To all those entombed in the USS Arizona. I am writing a letter to all of the brave soldiers trapped underneath the ocean in the battleship, the Arizona. You have died graciously and courageously. We are writing this letter to inform you of some facts about the war that you might have not understood the last minutes of your life. One question I will try to answer for you is why Japan attacked us in Pearl Harbor.
In September 1940, the U.S. placed an embargo on Japan by prohibiting exports of steel, scrap iron, and aviation fuel to Japan, due to Japan's takeover of northern French Indochina. In response, the Japanese signed a neutrality treaty with the Soviet Union to prevent any fighting with them or Britain so that they could put all their energy into taking over Southeast Asia. In June 1941, Japan forces occupied southern Indochina and in response, the Netherlands, Britain, and the U.S. cut off all exports to the Japanese, leaving them with very little steel, iron, oil, and other vital resources. In extreme anger, Japan tried many ways to find a source for oil and other minerals but couldn't find a way. The U.S. then asked Japanese to leave Manchuria and Southeast Asia, but they refused. On December 7, 1941, Japan made the decision to bomb the naval area of pearl Harbor because of the cut off of trade with foreign countries and the disloyalty of keeping to the code.
The U.S. fleets entered Pearl Harbor to act as a scarecrow to the Japanese naval and air forces. Our purpose was to frighten the Japanese in the Pacific so that they would hopefully turn around and head back to Japan. Prior to our arrival in Pearl Harbor, the Japanese naval and air forces were taking over territory in the Pacific. The U.S. became worried that they would soon be attacked and that also the Japanese would seize our allied countries. That was when the decision was made to occupy Pearl Harbor with one of our strongest and largest naval forces and battleships, one including the USS Arizona.
