Of course,Pearl Harbor was a US Naval Station, but why were the US there in the first place? Hawaii did not become a state un mid 1900's.

1. The U.S. occupation force had illegally held Hawaii since the its unlawful annexation in 1898.

   But just because they shouldn't have been there, doesn't mean the Japanese didn't attack them.

2. The US Pacific fleet was based in Pearl Harbor. The japs wanted to destroy the fleet, especially the carriers. They did sink a number of ships but the carriers were out of the harbor on patrol. Odd they didn't find the Japanese fleet, eh?
   Also there was a large army base, Schofield Barracks and Army Air Force fields, as well as naval air.
3. U.S. Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor
4. Hawaii at the time was a territory of the U.S. We owned it, but it did not become a state until 1959.
5. since there was a base there it was against the US.
6. The Americans were there because of its strategical location. Hawaii held the ENTIRE Atlantic Fleet, therefore, the entire defense for the west coasts of North & South America. Before the American presense in Hawaii, the only Allies in the Pacific were the Philipines and Australia/New Zealand.

   People tend to forget, some 3 years into WWII, the ONLY people fighting against the Nazis & Japan were the British Empire, the Greeks, the Philipines, and the Chinese when they could. The Philipines survived out of pure stubborness.

   The Kiwis/Maoris were in Greece helping to hold back the Nazis. The Aussies were everywhere because of their Navy and desert training. The UK was spread from Great Britain to Africa.

   China was taken, the Kiwis experienced the greatest loss of life in their history, the Philippines were over run, Japanese submarines were in Sydney Harbor.

   It did not matter that Hawaii wasn't ours. It was a peaceful country that held no military force and was strategically perfect in the event of war. Unfortunately, if we had not stolen it, someone "unsavory" probably would have simply due to its location. No, it wasn't right, but I am proud the Hawaiians are with us.

7. hawaii was a us territory till august 11 1959
8. The United States annexed Hawaii in 1898 and built a naval base there to counter Japanese ambitions in the Pacific.
9. Hawaii was a U.S. territory during that time. The US was there because they governed Hawaii. Pearl Harbor was a major US naval installation and its bombing would mean crippling the U.S. fleet. It was a strategic attack by the Japanese.

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