Wilson County Historical Society

Talk of Wilson County TX Historic Towns

by Barbara J. Wood

PEARL HARBOR

Japanese Submarine

JAPANESE SUBMARINE ... The HA.19 Japanese midget submarine, captured at Pearl Harbor toured the USA in 1943 helping to sell war bonds made a stop in Wilson County Texas at Floresville. The submarine is a historic Imperial Japanese Navy Type A Kō-hyōteki-class midget submarine that was part of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. The submarine's crew was ordered to enter Pearl Harbor, attack the moored American warships with its two torpedoes and then scuttle her with explosives. However, the crew was unable to enter the harbor due to navigational difficulties, and the submarine ran aground and was captured by American forces.You can see this submarine in person in Fredericksburg Texas at the National Museum of the Pacific War.

We were blindsided by Japan December 7, 1941

Courtesy of Wilson County News

We were blindsided by Japan December 7, 1941 ..... when they attacked Pearl Harbor. The Japanese killed 2,335 servicemen. An additional 1,143 were wounded. They attacked us for 110 minutes from 7:55 a.m. until 9:45 a.m. Hundreds of Japanese planes sank or damaged 21 warships and destroyed more than 150 planes on nearby airfields. That was a horrendous day in our history that we never want repeated. (Dr. Glenn Mollette)

'A date which will live in infamy' December 7, 1941

Reminiscing: Remember Pearl Harbor

Reminiscing: Remember Pearl Harbor .... reading the "written memories" of those who recall Dec. 7th, 1941 one can learn how folks were coping.

Wilson County News 2011
By Rudy Elizondo

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, I was 13 years old and a member of Boy Scout Troop No. 114 in Floresville.

President Roosevelt addressed the nation that evening and said that December 7 would be remembered as a day of infamy.

A number of patriotic songs became popular, such as "American Patrol," "The White Cliffs of Dover," and Kate Smith singing "God Bless America."

A frequently played song was "Remember Pearl Harbor." The words were, "Let's remember Pearl Harbor as we go to meet the foe. Let's remember Pearl Harbor as we did the Alamo. We will always remember the 7th of December. Let's remember Pearl Harbor ..." (I can't remember the words that comprised the final six syllables of the short popular song.)

Let's remember Pearl Harbor.

Rudy Elizondo is Julia Castro's nephew and formerly of Floresville.