Firing the First Shot – World War II

Firing the First Shot “We must somehow maneuver them into firing the first shot.” President Roosevelt declared prior to the outbreak of World War II. The “them” he referred to—none other than a vital part of the Axis seeking control of the Pacific –The Japanese. In 1937 China was invaded by the Japanese. In 1939 …

Operation Detachment—The Battle of Iwo Jima

The U.S. Marines fought for five weeks to establish control over Iwo Jima. From February 19, 1945 to March 26th, the brave men assigned to Operation Detachment struggled across the rough volcanic ground to destroy the radar stations and capture three airfields from the Japanese Imperial Army. They had expected the battle to last one …

The Japanese Spy Who Predestined the Fate of Pearl Harbor

As the 353 Japanese aircraft rained death and destruction across the Island of Oahu, Takeo Yoshikawa, using his alias of vice-counsel Tadashi Morimura, was hurriedly burning his implicating files inside the Japanese Consulate on Nuuanu Avenue. The 13,400-square-foot grounds of the Japanese consulate, in a well-to-do neighborhood, displayed a gold imperial chrysanthemum crest outside the …