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The staggering toll of the attack was evident soon after. A total of 2,403 U.S. personnel lost their lives, including over 1,000 on the USS Arizona alone. Battleships were sunk, destroyers were damaged, and the devastation led to terrifying scenes. Some sailors tragically found themselves trapped in sunken vessels for weeks, with reports of their desperate pleas echoing through the wreckage.
Debunking the Conspiracy Theories
In the wake of the attack, numerous conspiracy theories emerged, one of the most prominent suggesting that President Franklin D. Roosevelt and other high-ranking officials were aware of Japan's plans but chose to remain passive in the hopes of galvanizing the American public's support for entering World War II.