Preparedness Notes for Saturday — December 7, 2019

On Sunday, December 7, 1941, America was caught sleeping, at Pearl Harbor. Then there was that September morning, in 2001. Let’s continue to pray that nothing like those days ever happens again. – JWR

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 86 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3,000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from veteran-owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  3. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  4. A $300 purchase credit for any of the products from EMPShield.com
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  6. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  7. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Good2GoCo.com is providing a $400 purchase credit at regular prices for the prize winner’s choice of either Wise Foods or Augason long term storage foods, in stackable buckets.
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 86 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.




10 Comments

  1. Unfortunately we have exposed ourselves to needless risk by ignoring the EMP commission’s recommendations to harden key transformers in the grid(s). Our addiction to electricity and insecure grid makes an attack on our grid more probable at some point. Be ready.

  2. Unfortunately, FDR knew of the attack well in advance and failed to warn the Army and Navy commanders in charge. Bull Halsey managed to get his aircraft carriers out of Pearl, they were new, modern ships (I suspect Halsey was warned in advance). The battleships, on the other hand were old and outdated. A needed sacrifice to get the US into a war with Germany. Japan was part of the Axis powers, obligating Germany to declare war on the US once we declared war on Japan. Germany was the actual target for the US, make that FDR. Once Germany declared war on the US, we declared war on Germany. We have been in a state of war ever since. Actually our war making started in 1937, in a round about way. That’s when our war preparations started and gradually built up until late 1940 to early 1941 when lend-lease started and we started our assistance to China with the advent of the AVG Flying Tigers.

    We have been in a state of war or preparing for war since before the start of World War II. That is more than 80 years of warfare. When is enough, enough? Funny, the actual war on the American people, the war on drugs also started in earnest in 1937. The war on the Second Amendment started in earnest in 1934. Our politicians and bureaucrats love war. They don’t freaking care who they declare war on, even war on the American people.

    As you can see, I’m not a fanboy of FDR.

    1. I agree with your comments. I would imagine that FDR never expected the Japanese to be so successful. I believe FDR knew we had to get into the war while it could still be won and before it was fought over here. America was full of isolationists and even pro-Germany people in 1941.
      One important takeaway is that Both Japan and Germany saw that our military was weak and believed that because of that we would not be able to stop them in their goals. A weak military is an invitation to aggressive nations.

  3. Having read some histories about our prior world wars, it is obvious that when the wars get real and bloody, the defenders are defending with tactics and attitudes built on the previous war experience and tactics, while the aggressors are intent on coming full bore with a different mindset and objectives that may not be obvious to current military thinking. Trench warfare supplanted by air warfare supplanted by…EMP, ebola, virally induced famine?

    And yes, anytime there is a financial meltdown, a good war is always sure pickup for the economy, and really, why would we want to bring all those military people home, we don’t have enough jobs for them here. (Sarcasm intended)

  4. Yes, we have been in a state of warfare for decades. Our country’s leaders have wasted many thousands of American lives . For what ,for profits? For power ? Wars are extremely profitable for large companies.
    I hear people saying we should honor, pray for, and support these military men and women that are around the world , fighting for our freedoms. Yet our freedoms in the homeland have been steadily eroded away. I do pray for,honor and support these brave Americans , but not the elitists who send them into harm’s way.
    It appears to be a terrible dog and pony show and it is the American people and the lower ranks in the military who are paying the price.
    I spent my service time in Pearl Harbor and every day I looked at and felt a pain in my heart for the dead that were still aboard the Arizona.

  5. We had broken part of their code with the huge intelligence division on Hawaii that gave us the early warning and tactical advantage to meet them at Midway. Providence took care of the rest. Intelligence was the deciding factor as it drove our defenses and turned Japan, earlier in the war than they had expected, from an aggressor into a defender. Japan had planned on bombing west coast cities. When our country falls into chaos, political and economic, I believe China will take advantage, and take the west coast. China is weaker than is generally believed, and has the motivation and means to attack us.

    1. Ah yes, the Battle of Midway. You have it right, Tunnel Rabbit, most historians agree Midway was the turning point of the war and where Japan lost its advantage.

      However, if you study that battle, you will learn that the outcome was in doubt until the end. A flight of dive bombers that was preparing to turn back after failing to find the Japanese fleet caught a glimpse of an escort vessel at the last minute. Their attack was devastating due to several factors. The greatest loss was not the ships, which could be fairly quickly replaced, but the aircrews, mechanics, and armorers who had years of experience they were the top men in the fleet and most drowned.

      Once you read the deep accounts, you may agree with me that we got lucky that day. Or, as Tunnel Rabbit says, Providence.

      Carry on

  6. “Just before 8 a.m. on December 7, 1941, airplanes launched from the Empire of Japan’s aircraft carriers dropped bombs and torpedoes from the sky, attacking our ships moored at Naval Station Pearl Harbor and other military assets around Oahu. Following this swift assault, the United States Pacific Fleet and most of the Army and Marine airfields on the island were left decimated. Most tragically, 2,335 American service members and 68 civilians were killed, marking that fateful day as one of the deadliest in our Nation’s history.”

    “Despite the shock of the attack, American service members at Pearl Harbor fought back with extraordinary courage and resilience. Sprinting through a hailstorm of lead, pilots rushed to the few remaining planes and took to the skies to fend off the incoming Japanese attackers. Soldiers on the ground fired nearly 300,000 rounds of ammunition and fearlessly rushed to the aid of their wounded brothers in arms.
    … As a solemn testament to the heroism that abounded that day, 15 American servicemen were awarded the Medal of Honor — 10 of which were awarded posthumously. In one remarkable act of bravery, Doris “Dorie” Miller, a steward aboard the USS West Virginia, manned a machine gun and successfully shot down multiple Japanese aircraft despite not having been trained to use the weapon. For his valor, Miller was awarded the Navy Cross and was the first African-American recognized with this honor.”

    “In the wake of this heinous attack, the United States was left stunned and wounded. Yet the dauntless resolve of the American people remained unwavering and unbreakable. In his address to the Congress the following day, broadcast to the Nation over radio, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt assured us that “[w]ith confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph.” In the days, months, and years that followed, the full might of the American people, industry, and military was brought to bear on our enemies.
    … Across the Atlantic and Pacific, 16 million American servicemen and women fought to victory, making the world safe for freedom and democracy once again. More than 400,000 of these brave men and women never returned home, giving their last full measure of devotion for our Nation.”
    [TheConservativeTreehouse 12/7/2019.]

  7. re:
    Americans and their invasions

    From BisonPrepper James M Dakin, we learn to watch for uniform change. Some might call this Bison’s Law:

    * Each time America’s standing armies change their uniforms, the rest of the planet can expect a fresh new series of invasions.

    And the Bison’s Law Corollary:

    * Each time America’s standing armies fail in one of their invasions (usually to non-uniformed militias…), they change their uniforms.

    *****

    On an unrelated note:
    Americans have militias.
    Why do they have standing armies?

  8. After meeting with several Pearl Harbor survivors and doing a little research the Dec 7 incident was engineered. The island had been on invasion alert for 6 weeks(50% on/off manning weapons and making preps) and FDR ordered a stand down except the carriers. The islands had been making invasion/attack preps for months(includi ng stamping money with”Hawaii” to prevent capture and use. The codes were broken and we decoded faster than the Japanese,we knew the departure,heading and strength of the force when it sailed. The redeeming factor was the failure of not launching the planned 4th wave to attack fuel,drydock and salvage facilities that would have crippled the islands and changed the war. Germany declaring war was almost a suprise but Hitler did it in response to our support of European forces(lend-lease,recognition of governments in exile,open attacks on German forces on the high seas,economic warfare).
    The Battle of Midway was decided by a Japanese mistakes in getting caught with planes being rearmed from torpedoes to bombs instead of launching the wave as planned,they should of landed the invasion force as the carriers could not sustain operations to defeat them. The Japanese forces were well trained,battlehardened with good equipment,supply was ok but leadership was not always good
    We were betrayed by FDR and his syncophants for the cause of global communism.

Comments are closed.