US DECLARES WAR ON JAPAN; FDR CALLS YESTERDAY'S ATTACK A 'DAY OF INFAMY'
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On December 8, 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed a joint session of congress announcing that the United States is "in a state of war" with Japan following the attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands.
The President said...
"Yesterday, December 7, 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."
And with firmness and resolve, FDR added...
"No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will will win through to absolute victory."
JFK+50 NOTE
On the evening of Dec 7, 1941, FDR called in his secretary, Grace Tully*, and said..."Sit down Grace. I'm going before the Congress tomorrow and I'd like to dictate my message. It will be short."
The National Archives describes FDR's short message as "one of the most famous speeches of the 20th century, giving birth to one of the most famous phrases ("a date which will live in infamy").
In the first draft the phrase was "a date which will live in world history," but as you can see in the document below, it was crossed out and reworded...the rest is history.
*Grace Tully (1900-1984) was born in Bayonne, New Jersey & educated at Grace Institute of NY before joining Gov. Roosevelt's staff as assistant to FDR's secretary, Missy LeHand.
GT replaced ML as presidential secretary in June 1941 & served in that position until FDR's death in April 1945. She typed the first draft of FDR's "Day of Infamy" address.
SOURCES
"FDR's 'Day of Infamy' Speech," Prologue Magazine, National Archives, Winter 2001, www.archives.gov/
"Speech by FDR (Transcript)," Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/
"U.S. Declares War On Japan," JFK+50, December 8, 2011, www.jfk50.blogspot.com/
