Commentary This year marks the 80th anniversary of one of the most tragic days in American history. On Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese 1st Air Fleet launched a surprise attack upon the American ships and military facilities stationed at Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. The attack began at shortly before 8 a.m. just as the USS California was sending a boat to pick up their chaplain for Bible Study. Two hours later the Japanese planes had destroyed nearly 200 U.S. aircraft, sunk or damaged another eight battleships in addition to many other naval vessels, and slaughtered 2,335 service men. The attack upon Pearl Harbor was launched prior to any declaration of war while the United States was still a neutral power in World War II and peace negotiations with the Japanese were still ongoing. These facts effectively made it a war crime and a stark warning of the atrocities that Japan was to commit throughout the war. A few hours after the bombing …