Original newspapers from the Japanese Attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941 helped high school students develop a personal connection with the events this week -- exactly 75 years later.
Local collector Vernon Floyd commemorated the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor by loaning Siloam Springs High School five original newspapers, including two issues of the Honolulu Star Bulletin dated Dec. 7 and 8, 1941, and three other copies documenting the beginning and end of the war.
Papers included in the display were:
• The Oakland Post Enquirer dated Sept. 1, 1939, with the leading headline “WAR! Poland Invaded, Bombed; Asked Aid” followed by the headline “‘I’ll Not Survive Defeat’ - Hitler Will Fight War Without Italy.”
• Honolulu Star-Bulletin dated Dec. 7, 1941, with the leading headline “WAR! OAHU BOMBED BY JAPANESE PLANES.”
• Honolulu Star-Bulletin dated Dec. 8, 1941, with the leading headline “WAR DECLARED ON JAPAN BY U.S.”
• San Francisco Examiner, dated March 1, 1942, with the headline “The Mystery of Pearl Harbor.” The paper features a pictorial review of Pearl Harbor with recolorized photos.
• Oakland Tribune dated May 7, 1945, with the leading headline “GERMANY IN UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.”
• The Oakland Post Enquirer dated Aug. 8, 1945, with the leading headline “Atom Bomb Kills 150,000. RUSS DECLARE WAR ON JAPS.”
A constant stream of teachers took their students to view the newspapers, framed in museum quality cases, in the school library, according to assistant principal Kevin Snavely. While in the school library, students also watched a clip of the only color footage available from the attack.
"Seventy-five years ago today this happened," teacher Cecil Nichols told his social studies class on Wednesday, after they viewed the film and newspapers.
Nichols pointed to the fireball rising from the USS Arizona in the video, colored faint orange in the faded film, and explained that it was caused by a bomb that penetrated to the munitions room. The explosion caused the ship to sink quickly, trapping many below the deck. Of the 2,400 people killed in the attack, 1,200 were on board the Arizona, he said.
Nichols told his students that he was only a year old when the 10th anniversary of Pearl Harbor was remembered.
"This is my 9/11. This is what I was taught in school," he said, growing emotional.
Senior Alexis Walker said that seeing the original newspaper accounts and color footage made the story of Pearl Harbor more personal for her. She said that she was already aware of the facts of what happened, but didn't realize the personal impact.
Walker said the newspapers and video will help her related to people who were directly impacted by the aftermath of the attack. She was especially touched by her teacher's emotional reaction.
Considering the more recent Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Pearl Harbor often gets buried in history for younger generations, said senior Erick Posada. Posada said he never realized how many Japanese planes were involved in the attack or how many Americans were killed, especially on board USS Arizona.
"It's important to study the past," said Posada, "If we don't, important events will get buried and never brought up again."
Floyd, who has lived in Siloam Springs for more than 12 years, grew up in California in a Navy family. His father George Vernon worked in the Vallejo, Calif., Naval Shipyards during World War II, and his grandfather Clarence Dunlop served as a Navy Captain during the war. Floyd himself served in the Navy from 1967 to 1971, before becoming a firefighter in the San Francisco Bay area.
Floyd purchased the original newspapers in 1976 from a "burned out hippie" at an antique fair in Niles Canyon, Calif., to add to his collection of World War II memorabilia. He was quietly excited at his find as he bought the papers.
"This is the Honolulu Star Bulletin. It was there 75 years ago." Floyd said. "There it is."
Floyd said he wishes the students could read the newspapers cover to cover outside of the museum quality frames that are preserving them. On the backside of the Honolulu Star Bulletin was a second complete newspaper from another island that gives additional details of the attack. The most interesting thing Floyd found in the newspapers was that even in those early days the propaganda had already started, because the American's didn't want the other side to realize how many people had died in the attack.
Floyd said he decided to share the newspapers with the high school students so they can benefit from the past and hopefully won't make the same mistakes again. He also hopes that it will help the students realize the sacrifices the generations that came before them made.
"To be an American, they need to know they are very blessed," he said.
Papers included in the display were:
• The Oakland Post Enquirer dated Sept. 1, 1939, with the leading headline "WAR! Poland Invaded, Bombed; Asked Aid" followed by the headline "'I'll Not Survive Defeat' - Hitler Will Fight War Without Italy."
• Honolulu Star-Bulletin dated Dec. 7, 1941, with the leading headline "WAR! OAHU BOMBED BY JAPANESE PLANES."
• Honolulu Star-Bulletin dated Dec. 8, 1941, with the leading headline "WAR DECLARED ON JAPAN BY U.S."
• San Francisco Examiner, dated March 1, 1942, with the headline "The Mystery of Pearl Harbor." The paper features a pictorial review of Pearl Harbor with recolorized photos.
• Oakland Tribune dated May 7, 1945, with the leading headline "GERMANY IN UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER."
• The Oakland Post Enquirer dated Aug. 8, 1945, with the leading headline "Atom Bomb Kills 150,000. RUSS DECLARE WAR ON JAPS."
General News on 12/11/2016