New Delhi: US Surgeon General Jerome Adams has warned that the nation will be faced with a “Pearl Harbour moment”, with unprecedented numbers of coronavirus deaths expected this week.
In an interview with CNN, the country’s top-rated surgeon said Americans may be hit by the “hardest” and “saddest” week of their lives.
“This is going to be our Pearl Harbour moment, our 9/11 moment, only it’s not going to be localised. It’s going to be happening all across the country. And I want Americans to understand that,” Adams added.
He also urged state leaders to ask citizens to stay home for the next 10 days. “There is a light at the end of the tunnel if everyone does their part,” he said.
US governors had Sunday also appealed to the White House for a national strategy against the coronavirus outbreak as deaths spike from coast to coast. As of Sunday, the Johns Hopkins University reported over 3,37,620 confirmed cases and more than 9,643 deaths due to coronavirus in the US.
ThePrint explains what the “Pearl Harbour moment” means in the context of United States’ history.
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The attack on Pearl Harbour
Pearl Harbour is a naval base in Honolulu, Hawaii, that came under a surprise attack by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941, during World War 2. Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes had descended on the base and destroyed nearly 20 American naval vessels, eight battleships and over 300 airplanes.
Over 2,335 US military personnel and 68 civillians were killed in the attack.
World War 2 lasted from 1939 to 1945 and until this attack on Pearl Harbour, the US had not entered the war.
Even though the attack on Pearl Harbour was a surprise, it has been said that Japan and the US were on the verge of war for decades. The American government was unhappy with Japan’s declaration of war on China in 1937. The US responded by passing economic sanctions against Japan.
Since Pearl Harbor is located over 2,000 miles away from mainland America, the US intelligence officials at the time were confident that the Japanese wouldn’t attack on the distant islands of Hawaii. Pearl Harbor was, therefore, left relatively undefended.
A day after the attack on Pearl Harbour, then US President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan. On 8 December 1941, the US Congress approved Roosevelt’s declaration of war on Japan.
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