by Lt. Cmdr. Kenneth Landis USNR (ret.) & Staff Sgt. Rex Gunn USAR (ret.) |
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What actually happened on December 7, 1941, remains a controversial topic. But just how big of a surprise was it to Roosevelt and his closest aides? Deceit at Pearl Harbor: From Pearl Harbor to Midway (available from the author) sheds lights on a hidden side of America's entry into "the last great war".
A vast array of books has been published about Pearl Harbor since World War II. This book is unique, since it was actually written by the last remaining member of Admiral Kimmel’s staff as existed on December 7, 1941, plus two other Pearl Harbor survivors; one a crew member of the early warning radar, and another a crew member of the USS Pennsylvania, Admiral Kimmel’s flagship. How much did President Roosevelt know about the impending Japanese attack? Lt. Commander Kenneth Landis presents a compelling argument that the President and top military advisors betrayed their Armed Forces. By allowing the enemy to attack first, the government swelled public support for the war, and hastened America's participation. Perhaps the most astonishing revelation in this book is the transcript of the telephone conversation between Churchill and Roosevelt, eleven days before Pearl Harbor. Roosevelt ignored the warning from Churchill that a large Japanese Task Force was on its way to Pearl Harbor, and thus denied thousands of men to make immediate preparations to defend themselves. |
ABOUT THE AUTHORKenneth Landis was born in 1918 in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Evanston Township High School and then went on to college at Northwestern University.Landis graduated from Northwestern University receiving a Bachelors Degree in Industrial Engineering in 1940, also receiving a commission in the U.S. Navy as Ensign in the Naval Reserve. At that time war was imminent and Landis shortly received orders to report to the USS Sculpin, a submarine based in Pearl Harbor. After many months aboard the USS Sculpin, Landis received orders to report to CINCPAC at the Sub Base, Pearl Harbor on Admiral Kimmel’s staff. This turned out to be indeed lucky for Landis as the USS Sculpin was later sunk with all hands lost. Landis was later transferred to the USS Isabel in West Australia and took command of that ship in 1943. The Isabel was a historic ship that seemed to bear a charmed life in two World Wars.
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After discharge in San Diego in 1946 Landis moved to Santa Monica, California and went into business. Landis retired in 1989 living with his wife, Roslynn, in La Quinta, California. |
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One reader provided this copy of the Honolulu Advertiser, Final Edition, Sunday, November 30, 1941 with the following comment: "I was the one that actually produced the 8" X 10" reduction of the original newspaper. I can certify that it is a copy of the original newspaper. To my knowledge there are only TWO newspapers that survived the collection after it was found that it was not supposed to be printed. One is in the Public Library in Honolulu and the other is in a museum in Punta Gorda, Florida." Ed White, CPO USNR Retired
Dear Ken:
I finally talked to him and told him to immediatly call someone with authority and pass the word that we have picked up over 150 blips on our radar screen and get some action right away. He gave me a bunch of BS. As far as he was concerned, there was no action needed at this time. He had at least 1 1/2 hours of time [to warn Pearl], but he chose to do nothing. The rest is history. Corporal George B. Mooney, USAR Retired.
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This is a picture of the guy who was supposed to be in temporary charge of the multi-million Filter Center in the mountain close to Fort Shafter on Dec. 7, 1941. I called the Filter Center at 5:45AM, Sunday December 7 and asked to talk with the Senior Officer in Charge. The telephone operator told me there were only four people there. The duty officer, a 2nd. Lt. Kermit Tyler, was in his second day of training and observer of overall plotting, etc.