B Reactor History Room: Pearl Harbor

The Pearl Harbor exhibit panel in the History Room.

See exhibit panel for specific image credits.

Main Text
Text at the bottom reads: “‘Yesterday, December 7, 1941— a date which will live in infamy— the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan,’ declared President Roosevelt in a joint session of Congress on December 8, 1941. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service launched a surprise attack on the naval base of Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii. The attack resulted in the sinking of four U.S. Navy battleships and the deaths of 2,403 people. As a result, President Roosevelt declared war on Japan on December 8th, and the U.S. officially entered World War II.” Text at the bottom left reads: “The USS Arizona was among the four battleships sunk in Japan’s surprise attack on the United States.”

Exhibit Panel Description
From December 1941, the poster, entitled “Pearl Harbor,” shows a black-and-white photograph of the USS Arizona badly mangled and listing, engulfed in smoke and flames.

Visit This Exhibit Panel
In-person visitation of the B Reactor is only authorized on guided tours offered by the Department of Energy.