The Westinghouse Broadcasting Company brings you the sound of war. The actual sound record of World War II, 2,191 days from the time Hitler's Panzer divisions moved across the Polish borders to the ceremony of the Japanese surrender aboard the United States Battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay. World War II, the most terrible period of death and destruction in the long history of man. World War II, a drama preserved for all time through the medium of radio. An era never to be forgotten. Tonight, climb Mount Nataka. Translation, attack Pearl Harbor according to plan. I repeat again that I stand on the platform of our party. We will not participate in foreign wars and we will not send our army, naval or air forces to fight in foreign lands outside of the Americas except in case of attack. That was the voice of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the summer of 1940. President was being broken. He would be the first man to ever run for the presidency for a third term. One year and one month after defeating Wendell Willkie, the president would speak before an extraordinary session of Congress. Senators and representatives, I have the distinguished honor of presenting the President of the United States. Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn has just introduced the president. It is 1229 p.m. Monday, December 8th, 1941. Another precedent is about to be broken. For the first time in the nine years that he has been in office, cheers and applause will ring out from both sides of the historic chamber, Democrats and Republicans alike. There is good reason. This is the day following the Japanese air attack at the naval base, Navy men affectionately called Pearl. This is the story of December 7th, 1941, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It is November 1941. Europe is at war. Four months earlier in June, Germany attacks Russia and the following month, Great Britain and Russia sign a mutual aid pact. But there are rumblings also in the Far East. It was in July of 1940 that President Roosevelt signed an order freezing all Japanese assets in the United States. Three months later in Washington, an historic event took place, the peacetime drafting of young men into the armed forces. Listen closely. In the audience is a mother who knows her son's draft number. President Roosevelt speaks. Secretary of War will now draw the first number. The first number drawn by the Secretary of War is serial number 158. A mother screamed, the first of many that would invade the American home. Now the war in Europe was becoming part of American life. The draft too became important in the oncoming presidential campaign. President Roosevelt was running for a third term. We are telling the world that we are free and we intend to remain free and at peace. We are free to live and love and laugh. We face the future with confidence and with courage. We are Americans. His opponent, Wendell Willkie. And let me tell you something else. That one man rule always leads to, it always leads to the road to war. The President again. I repeat again that I stand on the platform of our party. We are the people of America. We are the people of America. We are the people of America. We are the people of America. We are the people of America. We are born here, we are born here. We will not Came in foreign wars and we will not send our Army, Naval or Air Forces to fight in foreign lands, outside of the Americas except in case of attack. Wendell Willkie. More 9,000,000 of our fellow citizens are without jobs. We have little equipment for an army, and we have only a few hundred modern military airplanes. That is the record, and I challenge the third term candidate to prove it false. In November, the nation voted. More than 27 million votes for Roosevelt, 22 million for Wilkie. 38 states in the electoral college for Roosevelt, 10 for Wilkie. Two months later, Roosevelt spoke of the danger to the United States. Never before since Jamestown and Plymouth Rock has our American civilization been in such danger as now. We must be the great arsenal of democracy. For us, this is an emergency as serious as war itself. To most Americans, the danger zone was Europe, Germany, and Italy. Charles A. Lindberg. These wars in Europe are not wars in which our civilization is defending itself against some Asiatic intruder. There is no Genghis Khan or Xerxes marching against our Western nations. This is simply one more of those age-old struggles within our own family of nations. If we enter fighting for democracy abroad, we may end by losing it at home. To the President's aid came his recent opponent, Wendell Wilkie. Providing the aid we give to Britain is effective. It offers the best, the very best clear chance for us to keep out of war. Hitler, in my judgment, will make war on us or on our friends and allies in this hemisphere when as and if he chooses. The Japanese were not considered a formidable foe. But almost quietly, the 20th century saw the Japanese on the move. Japan, a quick history of aggression. In 1929, China released a version of Japan's famed Tanaka Memorial Papers, the blueprint of domination engineered by Prime Minister Gichi Tanaka. It called for aggressive moves in Manchuria, Mongolia, India, Asia Minor, Central Asia, the archipelago. In 1931, the execution of the plan began. Japan invaded Manchuria. Six years later, the attack on China. In December of 1937, the United States gunboat Panay was sunk by Japanese planes on the Yangtze River. Three years later, they formed an alliance with Germany and Italy. October 1941, General Hideki Tojo assumes power. He becomes premier. His name will be a curse on every American GI's lips for the next four years. Every Japanese soldier will be known as Tojo. His cabinet is filled with army and navy officers. They smell of gunpowder. The Japanese doctrine, a series of behavior codes that are impossible for Western minds to understand. Kodo, the way of the enemy. Shinto, the way of the gods. Bushido, death for disobedience. Kamikaze, a glorious death for the empire. Banzai, 10,000 years, forever. It is November 10th, 1941. A warning comes to Americans from Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain. I take this occasion to say, and it is my duty to say, that should the United States become involved in war with Japan, the British declaration will follow within the hour. Events move quickly. Four days after Churchill's speech, Tojo's special peace envoy Saburo Kurusu arrives in San Francisco to assist Japanese Ambassador Nomuru in talks with Secretary of State Cordell Hull. Historical evidence indicates he knew not of his nation's plans. You all know how difficult my mission is. But I'll do all I can to make it a successful one for the sake of two countries, the Baird and the United States. Now events move even more quickly. Three days later, the Japanese envoys presented their demands to Cordell Hull. To American reporters, Envoy Kurusu said, I have come to make a touchdown. Unbeknown to him, the Tokyo signals called for him to be a decoy. He would not score the touchdown he thought he came for. Peace. Neither would he fumble the mission he was sent on. It seems to me that that was the most difficult effort watches you mold. Be installed to Canada when you need it, not feel around it, and support the message you give the PLN we talked about earlier, on the photo of the Korean coronavirus virus. The US government recently agreed the Americans and the United Straight broken. In the skies over Hawaii, Japanese planes are approaching the United States naval base of Pearl Harbor. Acting on reports that 125,000 Japanese troops were assembled in Indochina, President Roosevelt made a personal appeal to the Japanese emperor on Tuesday. President Roosevelt had asked Tokyo for a quick explanation of the aim of these Japanese troop movements into Indochina. A brief recapitulation of the dramatic events. Japanese demands were formally turned down by the United States on November 17th. One week and one day later, November 25th, United States counter demands were made. At precisely the same moment from Tonkan Bay in the Kuril Islands of Japan, 72 warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy under the command of Admiral Juichi Nakumo lifted anchor. Under complete radio silence, the war fleet, including six aircraft carriers, headed into the open sea. Their destination, southeast, the Hawaiian Islands. The second unanswered communication was one with Secretary Ho, face in the hands of Nomura and Kurusu on November 26th. It explained the conditions under which the United States might be willing to negotiate settlement of the conflict in the Far East. On November 27th, General Douglas MacArthur was advised by Secretary of War Stimson that negotiations with Japan for all practical purposes were over. It is December 3rd, 1941. Still under radio silence, the Japanese attacking force refuels at sea. They await the final message. Aboard the six aircraft carriers, 260 attacking planes. It is December 5th. The Japanese attack force is 900 miles from Kuril Harbor. Now, Admiral Nakumo, aboard his flagship, receives the fateful message from Tokyo. Climb Mount Nittaka. Translation, attack, attacked, attacked as previously planned. It is 1 22 p.m. New York time. Over Hawaii, the bomb bay doors of the Japanese planes are open. The torpedo planes are ready. Below, 70 combat ships of the United States Pacific Fleet. It is 1 25 p.m. The first bombs have just fallen. At their births in Pearl Harbor, majestically lined up on battleship row, lie the pride of the United States Pacific Fleet. The battleships Arizona, Nevada, Maryland, Tennessee, California, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. Particular defense measures adopted in the Far East this week by the United States and friendly countries acquire their significance. American Marines have sailed from Shanghai where large-scale hostilities would have made them hostages. They are now in Manila. In the Philippines, evacuation of Manila is advised. Leaves are canceled at Corregidor, the fortress of Manila. And naval bases lie under permanent blackout. A segment of congressional temper was evident in Representative May's statement that the United States was ready to blast the Japanese off the land and blow them off the water. And in Senator Connolly's remarks that if Japan wants war and if we must have a fight, Japan will find out that we have a Navy in the Pacific that can shoot straight. It is 2 28, Eastern Standard Time. It has been the pleasure of the National Broadcasting Company to bring you Sammy Kay's Sunday Serenade featuring his world-famed swing and play music. The poem read by Sammy Kay was When We're Apart by Wilson Derrott. Today's broadcast has come to you from our studios in Radio City, New York. From the NBC Newsroom in New York, President Roosevelt said in a statement today that the Japanese have attacked the Pearl Harbor, Hawaii from the air. I will repeat that. President Roosevelt says that the Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii from the air. This bulletin came to you from the NBC Newsroom in New York. Many New Yorkers were listening to the New York giant Brooklyn Dodger football game. It's a long one down to around the three yard line. Ward's tough, coming up to his left and goes over the ten. Nice block there by Lehman. He's up to the 25 and now he's hit and hit hard about the 27 yard line. Bruce Kennard made the tack. We interrupt this broadcast to bring you this important bulletin from the United Press. Flash, Washington. The White House announces Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Bulletin after bulletin came over the air. The White House also reported today a simultaneous air attack on Army and Navy bases in Manila. This report followed the President's declaration that all Army and Navy bases on the island of Oahu in Hawaii are now under air attack. Here is what has happened. President Roosevelt phoned Secretary Early half an hour ago that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor, the United States naval base on Oahu Island in the Hawaiian Islands. This means that war is underway between Japan and the United States. Henry L. Stimson today ordered the entire Army into uniform, executive effective tomorrow. His order applied to every one of the Army's one million six hundred thousand, including the thousands of officers and men on duty in administrative posts in the War Department building who heretofore have been permitted to wear civilian clothes. An eyewitness account of the bombing at Manila. Hello, this is Bert Simon speaking from Manila and this time I've got a real scoop for you. Manila has just been bombed. In fact, right now it is being bombed. And with that warning, Japanese bombers started bombing Fort William McKinley, Nichols Airfield, and the RCA transmitting station. At nine minutes past three o'clock without warning, right now the moon is shining absolutely full. It's too pale. It's stand out like mirrors. And there's no wonder that an enemy bomber would pick out any spot around this part of Manila tonight. It isn't a fall of luck out. There isn't a light shining any place. But old man Moon just wouldn't stay black out. In Tokyo, the newspaper headlines read, United States Pacific Fleet wiped out. This was one of the few true reports to emanate from Tokyo. The proud battleships were sunk or smashed out of action. Two thousand three hundred forty-three officers and men were killed. One thousand two hundred seventy-two injured, nearly one thousand men missing. Many of them are still in tomb today inside the battleship Oklahoma, which stands as a living monument to those who died in the waters of Pearl Harbor. Throughout the day the reports came in, but none told of the devastation that actually took place. On the evening of December 7th, there was another ironic broadcast. Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of the president, would make her regular weekly Sunday night report. She would have to change the script that she had prepared earlier in the week. Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I'm speaking to you tonight at a very serious moment in our history. The cabinet is convening and the leaders in Congress are meeting with the president. The State Department and Army and Navy officials have been with the president all afternoon. In fact, the Japanese ambassador was talking to the president at the very time that Japan's airships were bombing our citizens in Hawaii and the Philippines and sinking one of our transports loaded with lumber on its way to Hawaii. By tomorrow morning, the members of Congress will have a full report and be ready for action. In the meantime, we the people are already prepared for action. Many of you all over this country have boys in the services who will now be called upon to go into action. You have friends and families in what has suddenly become a danger zone. You cannot escape anxiety. You cannot escape the clutch of fear at your heart. And yet I hope that the certainty of what we have to meet will make you rise above these fears. We are the free and unconquerable people of the United States of America. Now more irony. Her guest this Sunday, December 7th, was Corporal James Cannon, a soldier based at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Today newspaper readers throughout the country know the corporal as Jimmy Cannon, one of America's great sports writers. His columns today reflect his thoughts of more than two decades ago, the greatness of the United States fighting man. How long have you been in the Army, Corporal Cannon? I've been in six months, Mrs. Roosevelt. You were a selectee? Yes, Mrs. Roosevelt. Well, after six months of Army life, how do you like it? I want to tell you, with great sincerity, I am proud to be a bad soldier in this great Army of the people. I don't believe you're such a bad soldier, not with those stripes on your arm, Corporal Cannon. Honestly, Mrs. Roosevelt, I'm not so hot. But there are good soldiers in my outfit. Surely there are things which you don't like about the Army. I don't like hikes. My feet tear and blister. I can't, I can't like getting up in the dark of the morning. I'm a clumsy chambermaid. My bed always looks like a haystack. But these discomforts are small. I've had a lot of laughs in the 32 years of my life. I'm willing to kick back one or two years so that I can live the rest of my life with dignity. What would you suggest to the average civilian as the best way in which they can be helpful to the men in the service? You'll have to excuse me if I give a pretty strong answer to that question. First, the civilians can cut out those stale jokes and stop that mocking salute. Too many of them hand a man a uniform. Let them give a soldier the dignity he's entitled to. Tell him to treat a soldier as you would a civilian. Tell him to cut out calling a soldier Sarge. The same guys call a Pullman Porter George. We're a civilian army. We're the army of the people and we want to be treated that way. That night from Tokyo came the Emperor's declaration of war. Said Emperor Hirohito, we by grace of heaven, Emperor of Japan, seated on the throne of a line unbroken for ages eternal and join upon you our loyal and brave subjects. We hereby declare war on the United States of America and the British Empire. 20 minutes after the Emperor's declaration of war, the Tokyo radio featured a speech by a university professor, ironically titled, Good Morals. From Berlin, Chancellor Adolf Hitler was ecstatic. In London, Prime Minister Winston Churchill told the cheering House of Commons that Great Britain was now at war with Japan. Ironically, because of different time zones, the British Empire was formally at war with Japan hours before the United States declaration. The world waited for Monday, December 8th. Then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt would speak before a joint session of the United States Senate and House of Representatives. It would not be necessary to ask the nation to become united in battle. The ranks had already been joined. Perhaps the mood was best expressed by Senator Burton K. Wheeler, the President's major foreign policy opponent. Said Senator Wheeler, the only thing to do now is to lick hell out of them. There was one humorous note. When asked to be quoted about the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Chinese vice consul replied, as far as Japan is concerned, their goose is overheated. Sunday, December 7th, the day of the attack on Pearl. The Westinghouse Broadcasting Company has brought you Climb Mount Nitaka. Translation, Attack Pearl Harbor, according to plan. The actual voices and sounds of the most dramatic and tragic era of the 20th century. This program was written, produced, and directed by Bud Greenspan. My name is David Perry.
