Pearl Harbor/terminology

[KateReynolds]

I'm writing a novel set in Arizona in 1942, and I have two questions
about terminology:

1. I read that people often referred (in writing) to Pearl Harbor as
P.H. I mean, of course, AFTER Dec. 7. Is this true?

2. Would people have spoken about Pearl Harbor and said simply "Pearl?"
As in, for example, "My brother was stationed at Pearl." Or would they
always have said "Pearl Harbor?"

Thank you. I am trying to be as accurate as possible.

Kate
--

[Bill Shatzer]

KateReynolds (***@waldenpond.TAKETHISOUT.com) writes:

-snip-

Post by KateReynolds
2. Would people have spoken about Pearl Harbor and said simply "Pearl?"
As in, for example, "My brother was stationed at Pearl." Or would they
always have said "Pearl Harbor?"

Certainly "Pearl" was common enough in the Navy vernacular in referring
to the Naval Base - both before and after 12/7/41.

How common that might have been in non-Navy or civilian vernacular,
especially in Arizona, I don't know.

Nor do I know whether "Pearl" was ever used to refer to the -events- of
12/7/41 as opposed to the location. I suspect the -events- were
always "Pearl Harbor" though, honestly, that's mostly a guess.


Cheers,
--


"Cave ab homine unius libri"
--

[TSBench]

Post by Bill Shatzer
Nor do I know whether "Pearl" was ever used to refer to the -events- of
12/7/41 as opposed to the location. I suspect the -events- were
always "Pearl Harbor" though, honestly, that's mostly a guess.>>>

As I recall from conversations in the 1960s and 70s with my father, (a Pearl
Harbor attack survivor - MM1 on the Nevada) the following seemed to be common
usage...

"He was at Pearl Harbor" invariably referred to someone who had been present on
Dec 7, 1941. Everybody seemed to know what was meant, even without the word
'attack' being used. But, or course, the war was still pretty 'recent' back
then, and every family in the neighborhood seemed to have living veterans of
the war.

"Pearl", was always used to strictly mean just the naval base at Pearl Harbor.

During my own time (late '60s) in the USN, I don't ever recall Pearl Harbor
being called anything other than "Pearl", except when referencing the attack ("
old 'Boats' was at Pearl Harbor...")

Regards,
Walker

[Cub Driver]

Post by KateReynolds
1. I read that people often referred (in writing) to Pearl Harbor as
P.H. I mean, of course, AFTER Dec. 7. Is this true?

Not in my hearing or reading, and I was ten in December 1941.

Post by KateReynolds
2. Would people have spoken about Pearl Harbor and said simply "Pearl?"
As in, for example, "My brother was stationed at Pearl." Or would they
always have said "Pearl Harbor?"

This is a consciously salty usage. I can't imagine a civilian (unless
he had a bad case of the military wannabes) saying anything but "Pearl
Harbor" during the war or even after.

We were constantly getting Pearl Harbor dinned at us, in song, in
speeches, and on posters and in advertisements. It was a complete
phrase. To have shortened it would have been like saying "Nine" in
referencing to "9/11" of recent memory.


all the best -- Dan Ford
email: ***@mailblocks.com (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
The Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
Viva Bush! weblog www.vivabush.org

[MMerzzee]

i concur with Dan. the only time i ever heard of Peral Harbor reffered to as
Pearl was from an uncle who happened to have been stationed there some time
during the war. All other family members always reffered to it as "Pearl
Harbor"
the connotation was both as a location and as an event.
--

[David Aiken]

Post by KateReynolds
I'm writing a novel set in Arizona in 1942, and I have two questions
1. I read that people often referred (in writing) to Pearl Harbor as
P.H. I mean, of course, AFTER Dec. 7. Is this true?
2. Would people have spoken about Pearl Harbor and said simply "Pearl?"
As in, for example, "My brother was stationed at Pearl." Or would they
always have said "Pearl Harbor?"

When Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox was handed a message in the
hallway at Navy HQ in Washington, DC...it read "Air Raid Pearl Harbor
X This is NOT drill"...and he exclaimed, "My God, this must mean the
Philippines"...to wit Admiral Stark, next to him, took the message and
responded, "No, this is PEARL".

THUS in the military, the base was known interchangably as Pearl and
Pearl Harbor. Military families would still call the base "Pearl" and
"Pearl Harbor" interchangably.

In civilian life, few knew where Pearl Harbor was on 7 Dec...but after
reading Page One of every newspaper in the Nation, the world knew
where Pearl Harbor was and its official name.

Just like the day two planes hit the World Trade Center...was it to be
known as Nine-One-One or ...as we all know it: "Nine Eleven"... there
becomes a name that will live in infamy, Pearl Harbor.

http://www.pearlharborattacked.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard4/ikonboard.cgi
--

[T.E.M.]

Just like the day two planes hit the World Trade Center...was it to be
known as Nine-One-One or ...as we all know it: "Nine Eleven"... there
becomes a name that will live in infamy, Pearl Harbor.

As a teacher of U.S. History in High School I find it very relevant
to teach my kids proper terminology. In everything I have ever read
and researched, the country knew of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and its
importance as a naval base, not just as "Pearl". The same goes for
"9/11". It too has become a term that will live in infamy for another
generation.
--

[T.E.M.]

Just like the day two planes hit the World Trade Center...was it to be
known as Nine-One-One or ...as we all know it: "Nine Eleven"... there
becomes a name that will live in infamy, Pearl Harbor.

As a teacher of U.S. History in High School I find it very relevant
to teach my kids proper terminology. In everything I have ever read
and researched, the country knew of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and its
importance as a naval base, not just as "Pearl". The same goes for
"9/11". It too has become a term that will live in infamy for another
generation.

[Dave]

Post by T.E.M.
As a teacher of U.S. History in High School I find it very relevant
to teach my kids proper terminology. In everything I have ever read
and researched, the country knew of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and its
importance as a naval base, not just as "Pearl".

FWIW I asked some old timers. "Pearl" was used by Navy and Marine (probably
Army too) to refer to Hawaii and Pearl Harbor. Since it was just about the only
liberty port in the Pacific and a refuge from combat, "Pearl" has a certain
comforting ring to it.

The attack was referred to as "Pearl Harbor."

Dave
www.Historylink.org
The online encyclopedia of Washington state history.