Case 2 picks up the events after the first attack and shows how the men of the
Pacific Fleet reacted to the attack. It follows them as their initial shock
and fear turns to awareness and determination to respond. The oral histories
record the personal experiences of the men as they struggled to save their
wounded or dying ships even as they attempted to strike back at the enemy.
This case focuses on the cruisers USS Raleigh and the USS Helena and the
battleships USS Nevada and the USS California. It tries to show the personal
impact on the individual sailors, including Joseph Taussig, the son of an
admiral, who lost a leg in the attack on the USS Nevada. It also tries to
show how the town of Honolulu adjacent to Pearl Harbor felt the impact of the
attacks.
