Hawaii: Day 4, Part 1

Monday was a very busy day for us. We left the house early to head to Pearl Harbor as the line forms very quickly for the tours. The tours are given on a first come, first served basis, and some days as many as 1,500 people have to be turned away. We got there around 9:30am, and the line was already out the building and down the side walk. Fortunately, it moved very quickly. Initially, Scot and I weren't overly excited about going to Pearl Harbor. However, it ended up being a moving experience, and we are glad that we did.

This is one of the memorial exhibits that lists all of the people, military and civilian, who died as a result of the attack on 12.7.1941. That is Pearl Harbor in the background.

Here is a close-up of the plaque that gives a quick overview of the events that transpired on that day. If you click on the picture it should enlarge so you can read the details.

They had several displays around the park. Here is Kim testing out some of the artillery...

Here is Scot with the USS Bowfin in the background. This submarine was launched on the 1-year anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack and was known as the "Pearl Harbor Avenger." It now sits in the harbor to serve as a museum and memorial to the submarines and their crew that were lost in WWII.

This is the anchor from the USS Arizona. I know most of you probably know this from History class (or you saw the Ben Affleck movie), but here are some historic details in case you are a little fuzzy on the topic (like I was.) During the attack on Pearl Harbor, the majority of the 2,390 total causalities occurred when the USS Arizona blew up. The ship sank in less than nine minutes. The ship still lies on the floor of the harbor and serves as a memorial and tomb for the 1,177 people that went down with her.

This is the actual USS Arizona Memorial. You have to take a ferry to reach it. It is built over the ship, which lies beneath, like a bridge. It does not touch the ship at all. They remind you frequently that this is, in fact, a cemetery as the crew from the Arizona are still entombed below. Everyone is asked to remain silent while at the Memorial. The mood was very respectful, but somewhat eerie.

This is the shrine at the far end of the memorial that lists the 1,177 victims of the USS Arizona. As the survivors of the attack pass away, they are also remembered here.

I think it's human nature to do a scan of names to see if there is anyone that shares your surname. There was one "Stephenson" and one "Haines." We had to make a special note of the R.W. Haines, however, because this is Scot's brother's initials/last name. It was kind of eerie to see this, as well.

The flag above the memorial. It was very windy out there. Because of the silent mood, about the only sounds you could hear were the waves and the flag whipping in the wind.

Here is the USS Arizona submerged beneath the memorial.

The gun turret of the submerged USS Arizona.

Almost 66 years after she sank, the Arizona still leaks oil, as you can see below. This amazed me. They are called the "Black Tears" of the Arizona. They are said to be the tears of the victims, and some people say that the Arizona will continue to "cry" as long as there are survivors still living.

A view of the USS Missouri as seen from the USS Arizona Memorial.

They also have Pearl Harbor survivors that volunteer their time at the park. However, we didn't get a chance to talk to any as the lines were very long. They are becoming more and more "rare" as the survivors age and pass away. According to the National Park Service, which operates the USS Arizona Memorial, more than 1,000 WWII Survivors die each day.

Scot and I were glad that we ended up taking the time to visit this part of our American History. I wasn't sure what to expect before we got there, but it was a very moving experience. I hope you enjoyed my "mini-tour", but if you ever have a chance to visit, I would encourage you to do so.