Third and fourth terms of the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt
On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Japanese struck the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor with a surprise attack, knocking out the main American battleship fleet and killing 2,403 American servicemen and civilians. The great majority of scholars have rejected the conspiracy thesis that Roosevelt, or any other high government officials, knew in advance about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The Japanese had kept their secrets closely guarded, and while senior American officials were aware that war was imminent, they did not expect an attack on Pearl Harbor. Roosevelt had anticipated that the first attack would take place in the Dutch East Indies, Thailand, or the Philippines.
USS Jarvis (DD-393)
On 16 December she cleared Pearl Harbor with the aircraft carrier and joined Task Force 14, steaming to relieve the beleaguered defenders on Wake Atoll. The task forces was recalled to Pearl Harbor on 23 December after the rescue mission was aborted. "Jarvis" returned to Pearl Harbor on 29 December to resume ASW patrols. While operating with the carrier and her screening cruisers, "Jarvis" rescued 182 survivors of the stricken fleet oiler six hours after she was torpedoed during mid-watch on 23 January 1942.