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Jonny Smith
Social Studies Methods
Dr. Strickland; Dr. Cotterell
2/21/09
Primary Documents Lesson Plan: Primary Documents
Primary Documents Introduction
Primary documents in History can provide great amounts of insight on a certain event. Primary documents can serve as concrete evidence, propaganda, etc. They can serve as key elements in analyzing the past, as long as they are used properly. The event in question here is the Pearl Harbor Attack which took place on December 7, 1942. This event, as we know, drew the United States into World War II with a declaration of war on Japan and the ensuing declarations of war against Germany and Italy.
Certain documents presented here are governmental, such as the address by President Franklin Roosevelt the following day after the attack, presented to Congress and the nation. With such sources as these, which were orally delivered, one can often find complimentary audio clips so as one can listen to the actual presentation of the address. This document is critical in analyzing and understanding American sentimentality toward the attacks and towards World War II.
Franklin Roosevelt’s address is one way that the American people received their information, and it was a very powerful speech. As well, photographs were of critical importance to the war effort. They could have easily served as propaganda with the powerful images portrayed. Three images have been included in the primary documents selections, including two of which that were taken during the attacks by American photographers, and the remaining photograph was a pre-attack image taken on a Japanese aircraft carrier. Images, just as words, can have a most powerful effect and leave a lasting impression upon those who view them. Here, in terms of the Pearl Harbor attack, they were used in a variety of ways, whether it were for use on the American people or American troops.
The media also is able to use words and images for a specified purpose. Stories such as the one presented from the New York Times Historical Database are important in seeing what kind of information was presented to the people days, weeks and months after the attack occurred. This type of primary document is that of the most popular design, for they were printed in mass throughout the country. They are readily available and show the information that was typically presented for the general public.
Possibly the most powerful type of evidence, in terms of entailing a persuasive nature would be that of first-hand accounts of attacks such as the one at Pearl Harbor. Included in the primary documents here are interviews and memoirs. Different perspectives are presented. Most obviously, the perspective of Americans, including military and non-military personnel are typically easily accessed by searching through various databases open on the internet. More rare types of primary documents related to interview-type segments would be that of the Japanese perspective. The included memoir of a Japanese naval commander gives specific insight into the view of the attacker, a perspective that is not typically empathized with on the side of the recipient.
All of these primary documents can be important in understanding critical events in the past. It is up to the historian to delineate which of these is not only important, but valid. That being said, the historian must sift through biases and the view of the creator to do this.

Primary Documents:

• First Order Document:
o Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation”.
 Source: www.AmericanRhetoric.com
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation
Delivered December 8, 1941
Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:
Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 a
date which will live in infamy the
United States of
America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of
Japan.
The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in
conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in
the Pacific.
Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American
island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to
our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply
stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no
threat or hint of war or of armed attack.
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack
was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the
Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false
statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval
and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In
addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San
Francisco and Honolulu.
Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.
And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.
Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area.
The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have
already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety
of our nation.
As Commander in Chief
of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for
our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught
against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American
people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.
I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will
not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of
treachery shall never again endanger us.
Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our
interests are in grave danger.
With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will
gain the inevitable triumph so
help us God.
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on
Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

Second Order Documents:
• Selection from the Oral History of Lieutenant Ruth Erickson, Nurse Corps, United States Navy
o Source: Naval Historical Center http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq66-1.htm

Two or three of us were sitting in the dining room Sunday morning having a late breakfast and talking over coffee. Suddenly we heard planes roaring overhead and we said, "The `fly boys' are really busy at Ford Island this morning." The island was directly across the channel from the hospital. We didn't think too much about it since the reserves were often there for weekend training. We no sooner got those words out when we started to hear noises that were foreign to us.

I leaped out of my chair and dashed to the nearest window in the corridor. Right then there was a plane flying directly over the top of our quarters, a one-story structure. The rising sun under the wing of the plane denoted the enemy. Had I known the pilot, one could almost see his features around his goggles. He was obviously saving his ammunition for the ships. Just down the row, all the ships were sitting there--the [battleships] California (BB-44), the Arizona (BB-39), the Oklahoma (BB-37), and others.

My heart was racing, the telephone was ringing, the chief nurse, Gertrude Arnest, was saying, "Girls, get into your uniforms at once, This is the real thing!"

I was in my room by that time changing into uniform. It was getting dusky, almost like evening. Smoke was rising from burning ships.

I dashed across the street, through a shrapnel shower, got into the lanai and just stood still for a second as were a couple of doctors. I felt like I were frozen to the ground, but it was only a split second. I ran to the orthopedic dressing room but it was locked. A corpsmen ran to the OD's [Officer-of-the-Day's] desk for the keys. It seemed like an eternity before he returned and the room was opened. We drew water into every container we could find and set up the instrument boiler. Fortunately, we still had electricity and water. Dr. [CDR Clyde W.] Brunson, the chief of medicine was making sick call when the bombing started. When he was finished, he was to play golf...a phrase never to be uttered again.

The first patient came into our dressing room at 8:25 a.m. with a large opening in his abdomen and bleeding profusely. They started an intravenous and transfusion. I can still see the tremor of Dr. Brunson's hand as he picked up the needle. Everyone was terrified. The patient died within the hour.

Then the burned patients streamed in. The USS Nevada (BB-36) had managed some steam and attempted to get out of the channel. They were unable to make it and went aground on Hospital Point right near the hospital. There was heavy oil on the water and the men dived off the ship and swam through these waters to Hospital Point, not too great a distance, but when one is burned... How they ever managed, I'll never know.
• Photographic Documentation
o Source: Jennifer Rosenberg’s 20th Century History Guide via About.com http://history1900s.about.com/library/photos/blyindexpearl.htm


“Pearl Harbor Taken By Surprise” and “Sunken Battleship USS West Virginia”

• Selection from the Oral History of Captain John. E Lacouture, United States Navy.
o Source: Naval Historical Center http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq66-1.htm

So I went out there and about seven o'clock in the morning, she came in and started shaking me. "Wake up, wake up! The Japanese are attacking Pearl Harbor!"

I said, "Are you crazy? Go away, I'm sleepy." She finally convinced me, so I jumped in my car and headed towards Pearl, and the roads were almost vacant. There were almost no cars on the road, and I go down to the landing, the officers' landing there, and the gig was waiting there for a captain of one of the other destroyers, which was just going out.

I couldn't believe itall the battleships are overturned and all smoking, and all I could think of was all my [Naval Academy] classmates and everything, and what had happened to them. The commander who was captain of one of the other destroyers waiting there, his gig was ready. He said, "Jump in," as the ship came by. It had just gotten underway, and as they went down the channel, the Japanese second attack came in so we started shooting at them and they tried to sink the [USS] Nevada [BB-36], the battleship that had gotten underway.
Interviewer: Nevada had, yes.
Lacouture: And they were trying to sink it in the channel. I guess one of the young ensigns ran it aground to keep it from sinking in the channel. And at the time they were bombingI think it was the [USS] Pennsylvania [BB-38] that was in dry dock there.
And we shot down, oh, at least one of the airplanes, and as we went by, all the planes, the seaplanes and the hangers and everything on Ford Island were burning. Just as we got out to the entrance of the harbor there, we did manage to sink a little Japanese miniature submarine.

So we cruised around out there and I had the watch at about four or four-thirty in the morning, five o'clock just as dawn was breaking, and all of a sudden I see a big shape of a carrier through my goggles, sort of off Barbers Point, and I immediately go to general quarters, man the guns, man the torpedo tubes, get ready to fire torpedoes, and about that time the carrier puts a searchlight up and shows the American flag flying. That was the Enterprise just as I was about to launch torpedoes. It had been delivering planes to Wake Island and on its way home the cruiser with it had had propeller problems. They had to send a diving team down to sort of fix the propeller; otherwise the Enterprise would have been at its dock there and would have been sunk by the Japanese. Because they came in and I think they had, was it the [USS] Utah [AG-16] or some training ship was there and they splintered it to smithereens, just because they were diving at a target location without wondering just what it was.

And then, of course, the Enterprise launched her planes and about a third of them got shot down, because by then our gunners were shooting at anything that moved in the air without identifying it. Nobody knew how to identify airplanes, especially not people who just were bombed unexpectedly.

• “Japanese Tries Suicide: Brooded on How to Make Amends for His Country’s Treachery”; New York Times Article, January 15, 1942.
o Source: New York Times Historical Database via JStor.org
JAPANESE TRIES SUICIDE
Brooded on How to Make Amends
For His Country’s Treachery

HUNTINGTON, L.I., Jan. 14—
Since the attack on Pearl Harbor by his fellow-countrymen, Bunji Kurita, 43 years old, Japanese chauffeur and butler employed for ten years by Mrs. George H. Harman of Lloyd’s Neck, had brooded.
He pondered on how he personally could make amends. From his savings he purchased $300 in Defense Bonds. Yesterday he contributed $10 to the Red Cross. In the face of Mrs. Harman’s protests, he said it would be better if he left her employ.
Up to today he acceded to her request that he remain at work. This afternoon they drove to the village here on a shopping trip. Kurita accompanied Mrs. Harman into a store on Main Street and there she ordered a quantity of meat.
Kurita left Mrs. Harman casually, walked around to the other side of the meat counter, picked up a boning knife and slashed himself in the abdomen. Hara-kiri, apparently, was the only atonement, Kurita felt.
The Japanese was rushed to Huntington Hospital, where physicians said he had a fair chance to survive.

• Photographic Documentation:
o Source: Time Photos http://205.188.238.109/time/photogallery/0,29307,1691753_1498760,00.html

“Japan’s Imperial Navy” and “Pre-emptive Strike”

• Selection from “Interview With Pearl Harbor Eye Witnesses”
o Source: Scholastic Teachers http://teacher.scholastic.com/pearl/transcript.htm
Questions:
How did you feel during the bombing of Pearl Harbor? Did you feel scared? How many people died that you knew?
Answers:
Johnie: Both my husband and I were 25 years old and I felt secure until the word was passed that all soldiers and sailors and other military had to report to their duty station. Then I cried some and grabbed my coat and a box of Kleenex and car keys and got ready to pick up two friends, one of whom had an 11 month old child. These friends did not have a car - I was too busy getting all that "stuff" taken care of to be scared. We went up into the hills where there was a huge deserted aqueduct and quite a few people there before us. Fear sort of came and went. There was a small army detail group there and that was sort of a comfort. I vaguely recall they supplied us with food.
About 4:00p.m. - near sundown we were told to go to the nearby village of Waipahu and from there we were sent to the home of the plantation manager because we had a small child in the group. There we stayed for 3 days until it became obvious that the enemy were not going to return and they never did!!!
Dale: My feelings during the bombing of Pearl Harbor were encased in shock and bewilderment. I was amazed that the Japanese would do such a thing. I was not angered to the extent that my thinking was affected but I would have been willing to shoot them all to stop the attack. I did not have any friends who died and was not motivated to look at the many bodies. There were many sailors trapped in the sunken ships who died. From the Japanese point of view, their attack was successful. They sank 21 American warships and killed 2338 military personnel and civilians. As one of their admirals was quoted, "We have succeeded in awakening the sleeping giant."

• “Attack At Pearl Harbor, 1941: The Japanese View”
o Source: Eye Witness To History http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/pearl2.htm

Attack At Pearl Harbor, 1941
The Japanese View
The Japanese attack fleet left its home waters on November 26 steaming a circuitous route towards Pearl Harbor. Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Nagumo, received his final orders on December 1 and on the morning of December 7 the battle group was in position 275 miles north of Hawaii. At 6:00 AM the first elements of the air attack consisting of fighter aircraft, torpedeo bombers, high-level bombers and dive-bombers were aloft and assembling in the pre-dawn gloom.
"Suprise Attack Succesful!"
Commander Mitsuo Fuchida led the first wave of the air attack and published his recollections in 1951. These were later published in English in 1955. We join his story as he approaches the Hawaiian coast:


"One hour and forty minutes after leaving the carriers I knew that we should be nearing our goal. Small openings in the thick cloud cover afforded occasional glimpses of the ocean, as I strained my eyes for the first sight of land. Suddenly a long white line of breaking surf appeared directly beneath my plane. It was the northern shore of Oahu.
Veering right toward the west coast of the island, we could see that the sky over Pearl Harbor was clear. Presently the harbor itself became visible across the central Oahu plain, a film of morning mist hovering over it. I peered intently through my binoculars at the ships riding peacefully at anchor. One by one I counted them. Yes, the battleships were there all right, eight of them! But our last lingering hope of finding any carriers present was now gone. Not one was to be seen.
It was 0749 when I ordered my radioman to send the command, 'Attack!' He immediately began tapping out the pre-arranged code signal: 'TO, TO, TO...'
Leading the whole group, Lieutenant Commander Murata's torpedo bombers headed downward to launch their torpedoes, while Lieutenant Commander Itayay's fighters raced forward to sweep enemy fighters from the air. Takahashi's dive-bomber group had climbed for altitude and was out of sight. My bombers, meanwhile, made a circuit toward Barbers Point to keep pace with the attack schedule. No enemy fighters were in the air, nor were there any gun flashes from the ground.

The effectiveness of our attack was now certain, and a message, 'Surprise attack successful!' was accordingly sent to Akagi [Flagship of the Japanese attack fleet] at 0753. The message was received by the carrier and duly relayed to the homeland, ...
The attack was opened with the first bomb falling on Wheeler Field, followed shortly by dive-bombing attacks upon Hickam Field and the bases at Ford Island. Fearful that smoke from these attacks might obscure his targets, Lieutenant Commander Murata cut short his group's approach toward the battleships anchored east of Ford Island and released torpedoes. A series of white waterspouts soon rose in the harbor.
Lieutenant Commander Itaya's fighters, meanwhile, had full command of the air over Pearl Harbor. About four enemy fighters which took off were promptly shot down. By 0800 there were no enemy planes in the air, and our fighters began strafing the airfields.
My level-bombing group had entered on its bombing run toward the battleships moored to the cast of Ford Island. On reaching an altitude of 3,000 meters, I had the sighting bomber take position in front of my plane.
As we closed in, enemy antiaircraft fire began to concentrate on us. Dark gray puffs burst all around. Most of them came from ships' batteries, but land batteries were also active. Suddenly my plane bounced as if struck by a club. When I looked back to see what had happened, the radioman said: 'The fuselage is holed and the rudder wire damaged.' We were fortunate that the plane was still under control, for it was imperative to fly a steady course as we approached the target. Now it was nearly time for 'Ready to release,' and I concentrated my attention on the lead plane to note the instant his bomb was dropped. Suddenly a cloud came between the bombsight and the target, and just as I was thinking that we had already overshot, the lead plane banked slightly and turned right toward Honolulu. We had missed the release point because of the cloud and would have to try again.
While my group circled for another attempt, others made their runs, some trying as many as three before succeeding. We were about to begin our second bombing run when there was a colossal explosion in battleship row. A huge column of dark red smoke rose to 1000 meters. It must have been the explosion of a ship's powder magazine. [This was the Battleship Arizona] The shock wave was felt even in my plane, several miles away from the harbor.
We began our run and met with fierce antiaircraft concentrations. This time the lead bomber was successful, and the other planes of the group followed suit promptly upon seeing the leader's bombs fall. I immediately lay flat on the cockpit floor and slid open a peephole cover in order to


observe the fall of the bombs. I watched four bombs plummet toward the earth. The target - two battleships moored side by side - lay ahead. The bombs became smaller and smaller and finally disappeared. I held my breath until two tiny puffs of smoke flashed suddenly on the ship to the left, and I shouted, 'Two hits!'
When an armor-piercing bomb with a time fuse hits the target, the result is almost unnoticeable from a great altitude. On the other hand, those which miss are quite obvious because they leave concentric waves to ripple out from the point of contact, and I saw two of these below. I presumed that it was battleship Maryland we had hit.'
As the bombers completed their runs they headed north to return to the carriers. Pearl Harbor and the air bases had been pretty well wrecked by the fierce strafings and bombings. The imposing naval array of an hour before was gone. Antiaircraft fire had become greatly intensified, but in my continued observations I saw no enemy fighter planes. Our command of the air was unchallenged."