When a Trip Falls in Your Lap - Pearl Harbor

 

I've always been interested in WWII, the madness, the bad decisions, the heroism. It's an interesting and dark period in our history. When we were planning the trip (see prior post) the one thing my husband really cared about seeing was Pearl Harbor.

I missed the two week time period when you could get tickets to go out to the Arizona Memorial. Online it said you could try to get tickets at 3:00 p.m. the day before you planned to go. I tried and failed, the tickets were gone within one or two minutes (75 tickets per time period). The next day, we had 4 people on 4 devices and we still didn't get tickets. Ugh. We decided to go to Pearl Harbor anyway the next day. I bought tickets for everything else, and then we found there was a "wait" line for the Arizona. So when people didn't show up or tickets didn't get claimed, you can wait in a line and see if you can get out to the memorial. I'm pleased to say that this worked and we really didn't have to wait long... maybe an hour? 

Memorial Wall Arizona Memorial

To me it's always interesting to see a place that you've seen on TV or movies several times. It changes your perspective. For instance, the first time I saw the Alamo in person I was shocked that it was so small. The Arizona was one of those places, both where it is placed and for some reason I thought the memorial wall was much larger. I thought the oil leak was a much bigger thing, but it only happens a drop at a time. According to one Ranger there, the legend is the Arizona will continue to leak until all her men are back on board. I overheard her say "we know there are at least three people who will not be back here." I'm not sure if that meant they were already dead and buried somewhere else, or that they knew 3 were just going to refuse to come back. It's a beautiful and appropriate memorial and I'm so glad we were able to get out there.

The thing that I hear over and over from the programs that feature the survivors is that they want people to remember what happened so that it doesn't happen again. Pearl Harbor is a perfect way to do this, and it's important to take in all that they have there.

Tree of Life portion of the Arizona Memorial

We wandered around reading the signs in the peace garden, took a few pictures, including one of a statue that reminded me of my father-in-law. He was on a ship during the Korean War and had a coat like the one on the statue.

The whole place is beautiful, of course. There is still something a bit unsettling about hearing a plane fly overhead while you're standing where the attack happened. It was just weird hearing that. (Can you see the plane?)

We then went aboard the USS Bowfin. I would never make it serving on a submarine. Cramped everywhere, no privacy and when I went to lift my leg over the first bulkhead, I couldn't do it! (I'm old and fat.) Not to mention not being able to breathe fresh air for days on end. I truly admire the men and women who do serve on them.

The USS Missouri ("The Mighty Mo") is docked not far from the Arizona Memorial but you need to take a shuttle to Ford Island in the middle of the harbor to be able to get to it. The Missouri was still being built when the attack on Pearl Harbor happened, but it was certainly there at the end of the war. You can take a guided tour or download a map to your phone. After the tour you can explore the lower decks on your own. This is an independantly run museum. There is a gift shop on shore whose proceeds help support the ship. The location of the Missouri being close to the Arizona kind of "bookends" WWII. The sinking of the Arizona was at the start of WWII for the US, and the Missouri is where the unconditional surrender of Japan occurred, signaling the end of the war. This is a huge ship, you can go down below to explore and you can climb up several floors to the bridge and see some beautiful views. I thought my legs would fall off after climbing up and down so many ladders, but I'm very glad I did it. 

Computers on a WWII ship? You might be suprised to know the Mighty Mo saw combat in the first Gulf War.

The smell of bread must have been incredible. The gold seal shows where the
unconditional surrender was signed.

Later in the war a kamakazi tried to attack the ship. The cook took the picture of the attack. The dent was all the damage it did to the ship. They didn't repair it.

View from the upper decks of the Missouri

One of the other sights to see on Ford Island is the Aviation Museum. While small, there are some interesting things to see there, and in the hanger behind it. Obviously, there was damage there from the attack. Below are two windows from a hanger with bullet holes from the attack. The control tower had not been finished at the time of the attack, and it doubles as a water tower. The large piece of metal is from the Arizona. I had to take a picture of the truck because it had my granddaughters name on it. The large hanger behind the museum is mostly empty, but there was an older Blue Angels jet in there.

We spent the whole day there and still did not see everything. I want to watch everything to do with Pearl Harbor now that I've been there. It is so humbling what was sacrified that day. There were civilians, women and children who died that day. So humbling that people went to sign up to fight after the bombing happened. So many young men died. People sacrificed at home, went without, and then often lost loved ones in addition. It went on for so many years. It worries me that we would not be as willing to sacrifice today, and in a way that makes their sacrifice mean less. It doesn't mean less to me, but I feel sometimes like as a country we just don't care anymore. That's dangerous. There seems to be no sense of pride, no sense of right and wrong. I pray I'm wrong and we don't go down that path. Remember.