The Lead-Up to Pearl Harbor: What Three Books Reveal About Intelligence and Preparedness

From Intelligence Lapses to Triumphs: What Pearl Harbor Taught Us About War Preparation

"I was aware of what was going on, but the pieces of the puzzle just didn’t fit together until it was too late. Intelligence without proper coordination is like a compass without a needle—directionless and ineffective."— Admiral Edwin T. Layton

I’ve crossed the vast Pacific Ocean four times, sailing on large amphibious ships as an Intelligence Officer with the 15th MEU. The Pacific is immense, and crossing it takes considerable time.

Today is November 26, 2024—eighty-three years since a Japanese fleet steamed east across the Pacific, setting the stage for one of the most devastating attacks in American history on December 7, 1941. It’s hard to grasp that so much time has passed. I was born just 20 years later, and with my father being a Navy pilot (post WWII), I grew up hearing conversations where the events of Pearl Harbor still felt fresh, as if they had happened just yesterday.

The following day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed Congress, declaring: "Yesterday, December 7, 19…