VOITURE LOCALE 99

...lest we forget President Roosevelt's own words, "A date which will live in infamy".
 
At 7:53 am the attack began with the battle cry "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and changed the focus of United States Navy from a battleship-based force to one based on the striking power of the Aircraft Carrier. It became the mission of naval carrier aviation and our submarine force to stop and push back the Japanese expansion in the Pacific.
 
Our losses at Pearl Harbor were great with 2,335 servicemen and 68 civilians killed, and 1,178 wounded. In the attack five battleships were sunk; all eight were damaged. Three light cruisers, three destroyers and three smaller vessels were destroyed along with 188 aircraft.  U.S. Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers, Lexington, Enterprise and Saratoga were at sea and therefore escaped the attack.
 
Victory at sea in the Pacific was dependent upon carrier aviation. Advances in aviation, the advent of the jet engine and the need for continued presence worldwide in our role as Super Power led to the evolution of the Super Carrier in the last half of the 20th century. The Super Carrier became the dominate vessel to project United States' power during the "Cold War" and in hot wars in Korea, Vietnam and elsewhere. This includes the current wars in the Middle East and trouble spots elsewhere.
 
The carrier is also a means of maintaining freedom of the seas for all nations ensuring free trade and commerce as well as providing humanitarian relief in natural disasters.
 
The success of Naval Aviation is well documented in Aircraft Carriers At War  by Admiral James L. Holloway III, USN (Ret.), published by the US Naval Institute, 2007.  His book is a must read to understand the role of aircraft carriers as a critical element in protecting freedom and projecting military strength around the world.
 
The USS Ranger Foundation's mission is to preserve this Super Carrier for the American Public to commemorate the legacy of these magnificent vessels whose dominance arose in the aftermath of the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor. It is fitting USS Ranger be displayed on the West Coast where carrier aviation came into its own in the  Pacific Theater of World War II.
 
I urge you to support our efforts in this endeavor with a year-end donation to provide funds for the application process to bring Ranger back to life in her new role. She will serve as a representative of our Navy Aircraft Carriers past, and in service today as a key element of our national power.  We are making significant progress in obtaining a mooring site so visit our web site frequently to follow our activity.
 
Thank you,
Captain Peter W Ogle USN (Ret)
President and CEO, USS Ranger Foundation 

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