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Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, Japanese fighter planes attacked Pearl Harbor, the U.S. naval base in the Pacific. The attack lasted about two hours and left the harbor in total destruction. 300 planes and almost 20 vessels, including 8 battle ships, were destroyed. Over 2,000 American soldiers were killed and some 1,000 were wounded. The day after the attack, President Roosevelt declared war on Japan. -
Japanese Internment
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, many people started to question the loyalty of Japanese Americans living in the U.S. Soon the U.S. sent most of the Japanese Americans to internment camps that allowed them little freedom. Japanese Americans lost all of their privileges and rights as U.S. civilians. Loss of rights included the requirement of permits to travel farther than 5 miles from one's home. Even native born American citizens that were of Japanese decent had little freedom. -
Conventional Bombing of Tokyo
Over the span of 48 hours, the American firebombers dropped 2,000 tons of bombs on Tokyo. About 16,000 square miles of the Japanese city was destroyed by the destruction. Between 80,000 to 130,000 Japanese people were killed in the bombing. It is known as the most brutal bombing firestorm in recorded history. -
The Doolittle Raid
On the 18th of August, 1942, 16 bombers took off from the carrier Hornet, which was within 650 miles from Japan itself. The bombers hit the city of Tokyo and other Japanese cities. The attack did little damage significance, but it surprised the Japanese, and because of this, Japan moved their valuable resources for defense to the home island which helped the U.S. defeat smaller islands. Japan also tried to destroy the rest of the American fleet, but failed. -
The Battle of Midway
The Americans wanted to stop the expansion of the Japanese. The U.S. intercepted a Japanese message that told of an offensive at the Midway islands. American forces, including many planes from Midway and from three aircraft carriers, demolished Japanese troops. This battle was significant because it was Japan's last offensive in the war. -
Louie Gets a POW Job as a Barber
During the horrific times of the POW camps, the captives were offered a job to be a barber, and in return the captive would get an extra ball of rice. Louie immediately accepted the job for the extra food. Because of this job, Louie was able to gain strength because of the extra food, steal tools and knives, and learn information about the war. -
Urgency
Louise wrote a letter to Hale telling him to not give up searching. Unbeknownst to Louise, on the same day, Louie was captured. hale sent a letter saying they had been forced to accept Louie and the rest of the men were gone -
Air Raid of Nauru Island
On March 25 of 1943, 15 U.S. bombers flew over the Nauru Island and bombed the airstrip. The bombing destroyed 8 Japanese bombers along with 7 fighter planes. At the time of the bombing, the Japanese were transporting some Australian people in a truck to an air raid shelter. The truck was directly hit by a bomb, killing all the Japanese soldiers and Australians as well. -
The Zamperini's Are Informed of Louie's disappearance
During a search and rescue mission, Louie and the rest of his crew that was on the Green Hornet plane crashed in the pacific ocean. With no success after searching many times for the crew, the military sent home a letter to the Zamperini family, informing them of their missing son. Louie's parents refused to believe that Louie was dead and stayed optimistic. -
Japanese Guard Kills Gaga
During the war, in the Japanese Ofuna camp, there is a duck. The duck is the only thing that has seemed to bring joy to the American captives. But one day a Japanese guard at the camp beats and kills the duck to terminate the joy it brings to the POWs. -
Escape
Louie, Tinker, and Harris were going to escape. They made a plan to find safe harbor in China. they prepped for the journey by strengthening their legs, studied the guards' shifts and steal supplies. -
The Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf is considered by some to be the largest naval battle in WWII. The Allied forces landed on the Philippine island in October of 1944. Both the American forces and the Filipino guerrillas were under the command of Douglass MacArthur. MacArthur and his troops fought against the imperial Japanese Army during the battle of Leyte Gulf. -
The Battle of Iwo Jima
In 1945, Iwo Jima was a key island that the U.S. needed to capture to gain advantage in the war. The Allies bombarded the island for 3 long months, but the defenses were not weakened. This 3 month battle was one of the most bloodiest battles during the war. An appalling 22,000 Japanese soldiers fought to the death. And to secure victory, more than 6,800 American troops were killed. -
Louie is Sent to Omori POW Camp
Louie was first taken to a camp that was not specifically a POW camp. But then he was later moved to the camp Omori. At this camp he met "The Bird" who was a relentless Japanese guard who took no mercy on his American captives. "The Bird" started targeting Louie with his beatings and made his life a complete misery. -
First Dropping of Atomic Bomb
On August 6 of 1945, America became the first ever country to implement the use of the atomic bomb. The bomber "Enola Gay" dropped the 5-ton bomb on the city of Hiroshima. The blast of the atomic instantly killed about 80,000 people in the Japanese city. Even weeks after the bomb erupted, tens of thousands of people were killed from the radiation poisoning and other wounds. -
V-J Day
On August 14 of 1945, after the dropping of the atomic bombs, Japan surrendered to the Allied force, thus ending the war. The victorious day was named V-J Day because it stood for Victory over Japan Day. Today we celebrate V-J Day on September 2 because that was when Japan's formal surrender took place. It is not celebrated much anymore because there were concerns that it is too offensive to Japan after the destruction the atomic bombs brought them. -
Missing Louie
Louise couldn't bare to look into her sons room. The family was suffering. People pitied the Zamperinis for being unable to accept the truth.
