The first explosion came as a complete surprise to everyone around Pearl Harbor. The Sunday had started out clear and bright, but the sky quickly darkened as great clouds of thick black smoke rose high above the burning ships.
Fuel oil spilled atop the water and caught fire, sending giant licks of flame spreading out across the surface. In an instant, over two dozen ships were in danger. Only the quick actions of their captains and crews could save them. It was not December 7, 1941, but May 21, 1944, and it was not the Japanese that set off the first explosion. It was careless smoking.
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