This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Kent Weekly (SS/DSV) (DBF), EMCS
to remember
Jackson, Richard Harrison, ADM USN(Ret).
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Contact Info
Home Town Tuscumbia, AL
Last Address Coronado, CA
Date of Passing Oct 02, 1971
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
Here is a poem to act as a guide to adventuresome living.
It was written by Rear Admiral R. H. Jackson (deceased):
THE OLD GARDENER
Count your garden by the flowers,
Never by the leaves that fall.
Count your day by golden hours,
Don't remember clouds at all.
Count your nights by stars, not shadows,
Count your life by smiles, not tears,
And, with joy on every birthday,
Count your age by friends -- not years.
Other Comments:
Admiral Jackson was 105 years old when he died.
He was discharged from the service in 1889 due to low class standing and unable to be promoted to Ensign. Then in 1890 due to his heroics in Guam during a typhoon a special dispensation was made for him and he was reinstated in 1890.
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Attack on Pearl Harbor
From Month/Year
December / 1941
To Month/Year
December / 1941
Description The attack on Pearl Harbor, also known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor, the Hawaii Operation or Operation AI by the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, and Operation Z during planning, was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory, on the morning of December 7, 1941. The attack led to the United States' entry into World War II.
Japan intended the attack as a preventive action to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions the Empire of Japan planned in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States. Over the next seven hours there were coordinated Japanese attacks on the U.S.-held Philippines, Guam and Wake Island and on the British Empire in Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
The attack commenced at 7:48 a.m. Hawaiian Time. The base was attacked by 353 Imperial Japanese fighter planes, bombers, and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four sunk. All but Arizona were later raised, and six were returned to service and went on to fight in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded. Important base installations such as the power station, shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section) were not attacked. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 64 servicemen killed. One Japanese sailor, Kazuo Sakamaki, was captured.
The attack came as a profound shock to the American people and led directly to the American entry into World War II in both the Pacific and European theaters. The following day, December 8, the United States declared war on Japan. Domestic support for non-interventionism, which had been fading since the Fall of France in 1940,[19] disappeared. Clandestine support of the United Kingdom (e.g., the Neutrality Patrol) was replaced by active alliance. Subsequent operations by the U.S. prompted Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy to declare war on the U.S. on December 11, which was reciprocated by the U.S. the same day.
From the 1950s, several writers alleged that parties high in the U.S. and British governments knew of the attack in advance and may have let it happen (or even encouraged it) with the aim of bringing the U.S. into war. However, this advance-knowledge conspiracy theory is rejected by mainstream historians.
There were numerous historical precedents for unannounced military action by Japan. However, the lack of any formal warning, particularly while negotiations were still apparently ongoing, led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to proclaim December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy". Because the attack happened without a declaration of war and without explicit warning, the attack on Pearl Harbor was judged by the Tokyo Trials to be a war crime.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
December / 1941
To Month/Year
December / 1941
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories Cincpac File No. UNITED STATES PACIFIC FLEETU.S.S. PENNSYLVANIA Flagship CONFIDENTIAL Pearl Harbor, T.H.,December 12, 1941. From: Rear Admiral R.H. Jackson, U.S. Navy (retired). To: Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet.
Subject: Attack on Pearl Harbor from 0755 to 0930, 7 December 1941. 1. The following account of the attack was observed from the wharf in front of my house at 649 Coral Avenue, Pearl City Peninsula and from the door step of the house. The house is opposite the Lexington's berth at Ford Island. The first attack started at 0755 and lasted for about 45 minutes; the ships having just hoisted the "preparatory" for colors. 2. At the sound of a bomb explosion at 0755 I went out on the wharf, which runs about 150 feet toward the channel. 3. I noted at once the line of ready planes on the South end of Ford Island were burning with heavy smoke. 4. Then I noticed an explosion in the channel opposite the Utah. Soon the Utah began to list very slowly at first; and about the end of the first attack she heeled rapidly, suddenly capsized, rolling away from the dock. A few second later a heavy explosion came from the hulk toward the shore. As the ship heeled her small crew on board escaped toward the shore. 5. During this period the Raleigh seemed to be settling and heeling slowly. 6. I saw no overhead bomb attack on either of these ships and I do not know how the Raleigh was damaged. 7. During this attack practically all planes had leveled off as they came down the Northwest shore of the peninsula, passing over three nests of destroyers and apparently heading directly for the Lexington and the Curtiss berths. Several of these planes flew quite low and not much higher than the Curtiss' masts, and banked to the right as they left the harbor. 8. At the end of the attack about 0830 a formation of 6 or 9 planes at safe height circled the harbor, apparently to observe the effect of the attack. heavy gunfire was directed at them without effect. 9. About 0900 a second and much heavier attack was directed from the Northwest again. This attack was especially against the Curtiss. That ship was twice set on fire and while extinguishing them, the ship maintained a brisk fire from her forward battery. 10. During this attack bombs dropped on both quarters of the Curtiss; another crashed on her boat deck on the port side. 11. A plane coming very low under hot fire from across Ford Island, apparently out of control smashed into the Curtiss on her starboard side and sank. 12. In the second raid about 0900 to 0930, the Curtiss was the especial target. During this period she opened fire on her starboard quarter on a reported submarine. 13. A destroyer came up and skillfully dropped a depth charge between her own stern and that of the Curtiss. Though the Curtiss surged forward heavily and the destroyer's bow was driven toward the beach, neither vessel seemed damaged by the depth charge which was well placed to destroy the submarine reported there. 14. During this period the Curtiss used her damage control skillfully and her forward battery was well handled despite two fires caused by bombs. 15. Information through her loud speaker was well broadcast by her throughout the attack. 16. This attack was pressed on against the Curtiss through heavy gunfire. Little attention seemingly was given by the attackers to the three nests of destroyers and the Medusa which intervened, nor did I see any attack delivered against the converted patrol tender lying at Ford Island between the Curtiss and the Raleigh. 17. The Curtiss was energetically and skillfully handled throughout both attacks and her broadcasting was excellent. 18. No mention is made of incidents in battleship channel as I was not favorably placed to report them and there were many observers at that point. [signed] R.H. JACKSON, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret).
