Dec. 7, 1941, was a day that marked a turning point in Americans’ view of their homeland and the world. When the Japanese military attacked the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Americans realized they were not safe from conflict that had reached global proportions.
On Wednesday — 75 years after the attack — Kane Borough will join towns across the country that are holding events remembering the event and its victims, heroes and lessons.
“The attack on Pearl Harbor was one of the darkest days for America,” said Matt J. Boyer, an eighth-grader and young historian at Kane Area Middle School. “It is also one of the most interesting days in American history to learn about and to study. The attack was a surprise to America. To have the whole United States Pacific Fleet destroyed in less than two hours is surprising.”
Matt said he wants residents to understand what really happened the day of the attack. He will have his chance to share his knowledge about it on Wednesday, when the Kane Historic Preservation Society will hold a program starting at 7 p.m. on the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The presentation will take place at the Thomas L. Kane Memorial Chapel in Kane.
Matt will also talk about the Japanese two-man submarine HA-19, one of the ships sent to Hawaii for the attack. On June 16, 1943, HA-19 would make its way to Kane, where it was displayed on Fraley Street during a tour of the nation. He will talk about Victory over Japan Day — more commonly known as V-J Day — too.
According to the Historic Society, “Matt will present a PowerPoint presentation with many vintage photos including ones taken by J.E. Henretta of the HA-19 submarine in Kane as well as a home movie of the victory parade on Fraley Street.”
Matt described the significance the submarine had during World War II.
“The HA-19 was one out of five submarines that tried to enter the harbor during the attack. One of the subs, however, tried to enter the harbor at 6:53, 1 hour and 2 minutes before the Japanese planes started to bomb our ships,” he explained. “Though it is unknown which one it was I can assure you it was one of the sisters of the HA-19. The HA-19, however, was captured after it ran aground on a coral reef. Its two man crew abandoned ship, and after the scuttling charges failed to detonate, one of its crewmen was captured.”
In addition to Matt’s presentation, the society is inviting any veterans who wish to share their experiences during any war to attend. The program is free to attend.
Society chairman Dick Bly called Matt’s presentation “well-researched” and said the student is “very knowledgeable about history, especially Kane history.”
In fact, Matt, president of the Kane Middle School History Club and an honorary member of the Historic Preservation Society’s board of directors, has been interested in learning about the past since he was a child.
“When I was in kindergarten I became fascinated in the presidents of the United States and I came across Pearl Harbor when I was reading about President Franklin D. Roosevelt,” he said. “I also learned about Pearl Harbor from my neighbor, who was a World War II Navy veteran. He did not fight at Pearl Harbor, but I can remember hearing about it. It has been eight years since I learned about Pearl Harbor and am still fascinated about it today just as much as I was when I was in kindergarten.”
That fascination with history prompted Matt to create the Kane Middle School History Club, which he has been president of for three years, as well as to join the Kane Historic Preservation Society, which he has been active in for four years.
