 |
| Wake Island - destroyed Marine F4F Wildcats, VMF211. National Archives Photo 80-G-179006 |
Today we really love our Toyotas and Hondas. Japan is a close friend and ally of the United states
and a major trading partner.
But seventy years ago, Emperor Hirohito’s forces attacked the United States at
Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and at tiny Wake Island on December 8th. (These attacks were nearly simultaneous, as
Wake Island lies across the International Dateline some 2,000 miles to the
west.) It is difficult to appreciate the
bleakness of those times, with war seeming a poor reward for a decade of
economic depression.
The story of Pearl Harbor is well known; Wake Island, less
so. Annexed by the United States in
1899, Wake remained desolate for many years. Pan American Airlines built a facility there in 1935 to accommodate their
flying boats, the famous Clippers which plied the Pacific in the pre-war
years. As tensions with Japan mounted,
the Navy established a garrison in 1941 and by December had staffed it with 449
United States Marines, twelve Grumman F4F-3 Wildcats, 68 Navy personnel, and a
contingent of over 1,200 civilian construction workers.
The garrison was incomplete, lacking revetments to protect
parked aircraft from shells or bombs, and no radar was yet installed. On the morning of December 8th
(the 7th in Hawaii), the garrison received a radio warning from Pearl. Navy Commander W.S. Cunningham
ordered four of his Marine pilots to take to the air to establish an air
screen, thereby saving them from destruction.
At noon, a large force of Japanese Mitsubishi bombers from the Marshal
Islands attacked and decimated seven of the eight F4F Wildcats remaining on the
ground. The eighth was
later disabled in a taxiing accident.
Pan American’s facilities, including a hotel, warehouse, and
fuel tanks, were destroyed by the raid. A moored Pan American airship, the Philippine Clipper, was riddled with
shot and shrapnel but remained airworthy.
Her civilian crew, passengers, and ground employees were able to
jettison unnecessary baggage and equipment and escape to Midway Island in a fortunate side note to this grim battle.
In spite of daily air attacks, the Marines were able to keep
their small fleet of four remaining Wildcats serviceable, and their intrepid
pilots served both as early warning for incoming air raids and
to claim their share of downed enemy bombers.
On December 11th, the Japanese attempted an
assault from the sea. A seaborne force
consisting of three light cruisers, six destroyers, and two armed merchantmen
approached during the night with the intent of landing 450 troops. But the defenders were able to sting heavily
with coastal artillery and their few remaining aircraft. Four Japanese ships were destroyed and
several more damaged, and they were forced to withdraw. This was the first defeat for the Japanese,
who had till now seemed invincible at Pearl, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the
Philippines. The home front rejoiced at
the news. But there was great cost to the Marines; two of the surviving F4Fs
were destroyed leaving only two of the original twelve operational.
Knowing the fate of the Marines, sailors, and civilians
on Wake was precarious, the Navy mounted a relief force from Hawaii led by
the carrier USS Saratoga and three
heavy cruisers, ten destroyers, and a number of support ships. But the
Japanese were approaching Wake with a large task force consisting of two fleet
carriers, many attendant cruisers and destroyers, and
a landing party of 1,500 men.
On December 22, the last two Wildcats were lost to carrier-based Japanese
Zeros, and on the 23rd the invasion was in full swing. Realizing the strength of the Japanese
armada, Pearl ordered the American relief force to turn back as it was deemed essential
to insure the defense of Hawaii. Thus was sealed the fate of Wake’s defenders.
The Marines fought defiantly, valiantly, and courageously,
but were overwhelmed. (Marine Captain
Henry T. Elrod was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for bravely piloting
his F4F Wildcat to down two Zeros and sink a destroyer. He was later killed protecting his men as
they carried ammunition to a gun emplacement).
The Japanese bombarded for hours and then landed over 1,000
men, overpowering the island’s defenses.
By afternoon, Commander Cunningham was forced to surrender the garrison. There followed a dark time of incarceration, hard
labor in POW camps, and atrocities better forgiven than avenged.
Dark times, indeed, but those on the home front rose to the challenge,
not only in the Pacific but also in Europe and around the world where Allied
forces were amassing. Our spirit, spunk,
and perseverance led the Allies to the post-war world we have all enjoyed
for over six decades. (Even Japan and Germany, the world’s 3rd and 4th
largest economies. Oh, to be defeated by those steely but benevolent Americans).
The veterans who formed the sharp tip of our spear in those
years are quickly disappearing. They who
served in the early war years are approaching 90 years and beyond. The incidence of veteran obituaries from that
era has long since peaked and dwindled – few of them remain. If you are fortunate enough to know a World
War II vet, or are kind enough to visit a veteran facility, take a moment to listen
to their stories and give them great thanks.
