Letter to Houghton Mifflin Company

November 19, 2008



Houghton Mifflin Company
222 Berkeley Street
Boston, MA 02116



To Whom It May Concern,


Pearl Harbor was a major historical event which led the United States into World War II. After scrutinizing the minimal information provided on Pearl Harbor in the text book World History: Patterns of Interaction, which is published by your company, I am writing to suggest some changes in the content for future editions.

Most textbooks make little to no reference to the fact that the United States had prior knowledge of the coming attack from Japan, the author of your passage at least mentions the de-coded message. However, the United States government had been forewarned by multiple other sources as well. Gordon Prange’s book, At Dawn We Slept, and Roosevelt’s Secret War, by Joseph Persico, describe the numerous secret intelligence reports that warned the U.S. government of Japan’s plans. Had these intelligence reports been treated appropriately by our government officials, they would have been prepared for the encounter with the Japanese. The President of the United States and the Superior Officers of our Armed Forces withheld this information in order to gain support from the American public on the entry into World War II.

I feel that the information I have presented here should be included in future publications of this textbook because the whole story should be taught instead of the typical account of a surprise attack.


Sincerely,



Blaine Hudson
350 Coal Creek Road
Redstone, Colorado 81623

Interpreting Data

I was unable to find any charts or graphs related to my topic but I did find this website www.usshancockcv19.com/pearl_harbor_history.htm . This is an inclusive site that offers how and what time the attack occurred, how many casualties the U.S. suffered, and how much damage was inflicted upon our Naval fleet.
I did not gain any knowledge from this website that I had not already acquired. Of course after exploring this area in history and researching many sources for quite some time now, there is not much I do not already know of this issue. However this source presents valuable statistical information directly related to the attack on Pearl Harbor. It shows the number of casualties killed and wounded from each branch of the military as well as how many civilian lives were taken. It also provides a list of the U.S. Naval ships that were damaged or destroyed in the attack. The web site declares whether the ships were lightly or heavily damaged and if they were salvaged or repaired after the raid.
After deciphering this data I have concluded that it is comprehensive and reliable as I have seen this information written in other sources that I have read. This website could help others understand my topic because after reading the figures they would have a better grasp on the severity of the attack and the damage the Japanese caused to our naval fleet.

Article Summary

This week I chose the most recent article I could find related to my topic to summarize in this blog. I found this article on the New York Times web site and it was published on October 31, 2008, and the title is “Japan Fires General Who Said a U.S. ‘Trap’ Led to the Pearl Harbor Attack.”
In summary, the Japanese author tells of the termination of the Chief of Staff of Japan’s air force, General Toshio Tamogami, for making public his views of the Japanese military during World War II. General Tomogami wrote an essay for a writing contest sponsored by a real estate company, which was posted on their website. While he won $30,000 for winning the essay contest, he lost his high-ranking position in the Japanese military.
General Tomogami wrote in his essay that he believed that the United States President, Franklin Roosevelt, intentionally set a trap to force the Japanese to make the first move against America. He made other statements that “denied Japan had invaded China and the Korean Peninsula,” and “justified Japanese colonialism.” These comments especially angered Asian countries who were invaded by Japan.
Japan has recently begun expressing regret over these actions during World War II and did not appreciate being contradicted by one of their top officials in a public manner.