▁attack ▁was ▁over . ▁ 2 , 0 0 8 ▁sail ors ▁were ▁killed , ▁and ▁ 7 1 0 ▁others ▁wounded ; ▁ 2 1 8 ▁soldiers ▁and ▁air men ▁( who ▁were ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Army ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁independent ▁United ▁States ▁Air ▁Force ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 ) ▁were ▁killed ▁and ▁ 3 6 4 ▁wounded ; ▁ 1 0 9 ▁mar ines ▁were ▁killed ▁and ▁ 6 9 ▁wounded ; ▁and ▁ 6 8 ▁civ ili ans ▁were ▁killed ▁and ▁ 3 5 ▁wounded . ▁In ▁total , ▁ 2 , 4 0 3 ▁Americans ▁were ▁killed ▁and ▁ 1 , 1 4 3 ▁were ▁wounded . ▁E igh teen ▁ships ▁were ▁s unk ▁or ▁run ▁a ground , ▁including ▁five ▁batt les hips . ▁All ▁of ▁the ▁Americans ▁killed ▁or ▁wounded ▁during ▁the ▁attack ▁were ▁leg ally ▁non - com bat ants , ▁given ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁state ▁of ▁war ▁when ▁the ▁attack ▁occurred . ▁ ▁Of ▁the ▁American ▁fatal ities , ▁nearly ▁half ▁were ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁explos ion ▁of ▁' s ▁forward ▁magazine ▁after ▁it ▁was ▁hit ▁by ▁a ▁modified ▁ ▁shell . ▁Author ▁Craig ▁Nelson ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁vast ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁sail ors ▁killed ▁at ▁Pear l ▁Har bor ▁were ▁junior ▁en list ed ▁personnel . ▁" The ▁officers ▁of ▁the ▁Navy ▁all ▁lived ▁in ▁houses ▁and ▁the ▁junior ▁people ▁were ▁the ▁ones ▁on ▁the ▁boats , ▁so ▁pretty ▁much ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁who ▁died ▁in