The Bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Forces on 7 December 194: From the Personal perspective of a Navy House Wife
The book edited by Paul Stillwell and titled ‘Air Raid, Pearl Harbor!: Recollections of a Day of Infamy’ depicts the events, experiences, and accounts, from a personal perspective, of several people caught up in the bombing events on Pearl Harbor. The book contains forty seven articles, each article contributed by an individual participant.
The article titled “A Navy Bride Learns to Cope,” by Peggy Hughes Ryan (231-237) deals with events before and after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor from the perspective of Mrs Hughes. The reactions, apprehensions, thinking and doubts of various Navy wives, as they gather around the street corners, in Navy housing were captured vividly in the account put forth by Peggy Hughes Ryan.
The Navy wives, having good familiarity with the naval attack possibilities in a bombing scenario, were highly apprehensive. They are more afraid than an average citizen of the Island of Oahu. Nonetheless, the Navy wives, following discussions and deliberations through long hours in a day, experienced an immense and total sense of confidence in the superior abilities of their own armed. They had no doubts whatsoever and highly optimistic. None of the Navy wives expressed pessimistic views. Moreover, the Navy wives came to an understanding that they should keep their sense of humor in this time of need and cheer each other.
In summary, Mrs Hughes captures vividly the physical and mental state of navy house wives immediately following the bombing of the Pearl Harbor. They are plagued by lack of information, rumors, suspicions, worries, doubts and potential further threats. Despite the variety of challenges posed by the events, the Navy wives, as a group, retained their composure, sense of humor, cheer, optimism, loyalty, confidence and inner strength.
Reference
Paul Stillwell (Ed.). (1981). Air Raid, Pearl Harbor!: Recollections of a Day of Infamy. Naval Institute Press.
