From Picnic To Peril: How A Young Couple’s World Was Shattered By Japan’s Attack On Pearl Harbor

Philip Larimore Jr. understood that he was destined for war

By Walt Larimore and Mike Yorkey

May 25, 2025 DailyWire.com

The following is an excerpt from the book “At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, And An Amazing Horse”(1) by Walt Larimore and Mike Yorkey (Knox Press, April 19, 2022).

On Saturday evening, December 6, 1941, “Phil,” as Marilyn(2) called him and as he now liked to be called, took her out for dinner at the Bungalow, a popular seafood restaurant in Biloxi, Mississippi that overlooked the calm, brown waters of the Mississippi Sound(3). The menu had something for every taste: fresh seafood, choice steaks, Southern fried chicken, Cajun specials, and even Chinese dishes. After enjoying the surf-and-turf special, the young couple decided to go to the cinema.

Marilyn had wanted to see the romance, Johnny Eager, starring Lana Turner and Robert Taylor. In contrast, Phil had a yearning to watch Tarzan’s Secret Treasure, starring Maureen O’Sullivan alongside his favorite movie star, Johnny Weissmuller, one of the world’s fastest swimmers. They compromised with Ball of Fire, starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck.

The next morning dawned clear with unlimited visibility and an unseasonably warm fifty-nine degrees predicted as the high. Rather than attending church together, which was their habit, Phil and Marilyn decided to play hooky. He picked her up early, and they trailered their horses to the nearby De Soto National Forest, where they rode through the gently rolling terrain. When they located Black Creek, Mississippi’s only National Scenic River, they followed the meandering ribbon of water until they found a wide white sandbar. There they set out a picnic lunch and talked for hours in the warm sunshine about their hopes and dreams—and, for the first time, about the prospects of a life together.

Late in the afternoon, they returned to the stable and found a group of people gathered around a radio. “Whatcha listening to?” Phil asked. The men shushed him as he and Marilyn leaned closer to listen.

The announcer blurted, “This is KTU in Honolulu, Hawaii. I am speaking from the roof of the Advertiser Publishing Company Building. We have witnessed this morning the severe bombing of Pearl Harbor by enemy planes, undoubtedly Japanese…. This is no joke. It is a real war… There has been serious fighting going on in the air and on the sea.”

Phil and Marilyn’s eyes met, and he pulled her close. There was another second or two of static. Then the announcer continued, “We cannot estimate just how much damage has been done, but it has been a very severe attack.”

The sound of rustling papers came through the small radio as the announcer took a deep breath. “Oh, this is much worse than we’ve heard up to now. The BBC is now reporting, and I quote, ‘At oh seven fifty-five local time, the first wave of between fifty and one-hundred-fifty planes struck the naval base for thirty-five minutes, causing several fires and untold damage to the Pacific Fleet. The Japanese squadrons dropped high explosive and incendiary bombs. A second strike followed at about oh nine hundred when a force of at least one hundred planes pounded the base for an hour,’ end quote.”

Phil looked at his watch. This meant the attack had started just before 1 p.m. in Gulfport, located in the Central Time Zone.

The broadcaster continued, “The BBC also says, and I quote, ‘The Times newspaper’s Washington correspondent says the U.S. government expects Germany and Italy to declare war on the U.S. within hours. Although the attack has shocked the American people, there is little doubt that it has been brewing for some years,’ end quote.”

Marilyn began to cry; Phil pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her. “Oh, Phil,” she muttered, “This can’t be happening, can it?” He could only hold her close as a zillion thoughts raced through his mind. Their shared disbelief mirrored their astonishment.

The announcer paused a moment, and the clacking of a teletype machine could be heard. “This just in. This just in. Japan declares war! Japan declares war!”

Someone whispered to the man. The pitch of his voice increased as he announced, “This wire is just in from Hirohito, the Emperor of Japan. Here are his words, and I quote, ‘We,(4) the Emperor, hereby proclaim unto our loyal and valorous subjects that we have now declared war upon the United States of America and Great Britain,’ end quote.”

Phil’s mind swirled. He thought, So, this is it. This is really it. Soon, I’ll be off to war. I’ll be going into battle. He couldn’t have imagined such a confluence of excitement and horror occurring in one moment. Marilyn continued to weep in his arms.

“I have to get back to GCMA. Now!” he said.

She nodded. They ran to the car and sped away.

~~~~~

The next morning, Monday, December 8, the nation awoke to even more bad news: the extent of the damage from the surprise attack on Hawaii. At that point, no one knew that the Japanese attack had killed 2,403 U.S. personnel, including sixty-eight civilians, and destroyed or damaged nineteen U.S. Navy ships, including eight battleships, and destroyed or damaged 328 aircraft.

Not even the U.S. government was aware that the ship with the most lives lost, the battleship USS Arizona, would report 1,177 dead—meaning that about one half of those who perished at Pearl Harbor were on the Arizona. What everyone did know was that Japan also attacked the Philippines, Wake Island, and Midway on the morning of December 7. The only good news was that the three aircraft carriers of the U.S. Pacific Fleet had been out to sea on maneuvers.

After a hastily arranged Protestant church service at GCMA, Phil received a call from his father. He had been working on the train running between New Orleans and Memphis. At a stop in Water Valley, Mississippi, Phil Sr. had been given a handwritten note:

Do not permit any Japanese to ride your train. Orders of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Then Phil and his fellow cadets attended a solemn assembly at 11:30 a.m., during which they listened intently to the nationwide radio broadcast of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s address to a joint session of Congress inside the U.S. Capitol. The President started his speech with these memorable words:

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

After recounting details of the aerial assault, the President concluded his speech with this:

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph—so help us God. I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

The roars of approval and tsunami of applause from the members of Congress could be heard over the speakers and was joined by the young GCMA cadets as they bounded to their feet, throwing their caps toward the ceiling, and hugging and swatting one another on the back. As the cheers faded, though, they became aware that America was about to face an extraordinary test—one that would potentially threaten her very being. The young men at GCMA knew that their training put them in a position to quickly make a difference and play a significant role in the days ahead.(5)

The next five months flew by, and on a beautiful, cloudless, and calm seventy-degree Saturday, May 16, 1942, Phil graduated with honors from GCMA and the Reserve Officers Training Corps, or ROTC.

Before Pearl Harbor, he had planned to begin pre-med studies that fall, but with America in the midst of a global conflict against the Axis powers,(6) he realized that he would not be studying medicine anytime soon.

Philip Larimore Jr. understood that he was destined for war.

Excerpted in The Daily Wire on May 25, 2025

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1. Walt Larimore and Mike Yorkey. At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse.
2. Philip B. Larimore, Jr., from Memphis, was a junior class cadet at the Gulf Coast Military Academy in Gulfport, Mississippi, and Marilyn Fountain, from Des Moines, was a freshman at the nearby Gulf Park College, a junior college for girls.
3. The Mississippi Sound is a massive estuary—a body of water where fresh river water meets a salty sea— that runs east-west along the southern coasts of Mississippi and Alabama. The water is brown, brackish, and shallow due to several rivers that drain into it.
4. The “we” used by the Emperor is called “the royal we,” or “the majestic plural,” and refers to a single person who is a monarch.
5. On December 8, the Declaration of War against Japan passed with just one dissenting vote. Three days later, Germany and Italy, allied with Japan, declared war on the United States. America was now drawn into a global war and became part of the Allies—most importantly, Great Britain and the Soviet Union.
6. The major Axis powers were Germany, Italy, and Japan. The military alliance began to form in 1936 and was called the “Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis.”

~~~~~

Some of the many comments posted at the end of this article:

• I downloaded the book on Kindle. I’m only a couple of chapters in but so far it seems well written and an easy read.
• So excited to see your story on this site.
• This is such a exciting and great and true story.
• My mom and dad had a story like this. Have tears in my eyes. My mom had a very rough childhood and her favorite cousin is still on the Arizona. Can’t even explain the Greatest generation to their great grandchildren. It seems like a fairytale.
• Gives me chills reading this article…as a veteran and historian, I still remember a few veterans from WWII at our church over 35 years ago. Some were at Pearl Harbor during the and after the attack. One was a survivor of the Oklahoma and remembered his fallen veterans.
• My father dropped out of college and joined the Eighth Army air force. He served as a belly gunner on a B-17 in Europe. He refused any attempt to talk about the war, even with me. I wish I had understood then, what I understand now.
• Much respect to that generation for their sacrifice and service.
• It’s important to never forget the major attacks on our great nation. Always remember, that there is evil in this world.
• This makes me miss the elders/service members who have all passed in my family from that generation so much 🥺🇺🇸 Go to Pearl Harbor and pay your respects if you can, but it’s not for the faint of heart.
• NEVER FORGET! God Bless our service men and women past and present!
• Remember those that gave it all. Never forget.

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Walt Larimore has chronicled the exploits of his father, Philip B. Larimore, Jr., in At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery, and an Amazing Horse, which has been endorsed by numerous former generals like Gen. David Petraeus, Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin, and Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody; sports celebrities that include Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski, Dan Reeves, and Joe Gibbs; nationally-syndicated columnist Cal Thomas, and multi-New York Times best-selling authors Jerry B. Jenkins and Marcus Brotherton. For more information, click here.