On our second day in Hawaii, Cassidy dropped us off at Pearl Harbor and we spent the morning there. Pearl Harbor was one of my absolute favorite things we did in Hawaii. This was one day when I really appreciated not having the kids with us. We totally took our time, reading every sign and monument, and inspecting everything in the museums. It was quiet and respectful, as a memorial to so many lost lives should be. In the above photo, we are standing in front of the anchor for the Arizona. The ship had two anchors, and the other one is located in downtown Phoenix, which we have also posed for a photo in front of. We rode the ferry out to the Arizona memorial.
The memorial built over the fallen ship.
Inside the memorial, they have a wall listing all the names of the fallen who served on the Arizona that day. When we walked into that room, it was completely silent and everyone stood back near the entry, as if they didn't want to disturb the peace of the room. It was somber as everyone contemplated how very many lives were lost that day, and what a tragedy it was for our nation.
The rusted-over remains of the USS Arizona.
The USS Missouri, which is the ship where the Japanese signed the surrender papers for WWII. It is also the ship where my bro-in-law James signed his commission papers to join the navy.
According to the tour guide, the USS Arizona was left where she lay on the bottom of the harbor with no attempts to raise her. The only disturbances allowed were the salvage of some of her deck guns, and quite a few years later, the stars and stripes were once again flown from her mast. A fitting tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice here.
The USS Nevada was another battleship that was sunk that day. I was surprised to learn that most of the ships sunk were raised up, repaired, and went on to fight another day in WWII.
Here we are aboard the memorial. This was truly one of those experiences I will cherish all my life.
One last view of the Missouri and the Arizona memorial.
2 comments:
i really loved pearl harbor too! it is such an awesome memorial, and such a neat experience to be there. there is so much history there. i always get a little sad looking at the wall with so many names of lost sailors.
I'm glad you had such a great experience there. We have been there quite a few times, and it always brings the same feelings no matter how many times we go, especially when the tourists are giving it the reverence it deserves.
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