[skeeter]

Youre right. Folks want to make this a black & white issue, its not. In fact, Marshall & Stark warned the president against sending the final 'proposal' to Japan, knowing damn well it would result in a war declaration and they did not feel our army and navy were ready. Lord Halifax of GB was mortified, because he knew Japan would certainly attack Singaport & HK.

All knew war was coming, but they wanted it in 42 some time, when the defense buildup was further along.

Add to this the fact that while washongton was reading Japan's diplomatic code, including the 'bomb plot' message, and NOT sharing the info with Kimmel and Short in Hawaii, and that Hawaii had not received any kind of a war warning for two weeks prior to the attack as events in the Pacific were building towards a climax (except the one sent via commercial telegram and received some hours after the attack), and you have a very good case for criminal incompetance in DC.

I'm certain FDR was not surprised Japan attacked on Dec 7, but I do believe he was surprised at the location of the attack, and obviously its dramatic affect.

[M1903A1]

Yes...of all our Army divisions, on December 7th, 1941 only three of them were at full fighting strength, and none of them had had any actual combat experience since 1918.