President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in calling the country to arms, declared, “Yesterday, December 7th, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”

For the Japanese Navy, the attack on Pearl Harbor was the culmination of careful planning and well-honed execution, under the leadership of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. For U.S. forces in Hawaii, the surprise attack brought to light poor communications, lack of cooperation between military services, and lack of coordination between Washington and Oahu.

This program examines the period leading up to the raid on Pearl Harbor in 1941. It examines the expansion of both nations across the Pacific, the arms race, the growth of new technologies, and the political pressures on the respective navies, with their new air force capabilities.

If these organizational challenges sound familiar, then this program can provide leadership insights into building trust between various units, improving communications, appreciating cultural differences, and focusing people on strategic issues.

This program may be conducted in Honolulu, with site visits to Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona memorial, Wheeler Army Airfield, Schofield Army Barracks, Fort Shafter, and the Punchbowl National Cemetery. If a Hawaiian trip is not in your travel budget, consider a seaport location on the mainland, or try Annapolis, with visits to the U.S. Naval Academy. Alternatively, we can bring the workshop to your own facility, using movie footage to recreate the historic case.