“Tora! Torah! Torah! » – These were the code words that were transmitted by Mitsuo Fuchida to the Japanese fleet, signaling that the American Pacific Fleet had been taken by surprise at Pearl Harbor. The attack, which occurred early in the morning of December 7, 1941, caused the United States to abandon its policy of isolationism and enter the war. The United States officially declared a state of war between the Japanese Empire and the United States on December 8, but for those who were at Pearl Harbor, like Thomas Mahoney, the war began that morning at 8 a.m. in the morning (Dunnahoo 5). Mahoney was born in New Jersey and enlisted at the age of 18 in 1940 in the United States Navy with his brother Harold. He was eventually stationed aboard the USS Curtiss at Pearl Harbor as an electrician's mate during the Japanese surprise attack, and later served aboard the USS O'Bannon, America's most decorated destroyer. World War II, and where he would see most of the major action in the Pacific theater, including but not limited to the Guadalcanal Campaign, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and the reconquest of Corregidor. To begin with, the attack on Pearl Harbor was devastating to American naval capabilities in the Pacific early in their entry into the war. Japanese officials were tired of the US oil embargo, which was intended to limit their territorial expansion and aggression in Southeast Asia as well as China, and as the negotiations reached no conclusion, they decided that the only course of action was a first strike on the aircraft carriers at Pearl Harbor to cripple American naval capability in the Pacific (Rosenberg 1). The attack, which lasted about two hours, resulted in the sinking of four battleships, among which ...... middle of paper ...... it is finally seen unfolding. Thomas Mahoney is a model American who willingly enlisted and served his country to the fullest extent of his ability. Works Cited Dunnahoo, Terry. Pearl Harbor: America enters the war. New York: Franklin Watts, 1991.Print.Frank, Richard. Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Historic Battle. New York: Random House, Inc, 1990. Print. Hickman, Kennedy. “World War II: Battle of the Eastern Solomons.” About.com. No. Internet. April 15, 2014. .Hickman, Kennedy. “World War II: Battle of Guadalcanal.” About.com. No. Internet. April 15, 2014. Rosenberg, Jennifer. “Attack on Pearl Harbor.” About.com. No. Internet. April 15 2014..