Pearl Harbor: A Documentary

In the chaotic aftermath of the First World War, the vast Pacific Ocean becomes the flash point for a new crisis, a struggle between militaristic Japan and isolationist America. Japan, eager for raw materials to feed her fledgling industries, invades Manchuria and later China. The fighting in Asia sets Japan on a collision course with the United States, a course that will ultimately lead to Hiroshima and Nagaski. On December 7, 1941, the uneasy peace is shattered as the Japanese carrier fleet launches a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and the island of Oahu. Within thirty minutes, the power of the United States Pacific Fleet is devastated. By the end of the attack, seven battleships are damaged or sunk, half the aircraft on the island are wiped out and 2,400 American lives are lost. The story told here is one of global forces, of fascism and imperialism. It is the story of one of the most momentous events in American history and of a crucial turning point in the 20th Century. Most importantly, it is the story of the people who were there, told through the eyewitness accounts of both American and Japanese veterans, some whose stories have never been told. This is a story of courage, heroism and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. This is the story of Pearl Harbor.