The events of December 7th, 1941 were such a massive shock that some parts of the story are sometimes forgotten. It’s often described as the bombing of Pearl Harbor—and that’s where the bulk of the casualties took place.
But before the ships came the planes. The Japanese wanted to hit the capacity of US Forces to strike back by air. And so half a dozen air bases around O‘ahu were strafed and bombed.
They included the K?ne‘ohe Naval Air Station, the ‘Ewa Marine Corps Air Station, Bellows Air Field, Hickam Field, and the Ford Island Naval Air Station. And Wheeler Air Field was where some of the first damage was done. That’s where infantryman Thomas Petso was playing football early on a Sunday morning.
The overall casualties from the December 7th attacks included more than 24-hundred killed. Nearly 1,200 more were wounded.
