Photo source: Corbis-Bettmann
68 years ago, on Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese war planes attacked Pearl Harbor, the forward base for the United States in the Pacific, effectively drawing the United States into war with Japan. This picture of the sinking battleship USS West Virginia, illustrates the extent of the physical destruction. The crew of the boat in the foreground is attempting to save sailors in the water. The sinking of the USS West Virginia resulted in the death of 106 crewmen.
Read the official battle report, submitted on December 11, 1941