Descent into Darkness: A Navy Diver’s Memoir
Descent into Darkness by Edward C. Raymer is an exceptional piece of work that accounts the history and aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. Raymer’s purpose when writing Descent into Darkness was to mainly depict the story of what naval divers did during the recovery process after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the hazards endured and the sometimes nearly impossible hardships they overcame, and the innovative diving techniques implemented used to salvage as many damaged battleships and naval capabilities back to fleet. The primary content also includes tense descriptions of diving after horrific circumstances, the human factors that are seldom known, and the
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Raymer articulates the scenarios in a sense that any person who had never served in the military would be able to empathize and conceptualize the obstacles presented to the divers. From the immediate hours following the Japanese assault to the days and months later in where an attack could come from any moment.
Raymer was able to elucidate in explicit detail what the divers endured during the post-Pearl Harbor recovery operations, and successfully accomplished his goals of providing vivid insight. Raymer’s account of working underwater, operating in pitch black environments, and maintaining communication in a time of developing technology were done so in an entertaining yet educational manner. His goals were to captivate and capture the readers attention by sharing the experiences of true historical accounts, a goal which is easily accomplished by most casual and scholarly readers. The book was written in a fashion where it was sophisticated yet easy to comprehend and understand by most individuals. While articulate, Raymer aimed at providing a factual cut and dry depiction of what happened, essentially point blank memoirs that would have the most profound impact (evident considering the book is less than 220 pages including pictures). The framework used by Raymer was that mainly that of a narrative view. Historical context was included but Descent into Darkness is primarily his
“Colder Than Hell: A Marine Rifle Company at Chosin Reservoir” is a memoir written by Joseph R. Owen, a lieutenant of Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Regiment. Lt. Owen narrates his experience as an officer in the Korean War, in an attempt to show the public what war is from a soldier's point of view. Readers are shown what sacrifices soldiers have to make during times of war, they are shown the experience of war through a different pair of eyes. The Chosin action is justly called majestic; and in this memoir, Lieutenant Owen tells the tale of the common men who made it so. Joseph informs the public about the experiences of the 7th Marine Regiment and the tragic end of the Chosin Reservoir where many Marines lost their lives. He shows us what sacrifices a soldier must make for his country, and he helps readers understand the impact of war on a man. The memoir was an extraordinarily detailed and realistic account of war, allowing the public to read the tale and enjoy not only a thrilling retelling of Chosin Reservoir, but also a memoir
Dano turned to the news channel and Steve stared in amazement. Steve saw the headline, and his face turned pale. The pearl Harbor Naval Base was under attack. There were at least a hundred of the enemies, and they were all wearing masks, so nobody could see their faces. They took over the whole naval base and had kept all the naval officers as hostages. Since the naval base was surrounded by water on one side, there were only a couple ways to get to the base. They could try to take a boat to get into the base, they could cross the bridge to get to the base, and they could also take air support, such as a helicopter. The enemies had the whole base covered, so there was no weak spot.
6a. With respect to the author’s conclusions (either specified or implied), I accept or agree with the following and why: His explanations of the struggle to keep the Marine Corps alive and the early development of amphibious doctrine make this book a great tool in understanding the modern Marine Corps.
The subject of this book has affect my life by serving as a reality check of what my Marine predecessors went through in order for me to be able to obtain the deep-rooted fighting tactics today. I will never have to deal with and survive the adversities that the Marines of Fox Company did. It also affected me by teaching me that as a Marine, no matter what struggles may present themselves, I will always thrive and keep fighting.
The main focus on this essay is “Why Did Japan Attack Pearl Harbor?”. On a normal Sunday morning when the American navy units were busy doing their normal routine work, the Japanese navy planned a surprise attack that stunned the world. This attack was so unpredictable that the entire American navy went in deep shock. Very few of them realized the need to manage and control their position to save the naval power. All the staff and ships that were present at the Pearl Harbor suffered massive loss. Just a couple of hours of bombing gave the Pearl Harbor, a battlefield view with fire and smoke emerging from every corner. The attack left American navy at a loss of 2400 of her best men as well as 21 ships that were either sunk or completely demolished.
On December 7,1941 Japan raided the airbases across the islands of Pearl Harbour. The “sneak attack” targeted the United States Navy. It left 2400 army personnel dead and over a thousand Americans wounded. U.S. Navy termed it as “one of the great defining moments in history”1 President Roosevelt called it as “A Day of Infamy”. 2 As this attack shook the nation and the Japanese Americans became the immediate ‘focal point’. At that moment approximately 112,000 Persons of Japanese descent resided in coastal areas of Oregon, Washington and also in California and Arizona.3
Not many people have heard about the Japanese Invasion of Alaska in the summer of 1942, well that’s because it was virtually erased from American history and no one would talk about it for decades. The little known piece of American history is told the perspectives of Naval officers and Native Civilians who are taken in as war captives in the remote area of the Aleutian Islands just 200 miles of the nearest point of Alaska. The book starts out with a group of U.S. code crackers that would intercept a message from the Japanese about an attack. They would turn in the evidence to Admiral Chester William Nimitz who would later pull the plug on all operations of both islands, and order all Civilians to evacuate the Islands. Throughout the book the
In Pearl Harbor and the Coming of the Pacific War by Akira Iriye, the author explores the events and circumstances that ended in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, an American naval base. Iriye assembles a myriad of primary documents, such as proposals and imperial conferences, as well as essays that offer different perspectives of the Pacific War. Not only is the material in Pearl Harbor and the Coming of the Pacific War informative of the situation between Japan and the United States, but it also provides a global context that allows for the readers to interpret Pearl Harbor and the events leading up to it how they may. Ultimately, both Pearl Harbor and the subsequent Pacific War between
The book I Survived The Attack of Pearl Harbor was a great book, but here’s the big question; Is it accurate? Well, thats pretty much what this whole essay is about. But that’s not until the third paragraph, so why don’t you make yourself comfortable will I get to that. This book brings to life many aspects of this attack that I have never thought of. What would it have been like to see the battleships blow up? What would it be like to see all of that destruction? That is what this is all about
Condon-Rall, Mary Ellen. “The U. S. Army Medical Department and the Attack on Pearl Harbor”. The Journal of Military History 53.1 (1989): 65–78.
The United States Marine Corps is a frequently misunderstood, occasionally maligned but more frequently mythologized division of the U.S. Armed Forces. Sometimes its role is perceived as overlapping the roles and responsibilities of its military counterparts such as the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force. However, as the exhaustive text by Victor Krulak shows, it is far more often seen as enhancing, focusing and insuring the roles and responsibilities. As the original pressing of Krulak's text was completed in 1984, a great many of the sentiments that permeate First in Fight: An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps carry pointedly Cold War-related messages and imperatives. However, an open-minded consideration of the text demonstrates a particular relevance for the servicemen and women of today's U.S. Marine Corps.
The novel, Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, portrays a dark and somber theme throughout the entirety of the book. Even in the end, the darkness is still there. But even so, the end is difficult to understand. The ending is very vague on certain perspectives. Conrad intentionally does this, not to detract from the rest of the novel, but to sum the entirety of his main point up.
Introduction. I chose this battle because I had been hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor, but I did not know much about it. This paper talks about the countries that fought in this battle, where the battle was fought, what the geography was like during the battle, what the weather was like, what happened during this battle, how many casualties occurred, other things I learned about the battle, who won the battle, and how the battle was important to WWII.
America’s initial response to the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 was that of disbelief and shock. This attack took place on a Sunday morning and what surprised many was the fact that a tiny island nation situated in the Asian mainland could bring out that kind of a feat thousands of miles away from its actual homeland. A major part of this shock and disbelief was based mainly on the stereotypical view that the Americans had on the Japanese people – short people with oriental features that appeared exaggerated.
Parts five and six bring together the personal and professional relationship between Marines themselves and the American public. These relationships, forged by the millions of men and women who have donned the Marine Corps uniform, are a result of training methods and careful selection. General Krulak gives the reader a taste of why Marines do what they have come to be known as America’s force in readiness. First to Fight has many good traits. The book, while easy to read and addictively interesting, never sugarcoats the intense conflicts between high level officials. General Krulak enhances the “official” record with personal accounts of events and people now legendary. His no-holds-barred approach to his writing makes General Krulak’s book both honest and educational. His explanations of the struggle to keep the Marine Corps alive and the early development of amphibious doctrine make First to Fight a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the modern Marine Corps. In parts of the book, General Krulak provides a mountain of detail. While these facts would be of great historical value for a reader who knows military structure and nomenclature, they tend to bog down the reader at points. The political volleys also tend to get tedious when the General describes the how the Marine Corps had to fight tooth and nail for institutional survival. These