PEARL HARBOR AND USS ARIZONA MEMORIAL TOUR

Hawaii Day 3 was a looooong day for me and my husband, Vince.  The six-hour timezone difference worked to our advantage in that regard especially for someone who's not a morning person like me.  It wasn't too hard for me to be up and about waiting for the tour bus to pick us up at our hotel as early as 6:30 a.m. (translates to 12:30 p.m. EST). We had a busy itinerary planned that day which started at around 7:00 a.m. at Pearl Harbor and ended at around 11:00 p.m. at Polynesian Cultural Center. Whew!

PEARL HARBOR AND USS ARIZONA MEMORIAL

Our tour group arrived early at the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Park.  While lining up to enter, our Filipino-Hawaiian tour guide made sure that none of his "ohana" brought any bags or fanny packs as well as cameras with lens longer than 6 inches as those items are not allowed inside the park. *Ohana means family and that's how our tour guide referred to us in his tour group.

For me, it was a sentimental journey to the past walking on the grounds of Pearl Harbor and viewing memorabilia and remnants of what a tragic day it was once.  There were a lot of tourists from different parts of the world visiting the historic harbor but what struck me the most was seeing US veterans in their uniforms wheeling around amongst Japanese tourists.  I couldn't help but feel a bit emotional for the fallen heroes of the attack.  I guess I was just empathizing too much but I honestly felt a sting inside my heart towards the Japanese tourists.  Oh well, it must either be the pregnancy hormones kicking in or the flashbacks I got of Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnet's heartbreaking scenes in the movie, Pearl Harbor, that caused me to feel that way, but anyway, if there's one virtue I realized from this trip, it's FORGIVENESS.  It must have come by really hard for the veterans and loved ones of the victims to forgive such stab-on-the-back senseless attack but at one point in their lives I'm sure they came to terms with it, or else the national monument stands meaningless to date.

I think you've had enough of my dramatic spiel, so let me just show you some of the pics we took at Pearl Harbor and USS Arizona Memorial, and I'll let them speak of the story they tell.  Feel free to click on the pics to enlarge :)

December 07, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy

"With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people,
we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God."
~ Franklin D. Roosevelt, Day of Infamy speech

"The United States was at peace with that nation, and at the solicitation of Japan,
was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the
maintenance of peace in the Pacific.  Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had
commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the
United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent
American message.  And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue
the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack."
~ Franklin D. Roosevelt, Day of Infamy speech

USS Arizona Memorial
The sunken remains of the battleship also serves as the final resting place
for over a thousand gallant sailors who died on the USS Arizona during the attack.

One of USS Arizona's gun turret remains intact and on the ship.
There were over 180 ships and vessels in Pearl Harbor when it was attacked.
Twelve of these ships were sunk or severely damaged, with another nine also
needing extensive repairs.  However, all but three (USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma and USS Utah) returned to service.

The "tears of Arizona."  Oil slick visible on water's surface above the sunken ship.
Seventy one years later, the ship still leaks 2 to 9 quarts of oil each day.

There were 37 confirmed sets of brothers assigned to the USS Arizona.
The explosion and subsequent fires killed 1177 sailors and marines instantly.

♪♫ I'll keep a part of you with me, and everywhere I am there you'll be ♪♫

That's the end of our Pearl Harbor and USS Arizona Memorial tour. Stay tuned for more of my Hawaii Day 3 escapades ☻

Reference

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