WWII In HD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axpKyyTUfTU
My father, who is extremely interested in World War II came across this new History Channel series.  He told me that it told stories of some of the most important battles in World War II through the perspective of certain videographers or soldiers.  That seemed to me like any other show on the History Channel, so I became disinterested.  My father then told me that it revealed this entire series through the color video and pictures that were taken throughout the war.  Color photos are beginning to resurface and showing an extremely different look at the war.

Operation Watchtower

The battle of Guadacanal, or otherwise known as the codename, Operation Watchtower, is one of the most important battles in the Pacific theatre's history.  It was part of the Allied strategic plan to protect the convoy routes between the US, Australia and New Zealand.  This seabourne launch was the second major offensive on the empire of Japan after the war was declared on the axis powers.  The Americans realized that if the Japanese army gained control of the Solomon islands in the south Pacific, accessing Austraila would be utterly impossible.  The Americans needed to seige the island of Guadacanal before the Japanese could make working airfields. 

Freedom Denied-Extra Credit 11/17/10

After reading the article on the Japanese American interment camps, I had to look on the front of the page again to check who this article was actually talking about, the Germans or the Americans.  This was a huge shocker to me considerig our president was the one who authorized the seperation of people of Japanese descent.  One quote that stook out was, "Suddenly an Asian face became and enemy face".  What disturbed me the most was the fact that there was an infantry division used to guard the inside of the prisons(Japanese men were used).  Can you imagine fighting against your own family with people who are on the opposite side as you?  Although they call it a miliatary necessity to protect against terrorism and spying, but the main underyling reason was racism and money.

USS Arizona Memorial

The USS Arizona Memorial, located at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1177 sailors killed on the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 by Japanese imperial forces.  When I visited this memorial years ago, I noticed something very interesting about the ship that was below me.  About every 20 seconds I noticed a drop of oil bubble up from the tank.  From 60 years ago, there is still oil bubbling up.  That amazed me.  The USS Arizona continues to leak about a quart (0.95 L) of oil per day into the harbor.

Woah...How Could the World Stand By and Watch?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TaE0JnAV40

After watching this video, I couldn't but help myself think of how any human could do this to another group of people.  The pain and suffering that the Chinese civilization endured during this genocide was utterly un-imaginable.  The Japanese targeted young children first then moved to the men.  The Japanese focused upon the young adult men because they realized that if these men were not stopped(killled) they would be considered a threat to the Japanese army.  This reminded me of the rape of Belgium.  The Germans killed the men and all other civilians because they posed a threat to the German soldiers.  The procedure of killing these men and young children was hard to fathom.  They were used a practice for close quarter combat while the others waited in line and watched friends and family being murdered viciously.  After killing thousands of young children and men, the Japanese moved to young women.


How could this be allowed to continue?  Why did the Russians, British, and USA not attempt to stop this attack/genocide of the Chinese culture?

The Blitz(Rare Color Footage)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu0G1jjtReo&feature=related

 After watching a documentary/movie chronicling the night of the German Blitz upon the city of London, I began to find myself looking on other videos to receive another feel.  In the video so far, we have yet to see the effects of the constant barrage of fire canisters and 550 pound bombs that plummeted upon the city.  Our class has only been able to see the constant fire that has been burning up every building of London.  I was browsing youtube in search of some different footage; I came across some rare footage in color.  If seems that a news reporter was walking around filming what has happened to the city of London.  I began to question what would of happened if the Germans had continued their attack through the third phase?  Would London be reduced to rubble?