View From the Shore

December 7, 1941 will forever be remembered as an day of infamy. It was on that day that Japan attacked the military bases on the Hawaiian Island of O’ahu. Pearl Harbor Naval Base, where many of the United States Pacific fleet were docked on that day, and Hickham Field, which adjoins the Naval Base, were the two major points of attack.

It was a quiet Sunday morning when the Japanese launched 2 waves of attacks. The first wave reached the Island at 7:54 am local time with the second arriving about 15 minutes later. The raids lasted until 9:45 am.

The first attack targeted airfields and battleships.The second wave targeted other ships and shipyard facilities. After the dust had cleared eight battleships were damaged, with five sunk. Three light cruisers, three destroyers and three smaller vessels were lost along with 188 aircraft.

The Japanese lost 29 planes and five midget submarines which attempted to penetrate the inner harbor. The casualty list numbered 2,335 servicemen and 68 civilians killed, with another 1,178 wounded. Nearly 1/2 of those killed were on the Battleship USS Arizona with 1,104 men killed. The Japanese lost 65 men.

This attack was one of multiple attacks by the Japanese. During a two day period they also launched attacks in the Pacific against Malaya, Hong Kong, Guam, the Philippine Islands, Wake Island and Midway Island.

The aircraft carriers Lexington, Enterprise and Saratoga, part of the Japanese targets, were not in port that day. Also escaping damage were the fuel storage, maintenance, and dry dock facilities.

On December 8, President Roosevelt delivered his famous speech to congress requesting a Declaration of War.

Yesterday, 7 December 1941-a date which will live in infamy-the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government had deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives were lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Wake Island.

This morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces-with the unbounded determination of our people-we will gain the inevitable triumph-so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, 7 December, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

When one thinks about Christmas and all of the songs and the artists who have recorded them, the one person who nearly everyone thinks about is Bing Crosby and “White Christmas”. He has even been called the Voice of Christmas.

And it’s hard not to agree with this fact. Although nearly every generation has a singer who is associated with Christmas. It could be Perry Como, who along with Crosby had a number of Christmas Special on broadcast TV during his life. Or Andy Williams, who along with his Brothers and another set of brothers, The Osmonds, enjoyed a run of Christmas shows on his variety show of the 1960’s.

But it’s still the songs of Bing Crosby that many remember hearing during the Christmas of their youth. It could be “White Christmas” which he first recorded in 1942 for the film “Holiday Inn”. But that wasn’t the only one. In 1943 he released “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”, which if not for the success of “White Christmas”, would be considered his classic Christmas Song. He also had a recording of “Silent Night” that reached the top of the charts as was a duet with the Andrew Sisters, “Jingle Bells” also in 1943.

Crosby also has had a few improbable Christmas pairings. One of his last recorded performance was the duet he recorded with David Bowie, “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy” for his 1977 Christmas Special. In 2012 there was an impossible duet, made possible by the wonders of modern technology, with him singing with Michael Bublé.

Bing Crosby was the biggest recording act of the 1930s and 1940s. Even though Billboard used a different method of charting, Crosby had separate charting singles in every calendar year between 1931 and 1954. He had 383 chart singles, including 41 Number 1 hits. Some of these were “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby” (1938), “I’ll Be Seeing You” and “Swinging on a Star” (Both 1943).

It’s his Christmas songs that is remembered and played. And will probably still be in a hundred years from now.

When should Christmas music be started to played for the Holidays? One thought is after Halloween, another is as soon as the weather starts turning colder (living in Maryland this would be around Mid-October) but for most that time starts around Thanksgiving.

We all know and love the following songs, but did you know that they also have interesting stories. Here are brief stories about six of our Christmas favorites. Oh, and for me I start playing them anytime after the first of October, sometimes even earlier.

White Christmas
The song was introduced in the movie Holiday Inn. What isn’t as well known is that it was a song about being stuck in sunny and warm LA and dreaming of a White Christmas. The original first verse is:
The sun is shining
The grass is green
The orange and palm trees sway.
I’ve never seen such a day
In Beverly Hills LA.
But it’s December the 24th
And I am longing to be up North…

This part is rarely performed with the song (The Carpenters version does) and was never recorded by Bing Crosby.

Have Yourself A Very Merry Christmas
This Judy Garland song was written for and first introduced in the movie Meet me In St. Louis. The original intent for the song was to say that by next year things would be brighter. The original lines were;
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
May your heart be light
In a year our troubles will be out of sight
From now on

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the yuletide gay
In a year our troubles will be miles away

At the request of Judy Garland it was changed to:
Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
Let your heart be light,
From now on our troubles
Will be out of sight.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on our troubles
Will be miles away.

Then in 1957 when Frank Sinatra was recording his Christmas Album A Jolly Christmas he requested another change to the lyrics. Later in the song there was the line;
If the Fates allow
Until then, we’ll just have to muddle through somehow
And have ourselves a merry little Christmas now.

Sinatra wanted a more jolly song and asked for this to be changed. It was to:
If the Fates allow,
Hang a shining star
On the highest bough,
And have yourself
A merry little Christmas now.

This sure makes for it to be a merrier, Merry Christmas song.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas
The song was written in 1943 and recorded in that same year by Bing Crosby. Placing it in that time period it’s obvious that the song was about a soldier at war and his Christmas wish. If it wasn’t for White Christmas this would probably be considered His Christmas song. (Although his version of Silent Night sold more copies) The song remained on the charts for 7 weeks and well pass Christmas.

Silver Bells
The song was written by the prolific movie composers Jay Livingston and Ray Evans for the movie The Lemon Drop Kid, staring Bob Hope. It was originally going to be Tinkle Bells, until Livingston’s wife told him that to millions of american women the word tinkle meant something else and not something that would generally go over good in a Christmas song. The word tinkle was replaced with silver. Now the next time you hear the song replace the word “silver” with “tinkle” and see if it doesn’t seem like slightly different song.

Frosty the Snowman
Frosty the Snowman was written with one thought in mind. Just before it was written Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer had be a huge commercial hit and the team of Jack Nelson and Steve Rollins wanted to write the next “Christmas Classic”. By the end of the winter they had put together two holiday songs to pitch to Gene Autry. Autry was sold and recorded Frosty for the next Christmas season.

And, the other Holiday song they pitched. It wasn’t a Christmas song, but the Easter song Here Comes Peter Cotton-tail.

A Christmas Song
In the hot heat in the summer of 1945, Mel Torme visited his friend Bob Wells. Earlier in the day Wells had written phases in a notebook in an effort to stay cool. A couple of these were; “Chestnuts roasting … Jack Frost nipping … Yuletide carols … Folks dressed up like Eskimos.”

Torme also in an effort to try to cool off, thought that maybe writing a winter song would help. They took these phrases and in 40 minutes much of the music and some of the lyrics of one of the most recorded Christmas song was completed.