know that this is an attack by Japan?
13:52I have nothing to say.
13:54And judging by the smoke pouring out of your chimney, there will be nothing left to show.
13:58I have nothing to say.
13:59The second phase of the attack began.
14:29The third phase of the attack began.
18:31A date that will live in infamy.
18:46A record for all history to read in amazement, in sorrow, in horror and disgust.
18:53Those also were President Roosevelt's words.
18:56Horror and disgust, amazement and sorrow.
19:00Sorrow, yes, bitter, grievous, mortifying sorrow.
19:14For on this Sabbath day, 2,343 officers and enlisted men of our Army, Navy, and Marine Corps gave their young lives in the service of our country.
19:28Who were these young Americans?
19:32Let us pause for a few minutes at their hallowed graves and ask a few of them to make themselves known.
19:38Who are you boys?
19:40Come on, speak up some of you.
19:42I am Robert R. Kelly, United States Army.
19:47I came from Finlay, Ohio.
19:49My parents are Mr. and Mrs. James E. Kelly.
19:53I am Alfred Aaron Rosenthal, United States Navy.
19:58I lived in Brooklyn, New York.
20:01My parents are Mr. and Mrs. Henry L. Rosenthal.
20:06I am Theodore Steven Zabo, United States Marine Corps.
20:10My hometown is Castalia, Iowa.
20:14Those are my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Steven Zabo.
20:18I am Moses Anderson Allen, United States Navy.
20:24I lived on a farm in cold North Carolina.
20:28My mother is Mrs. Abby Allen.
20:31I am James Webster Late, United States Navy.
20:37I'm from Huntington Park, California.
20:40My folks are Mr. and Mrs. William J. Late.
20:43I am Antonio S. Tafoya, United States Army.
20:51I live just outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
20:55My father and mother are Mr. and Mrs. Jesus A. Tafoya.
21:01I am Lieutenant William R. Schick, United States Army Medical Corps.
21:04My home was Chicago, Illinois.
21:08My parents are Mr. and Mrs. William H. Schick.
21:12My wife's name is Lois.
21:15You have a baby now, Lieutenant.
21:17He was born three months after Pearl Harbor.
21:20He's named after you, Billy.
21:23And you may be pleased to know he was born on your birthday.
21:26Oh, that's swell. Thanks.
21:29But tell me one thing, Lieutenant.
21:30How does it happen that all of you sound and talk alike?
21:35We are all alike.
21:37We are all Americans.
21:39Americans.
21:40Oh, Father, let's go to thee.
21:50Oh, Father, let's go to thee.
21:53Oh, Father, let's go to thee.
21:58Long may our land be bright with freedom.
22:12May our land be bright with freedom.
22:22Holy light, protect us by thy might.
22:45Great God, I'll be all there.
23:45Tokyo is calling Nagasaki.
24:01For many years, the democracy of the United States has threatened to enslave the life of our peaceful nation.
24:20That threat has now effectively been disposed of.
24:24I have the honor to report that our bombers have struck an annihilating blow at United States sea power.
24:33Here are the facts.
24:40Almost immediately, the crowing began.
24:43Let's listen to the facts.
24:44The battleship Arizona sunk and lost.
24:49Regrettably, that's correct, Mr. Tojo.
24:52The aircraft carrier Enterprise capsized and lost.
24:56Incorrect.
24:58That's the old target ship, Utah.
25:01The battleship Oklahoma capsized and lost.
25:05Capsized, but not lost.
25:08Plans are underway for righting her.
25:09The battleship California, Nevada, and West Virginia damage beyond repair.
25:19Temporarily damaged.
25:20Temporarily damaged.
25:21But just a minute, Mr. Tojo, before you go any further with your facts, meet Captain H. N. Wallen of our Navy.
25:27He is the Bureau of Ships expert on salvage and repair.
25:29Together with hundreds of civilian technicians, machinists, welders, mechanics, engineers,
25:36many of whom were recruited from the mainland and working in complete harmony with Navy personnel,
25:41he began a 24-hour, around-the-clock job of salvage and repair
25:45that will stand forever as one of the great achievements in maritime history.
25:59Above and below the water's surface, this epic of masterful engineering went on.
26:10Captain Wallen has proved you a mighty tall storyteller, Mr. Tojo.
26:14He calls your facts by a rich Navy word, scuttlebutt.
26:19And from the very moment the attack was over, he set out to scuttle your kind of scuttlebutt.
26:29The 23-year-old California, known affectionately to our blue jackets as a prune barge,
26:49with her ugly wounds temporarily bound, was refloated and towed to dry dock.
26:55Similar attention was given to the 28-year-old Nevada and the 21-year-old West Virginia.
27:06Here in dry dock, in record-breaking time,
27:09they were overhauled and then cruised from stem to stern, from hull to peak.
27:15Now dressed in their up-to-the-minute fighting garb and raring to go,
27:20these mighty warriors and their proud crews stand out to sea.
27:24Godspeed.
27:25But wait a minute.
27:46Who is this saucy little gal, Captain Wallen?
27:49By George, it looks like this.
27:51Yes, it is.
27:52The mine layer of Glala.
27:55A 4,000-ton surprise package.
27:59Given up and reported as lost, this former Fall River Line passenger ship was righted and refloated.
28:05Taken to dry dock, this small, dauntless craft was refitted and repaired.
28:09Now, spankin' new, a symbol of the fighting spirit of our men who build and man our ships,
28:17this veteran of World War I again takes up her battle station.
28:21Godspeed, old girl.
28:22Do you see, Mr. Tojo, how poorly your facts stand up?
28:33Sorry to have interrupted.
28:35That which is left of the Pacific fleet is now in the solitary flight seeking shelter in the Panama Canal.
28:42Before, you were lying.
28:45Now, you're fishing.
28:47All ships being raised between the United States mainland and Hawaii are blockaded.
28:52And now, you're wishing.
28:56No phantom ships leave, Mr. Tojo, but a huge convoy from the mainland.
29:01Three dozen ships.
29:03Quite a number for blockade runners.
29:06And they're loaded to the gunwales with reinforcements and supplies.
29:10And here's a tip, Mr. Tojo.
29:11More of these convoys are on the way.
29:14Yes, convoy after convoy.
29:16Men in ever-increasing numbers.
29:18Supplies in ever-increasing quantity.
29:23For thanks to Washington's farsighted program,
29:25we did manage before December 7th,
29:28despite many internal difficulties and disagreements,
29:31to build up the strength of our armed forces
29:33and start our factories humming.
29:37So that today, behind a heavy curtain of military censorship,
29:41Hawaii stands the greatest military and naval fortress in the world.
29:45Yes, virtually overnight, the island scene changed.
29:51War had come to America's tropical suburb.
29:54The Axis brand of war.
29:56A stab in the back Sunday morning.
30:00The din of the last bomb had barely faded
30:02when Governor Poindexter proclaimed martial law
30:04for the civilian population.
30:08Windows were taped in order to reduce the dangers from flying glass.
30:11Vital installations were camouflaged and protected by sandbags and barbed wire.
30:18Barbed wire! Mountains of it!
30:21Strung along every foot of Oahu's colorful coasts.
30:25Strung across its highways.
30:28Around its schools and its public buildings.
30:32Everywhere the earth was tunneled
30:34to provide shelter from shrapnel and strafing.
30:37Public squares, parks, and playgrounds were uprooted.
30:42Sturdy concrete shelters were built
30:44and distributed throughout the city.
30:47An efficient air raid warning system was put into operation.
30:50And for the first time in history,
30:52American schoolchildren were brought face to face
30:56with the grim reality of war.
30:57Even tiny little tots, confused and bewildered,
31:15were taught to march into zigzag trenches.
31:17How difficult to convey to them
31:19the why or wherefore of this strange game.
31:22Still more difficult to explain the need
31:26for these monstrous-looking things.
31:28But the fathers and mothers of Hawaii did.
31:32For this war is a war of survival.
31:34A people's war.
31:37Even a little people's war.
31:39Yes, your bombs, Mr. Tojo, brought many changes.
31:43And in no small measure served to further complicate
31:46the already complex life of the Japanese in Hawaii.
31:49As though to permanently erase their relationship
31:52with the homeland,
31:53they wiped out or removed
31:55every vestige of the written Japanese word.
31:58Closed are the language schools.
32:01Empty and boarded up the Shinto temples.
32:05Gone the flag of the rising sun.
32:09This young American Japanese
32:11gave the best illustration that over Hawaii,
32:14the rising sun had begun to set.
32:16Thus, war came to Hawaii, USA.
32:26The Aloha Tower,
32:28once the symbol of welcome and hospitality,
32:30now stands clad in weird war paint.
32:34No longer do luxurious liners
32:36bring vacation-bent tourists
32:37to these once happy isles.
32:40The liners, too, have gone to war.
32:42No longer is Waikiki Beach
32:45the sun-kissed playground of the Pacific.
32:49Barbed wire has changed its face, too.
32:52Now, at twilight,
32:54the city streets are empty and deserted.
32:58Blackouts start each day promptly at dusk.
33:00Well, you may crow, Mr. Tojo.
33:05You've done a good job of stabbing in the back.
33:09You've darkened our cities.
33:11You've destroyed our property.
33:13You've spilled our blood.
33:16Our faith tells us
33:17that to all this treachery,
33:19there can be but one answer,
33:22a time-honored answer.
33:23For all they that take the sword
33:27shall perish with the sword.
33:30Tojobs
33:47Tojobs
33:48Tojobs
33:49Tojobs
33:54Tojobs
33:55Tojobs
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