Remembrance Day ~ 75th Pearl Harbor Commemoration

Once again I have a ton of catching up to do, but I want to pause this morning to remember Pearl Harbor.  We are back in Hawaii and there are a lot of activities commemorating the "day that will live in infamy." It's a beautiful December day here on Oahu, much like it was 75 years ago. 

USAToday had an interesting article this morning featuring the five remaining USS Arizona survivors.  Four are here taking part in the anniversary ceremonies.  The remains of two survivors who passed away this year will be interred in the Arizona's wreckage today.

These brave men, all now in their 90s, embody what it means to be an American.  They were 19-22 year olds.  The same age as college students who just a month ago needed a safe room because they couldn't handle the disappointment of the election outcome.  These young men were men.  Several of them were injured in the attack but they all continued to serve throughout the war.  One of the survivors and one who passed away this year also served in the Korean War.

The theme for the events is "Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future."  We are quickly saying goodbye to the Greatest Generation.  May we all be inspired to be better Americans and make our nation a better place.

Pearl Harbor Historic Sites

Several weeks ago I reserved (free) tickets to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.  It has been 22 years this month since we last visited this national monument.  Many aspects have changed, but it is still a very sobering reminder of the horrors of World War II.

We arrived one hour before our tour and had time to wander a bit.  In the distance is the USS Missouri - the Mighty Mo, where on September 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay, representatives of the Allied and Axis powers met to sign the documents that would end the second World War.  

The park has changed a lot since Les and I visited it on our honeymoon in 1991. The Battleship Missouri Memorial was added in 1999, the Pacific Aviation Museum opened in 2006 and a new Pearl Harbor Visitor Center opened in 2010.

After watching the documentary film that includes real footage from the attack, we boarded the Navy shuttle boat to the memorial.

Part of the wreckage.

Two to nine quarts of oil still leak from the ship each day.

I don't know all the details, but a woman on our tour raised a flag on the memorial that day with the help of two volunteers.  It was obviously a very emotional act for her, so we assumed a family member must have been on the USS Arizona when it was attacked.

Upon our return, we purchased tickets to tour the USS Bowfin Submarine.  Bowfin was launched on  December 7, 1942, exactly one year to the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Nicknamed "Pearl Harbor Avenger," it sank 44 enemy ships during WW II.

Bunks that were three high.  There were more men than there were bunks, so when one was getting off duty, he would take the bed of someone who was going on duty.

There is more that we did not explore that day ~ we will definitely be going back!  I took nearly 150 pictures, you can see them all here on my SmugMug page.