Army, Marines, Japan hold joint exercises on Pearl Harbor attack’s 80th anniversary
By Davis Winkie
Dec 7, 06:49 PM
Eight decades after the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor that forced the U.S. into World War II, the Army, Marine Corps, and units from Japan’s military are conducting exercises together across the Pacific, including in the state of Washington and mainland Japan.
The drills, which involve more than 5,000 U.S. and Japanese troops combined, symbolize just how far U.S.-Japan relations — and strategic competition in the Pacific — have come.
The 7th Infantry Division’s deputy commander, Col. Leo Wyszynski, said the anniversary of the attacks falling during Rising Thunder 21 at Yakima Training Center, Washington, was “purely coincidental” in a phone interview with Army Times, though he still reflected on the occasion.
“Eighty years after there was conflict, the world has changed — but now we have a common vision that’s centered on peace and security,” Wyszynski said. “It’s a joy to be able to train alongside our Japanese counterparts.”
https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2021/12/07/army-marines-japan-hold-joint-exercises-on-pearl-harbor-attacks-80th-anniversary/
