Madera reacted swiftly to Pearl Harbor

For The Madera Tribune

This bridge crossing the Fresno River was guarded against enemy attack during World War II by Madera Home Guard.

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On Dec. 6, 1941, it was almost business as usual in Madera. Ronald Reagan was starring in “The International Squadron,” which was showing at the new Madera Theater. The Methodist Church was planning a potluck supper, and Ocean Spray cranberry sauce was selling for 13 cents per can. Then the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and that shook Madera from its lethargy.

Japan had been on the move in the Pacific for some time, and the United States had been gearing up to oppose that action. Negotiations were not going well, and it was generally conceded that an attack upon American interests in the far Pacific was imminent.

On Dec. 7, 1941, the expected attack came, but paradoxically most everyone was surprised. The target, instead of bases in the Far East, was Pearl Harbor. The enemy had attacked United States soil!