How Pearl Harbor changed the U.S. 68 years ago today and what the president told a shocked nation
Last week we had President Obama's less-than-rousing Afghanistan war speech, trying to have it both ways by dispatching more troops while promising a scheduled departure. And not once using the word "victory."
Today, coincidentally, is the 68th anniversary of the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, where shortly the 44th president will fly with his family and White House entourage for a holiday vacation. Few Ticket readers will remember the shock that swept the country that quiet Sunday, not unlike 9/11 would do 60 years later. And the millions of lives affected by those events.
So here as a political refresher are two historic videos -- one about the actual attack itself by 350 planes from Imperial Japanese aircraft carriers more than 200 miles away.
The other video includes President Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous war speech the very next day, the one saying that Dec. 7, 1941, would live in infamy. And here we are 24,837 days later remembering.
And now a real presidential war speech from the days of radio when voice and words mattered more than looks.
-- Andrew MalcolmSpeaking of surprises, click here to receive Twitter alerts of each new Ticket item every day. Or follow us @latimestot. We're also over here on Facebook. And our Facebook fan page is here.