"This is Not a Drill" Dispatch
12/7/1941
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This Navy dispatch announced the attack on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, by the Japanese navy. This was the first official word that reached the rest of the United States announcing the attack. This dispatch was sent by the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific (CINCPAC) to all major Navy commands and fleet units.
This specific copy was received by the Boston Naval Yard. It was received at the Squantum Naval Reserve Aviation Base on December 7, 1941, from the First Naval District. It states, "AIR RAID ON PEARL HARBOR X THIS IS NOT DRILL." The next day, President Franklin Roosevelt gave his famous "Day of Infamy" speech and Congress declared war on Japan.
This specific copy was received by the Boston Naval Yard. It was received at the Squantum Naval Reserve Aviation Base on December 7, 1941, from the First Naval District. It states, "AIR RAID ON PEARL HARBOR X THIS IS NOT DRILL." The next day, President Franklin Roosevelt gave his famous "Day of Infamy" speech and Congress declared war on Japan.
This primary source comes from the Records of Naval Districts and Shore Establishments.
National Archives Identifier: 596244
Full Citation: 'This is Not a Drill' Dispatch; 12/7/1941; EF37 - Foreign Governments and Countries - Japan; General Correspondence, 1930 - 1943; Records of Naval Districts and Shore Establishments, Record Group 181; National Archives at Boston, Waltham, MA. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/this-is-not-a-drill-dispatch, March 16, 2025]Activities that use this document
- Pearl Harbor Dispatch Analysis
Created by the National Archives Education Team
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