My own war game

Chapter 203: Mr. President’s Speech

"If all goes well, the attack should be launched before dusk. The Enterprise will have to maneuver southward after you set off, so it cannot provide a landing site for your return."

"We have cleared two runways at Huimingsen Airport, which barely meet the landing standards. After the bombing is completed, you need to fly in that direction."

The ground crew on the side were giving instructions for the final matters, but these pilots in their 20s didn't seem to care and some even did as they pleased.

"Hey man, I have something good here, have one." Someone handed over a long object, and He Chi found that what was in his hand was actually a cigar.

"Smoking on the deck? Is that okay?"

"It's definitely not allowed at normal times, but before a dangerous attack mission, there are not so many rules. If you want, you can even order a set meal from the kitchen, as long as they can make it." The pilot next to him shrugged.

Looking around, I saw that the other pilots were either smoking or exchanging small gifts, while Jack, the artist who had previously drawn Nose Ar for himself, was actually lying on the belly of his own plane, busy with something.

He Chi leaned over and found that the young pilot was writing on the bomb with watercolors.

"Greetings from Uncle Sam", with a cartoon Uncle Sam punching down with his fist behind the words.

I have to say that this kind of American military camp culture is really interesting.

"You draw beautifully. Did you learn this art specially?" He Chi asked from the side.

"Well, I've been learning to draw for seven or eight years, and I've submitted manuscripts to publishers." Jack spread his hands. "They said my cartoon style wouldn't be popular, and that it would be best to pair it with a cool story. Maybe after the war with the Japanese is over, I'll have a good idea."

He Chi nodded after hearing this. Compared to the Mickey Mouse style of the same period, Jack's style was a bit hard-line, with more powerful lines, and it was indeed not a mainstream style.

Out of some kind of evil taste, He Chi took out the sketch pen in his arms and took out a piece of paper. "I'll tell you a story."

The sketch pen kept leaving words on the paper, but just when a page was filled, the alarm sounded again in my ears.

The time to strike has come.

Amidst the strong winds, a squadron of "Dauntless" dive bombers roared as they flew towards the Japanese aircraft carrier formation, while the leading red Corsair fighter flew past all its companions and soared into the sky.
-
On the afternoon of December 1941, 12, in the Admiralty Building in Washington, Harry Hopkins, then the President's first adviser, pushed open the door of the operations conference room.

"Mr. President, news from the Pacific Fleet: Ten minutes ago, a bomber squadron took off from the Enterprise and began to counterattack the Japanese aircraft carrier formation. After the aircraft took off, the Enterprise began to maneuver and disengage from the Japanese."

Franklin Roosevelt, the most powerful president in American history, was looking at a huge map of the Pacific Rim at this time. He seemed not to hear what his advisor said until a few minutes later when he spoke slowly.

"I see."

Harry Hopkins hesitated.

"Harry, my friend, do you think my decision is too cruel?" Roosevelt said, looking at the location of Pearl Harbor on the map.

"No, Mr. President, I understand your difficulties." Harry Hopkins stood beside Roosevelt. "This attack is not meaningless."

"Yeah, for a whole year now, we've been lending our neighbors fire hoses to put out fires because we don't want the fire to burn down our house." (referring to the Lend-Lease Act)
"If possible, I also hope to put out the fire outside the gate, but it is obvious that many people did not want us to be firefighters ourselves before." "Now that the fire is coming, this is an opportunity to gather the will of all the people together."

"After tomorrow's speech, we will have a government with a unified will. There will be no attacks from the opposition, no buck-passing between departments, no news media revelations. There will only be unified allocation of national materials and absolute news control during wartime. This will be the most powerful US government in history."

"To achieve this goal, we must be absolute. Do you understand, Harry?" At this point, Roosevelt, who always showed an iron-fisted image, showed a rare emotional fluctuation on his face.

Harry Hopkins didn't say anything at this time. He chose to give the space to his chief officer.

After all, the pressure on the American president is different from his.

"Mr. President..." A voice came from outside, and someone jogged over but was stopped by Harry Hopkins.

The visitor was White House Press Secretary Stephen Early.

"Stephen, Mr. President needs to think about it. If it is not an urgent matter, please wait a moment." Harry Hopkins said to his colleagues.

"It's the speech for tomorrow's Congress. What should we write about this afternoon's counterattack against Japan?" Stephen Early asked.

Harry Hopkins looked at the clock on the wall. "When the news of the battle is over, it will probably be too late. I will write in the tone of the pilots' bravery and fearlessness."

The spokesmen had their own peculiar language, a heroic tone, which was really a euphemism for total destruction.

Stephen Early nodded. In fact, generally speaking, when the battle situation is unclear, multiple press releases need to be prepared, such as those about a complete victory, a complete annihilation, or heavy casualties but still achieving results. The wording of each press release is different.

However, today's time was too tight, as the President would speak in Congress tomorrow morning, and given the disparity in power, it seemed unlikely that anything else would happen. So, at the instruction of Stephen Early, the secretariat's clerk only prepared one speech.

The next morning, Congress
Roosevelt stood on the podium and gave a passionate speech.

"Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Senators and Representatives:"

"Yesterday, December 1941, 12, will live in infamy for our country. The United States of America was attacked by a sudden and premeditated attack by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan..."

"The distance of the Hawaiian Islands from Japan suggests that the attack was clearly planned many days or even weeks in advance..."

"I am sorry to tell you that yesterday, in Guam, in the Philippines, in Midway Island, in Pearl Harbor, many of our people died..."

"Of course, our navy, those young children, also fought back against the enemy that was several times larger than themselves with the most fearless courage. They..."

At this point, the President paused suddenly because he saw James Forrestal, the Undersecretary of the Navy, gesturing at the door. At the same time, a hastily written note was stuffed onto the inscription board in front of him.

Roosevelt was surprised for only a second when he saw the message above, and then he relied on his extraordinary talent to reorganize his words.

"They were brave and fearless and achieved considerable results!"

(End of this chapter)