Home
Search transcripts:    Advanced Search
Notable New     Yorkers
Select     Notable New Yorker

Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
Photo Gallery
Transcript

Part:         Session:         Page of 912

Knox said, “That's the way they berth them.”

It was obvious to me that Roosevelt was having a dreadful time just accepting the idea that the Navy could be caught off guard. However, at this time there were no recriminations. There was no thought of anybody being blamed for this. Naturally people asked what Admiral Kimmel was doing. They couldn't get Kimmel. It was natural that he wasn't available. He was out where he belonged, at battle stations. People asked what he was doing. Well, they couldn't get a clear connection.

However, they began to got dribbles of communications from different officers, both naval and military. Before we left that room we knew that most of the high naval personnel was not aboard ship. One of the first things we thought about was that since it was obvious that it had taken such a terrible toll in life, had it taken a terrible toll in officer and command life? I got a feeling that it was humiliating for the President to have to acknowledge the fact that it was Sunday morning and the naval officers were otherwise occupied. Everything was shipshape as it ought to be, but it wasn't in battle trim. The high officers were not around. Quite subordinate officers had been in charge, had had to give what orders were given and do what should be done, which was almost nothing except try to fish an occasional man out of the water who was still alive when seen. You got just





© 2006 Columbia University Libraries | Oral History Research Office | Rights and Permissions | Help