Table of Contents

Journal #1: Last Days..3

Journal #2: Map of Europe and North Africa.6
Journal #3: Attack on Pearl Harbor.7
Journal #4: The Century Home Front9
Journal #5: Executive Order 9066.11
Journal #6: Letters from Iwo Jima.13
Journal #7: Map of the Pacific15
Journal #8: Fat Man and Little Boy..16
Journal #9: Unbroken18
Journal #10: Saving Private Ryan.20
Journal #11: Unit Question23

Journal #1:
The Last Days:
I think that it is important that the history of the Holocaust be learned and
remembered and passed onto future generations, therefore it never happens
again and no one will ever suffer from it. We must remember so that the
suffering of millions of people wasn't in vain - so that we can make this a
better world, one person at a time. The Holocaust shows us what happens
when we stop seeing people as people; when we fail to see a person as a
unique individual.

After the Holocaust, we had the Mao's cultural revolution, pol pot, Rwanda,
the North Korean famine, Yugoslav wars, etc. all killed millions. I also think
the idea of the mechanization of murder, like we saw with Nazi Germany can
happen again. It only takes an enormous amount of hate, a gullible populace,
and a finger to point. People will do horrible things when they believe what
they are doing is just. For example, Hitler rose to power just because he
made the Jewish people the scapegoats for all of Germanys problem. That
dictator created Anti-semitism all over Germany. It was heart-breaking to
see survivors in concentration camps and then ended up in internment
camps without anyone wanting them to exist.
If a person asks me how to stop genocide like that, I will answer that I cant.
I cant do it alone. Neither you nor I can stop genocide unless the whole
world is united. A good way to do this, I believed, is through social media,
which can reach out many countries faster than anything. I can only help
stopping genocide by telling others about what happened to the Jews. In
short, I can spread my word and teach others about this incident. Education
is also a way to promote individual liberty, stopping the darkest age of
humanity from happening again. We can only stop things like Swastika from
raising high again when we stand together as one.

Journal #3:
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The war between America and Japan was historically inevitable. There were
many problem going on between them that put them on the edge of war
the bombing of Pearl Harbor was just the topping point that gave them one
more reason to declare war on each other. They were competing for territory
in the pacific.
Americans are intelligent enough to get the messages from Japan and
decoded them. These messages make their belief that there would be an
attack on America stronger.

Im sure that Pearl Harbor residents was surprised by the attack of Japanese,
not with F.D.R however. I believe that attack on Pearl Harbor was already
known by him, yet he kept the information for himself. The most suitable
reason for this was that he wanted all Americans to feel sympathy for Pearl
Harbors residents, thus encouraging them to follow his side and to enter
World War II.

Journal #4:
The Century

Home Front

During World War

II, there were

many African-

American

( including

honorable

Tuskegee

Airman ) men as

well as Mexican-American men enlisted in the U.S.Arm. Although they were

all fighting for the same thin, they were still segregated from the white
soldiers, and not given the same duties as them. The effect it had on
soldiers, was that it made the segregated men feel inferior patriotic because
the people they were fighting for still didnt treat them as equals.
However, I think that the war pushed a majority of the Americans on the
home front together. It forced everyone to have something in common, no
matter what gender or race you were. They all wanted the Allies to win, and
for their loved ones to return home safely.
During the war, life on the home front was very supporting. Everyone did
their part to help with the war efforts. Women went to factories to produce
war machinery. Families put patriotic starts in their windows and grew victory
gardens. Famous people were endorsing war bonds, and everyone wanted
to watch war movies.
After viewing the film, I saw how crazy it was during the war. I also learned
how scary war was to those with loved or lost ones overseas.
During wartime Americans demonstrated citizenship by growing victory
gardens, this helped make more food available to send to the American and
allied soldiers. They also could have used less gas by not driving as often.
Some people donated old things in their houses. A lot of Americans helped
out by purchasing war bonds.

Volunteering demonstrates civic responsibility because it shows youre

willing to do all the things that the government is asking. It shows the
citizens eager to be a part of the social participation of the while country
volunteering to do something.

Journal #5:
Executive Order 9066:

During the time of the war, the government should be allowed to exercise
greater power for the security of the nation. However, its not necessary to
suspend the Bill of Rights.
Even if its not during the time of the war, its good to have the government
have more control over everything. However, they shouldnt pass the limit or
else that country would suffer the sad fate like that of the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea. Its fascism. Im sure its acceptable unless the
government doesnt take advantage of the extra power and use it for their
own benefits.
Suspending the bill of rights wouldnt be a good idea. If Amendment I which
included the freedom of speech were taken away during the Vietnam War,
we might have been in the war longer and lost more lives. If the government
took away our rights, would they give those rights back once the war ended?

Journal #6:
Letters from Iwo Jima
During World War II, American turned the tide against Japan on the Japanese
territory islands in the Pacific. American came and took control of the islands

of the outnumbering the Japanese troops.

Having these islands were crucial to the war because it gave them good
positioning. If they had these territories they could put their naval bases here
right by the mainland Japan.

Journal

#8:

Fat Man

and

Little Boy

If I were the president and I received this letter, I would try to stop this new
phenomenon of mass destruction. I would try to stop it as all cost. People can
easily fight for this lethal weapon and once they all have it, they are going to
bomb each other until there is nothing left on earth.
There are risks that come with trying to build this weapon. Another country
could steal our technology and use it against us. Roosevelt possibly
encouraged developing this bomb because first and foremost, he wanted to
prepare for the worst case happened to the United States. Second, he
wanted to prove Americans strength in weapon and technology, therefore
other countries would take a step back and think before they attacked the
country.
The United States didnt make the right decision to drop the bomb on the two
cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Was Osama bin Laden justified in
orchestrating 9/11? No one in their right mind would support the killing of
innocent civilians on 9/11 on the basis of the argument that Osama bin
Laden and his cohort wanted to end the war between radical Islam and the
U.S. So why is it acceptable for the U.S/ to have incinerated tens of
thousands of civilian men, women, children and babies to end the War, when
there was a military alternative. The U.S. could have continued the war
against the Japanese armed forces instead of targeting Japanese civilians. If
the Japanese civilians who were killed are not deemed to have been innocent
(although it is hard to see children and babies as anything but innocent )
because they may have supported the Imperialist Japanese Government,

then neither were those who died in the World Trade Centre or any
Americans, because they support the U.S. Government! What if Japanese
would surrender with appeasement?

Journal #9:
Unbroken
Its pretty amazing how soldiers in Japan at that time were ready to sacrifice
themselves to the last breath for the country. They would rather die than
surrender. During war time, they use unconventional tactics such as the
Kamikaze, which means Divine Wind in Japanese. Kamikaze can be
explained that a plane loaded up with bombs and tried to intentionally crash
itself into enemy ships. In short, the Japanese military mindset was really
cruel and heroic in some way.
The prisoners defiance was worth risking punishment or death because it
proved to Japanese that they werent going to give up. Japanese did many
brutal acts to their prisoners, such as Bataan Death March. When they
continue to defy Japanese, it showed that they were still fighting for their
freedom.
In the camps, the prisoners barely got enough ration to survive. To acquire
ration, prisoners were likely to be forced to follow the captors orders. For
instance, in one scene of the movie Unbroken, all prisoners were ordered to
punch Louis to get ration for that fight.
When facing crises, confidence and courage can make the difference
between life and death. If you have what it takes to believe that you are

going to make it, your mindset will be changed that way. Thats when your
mental strength is as important as your physical condition. When the three
soldiers got stuck in the middle of the ocean, Mac was the one who got
negative. Consequently, he was the only one to die.
This film didnt change my opinion to drop the bomb. Although it could be
seen that our soldiers were treated badly and unfairly we had to remember
that it was Japanese soldiers did it. It has nothing to do with Japanese
innocent residents.

Journal #10:
Saving Private Ryan
The D-Day was an expensive way to achieve turning point. The price was
thousands of the allied troops death and injuries. The item we obtained after
paying the price was that we were given the upper hand in Europe. It allowed
the Allies to establish a foothold in France.
The price was expensive but it was worth the price. It was true that many
soldiers died or got wounded. However, if they hadnt sacrificed themselves,
then we might not have won the battle. Without that crucial battle, its not
impossible for Germany to win the war. Its possible that Axis Powers would
have won the war.
Watching Saving Private Ryan clearly change my idea of a soldiers
mindset at the time. Before, I thought that defending the country was a good
deed and every soldier would be happy and proud to do it. No they werent
totally. They could feel that they would never see their loved ones again. The
movie expressed the finest and also saddest moments in war that we would
never see anywhere else when a man was going to die and he wanted to
ask his friends to do a small favor, which was informing his family that he
didnt make it home. Veterans of this war will have unforgettable memories
about every bad thing on earth.

March 1, 2015
Dear Uncle Kyrie,
I had the chance to be exposed to world war two through movies in my U.S.
history. I was watching a movie called Saving Private Ryan. This helped me
understand a small part of what you and all soldier fighting for our country
are going through. I really appreciate what you did for the country and for all
Americans, including me. Thank you. I hope that you can come home with
your loved ones.
Sincerely,
Khanh

Journal #11:
Unit Question
There were many conflicts that caused World War II. The Treaty of Versailles
that had been created after World War I left Germany with full blame of war
and brutal financial reparations. This made Germans resent the countries

that put debts upon them. Because of this financial condition, Germany got
into a great depression, thus they desperate for a potential leader that could
raise Germany again. Hitler was the chosen one Germany broke the treaty
by remilitarizing.
Ideology contributed to the war because the Nazis ideology was that the
Aryans were a superior race. Since they felt this way, the Germans took
surrounding territory claiming they deserved it.
Powerful nations have the duty to resolve conflicts to preserve global
relationships. I believe that they are very responsible to resolve issues before
it escalates. If they dont do this then there could be another world war.
The question now is that: Is the creation of the United Nations help stop
World War III to happen?