Hawaii Photo Album
Day Three - Monday, April 16th - Pearl Harbor and USS Missouri.
We chose to visit Oahu mostly because of the beaches, but also because we wanted to see Pearl Harbor. Monday was our day to do that. After reading about several options to get to Pearl Harbor, and eliminating driving (since we didn't have our rental car yet) and a guided tour (since we're not necessarily guided-tour people), we settled on The Bus -- Honolulu's mass transit system. We'd read that The Bus (and yes, it's capitalized) was a good way to get from Waikiki to Pearl Harbor. If you ever read that, trust us - it's wrong. It was definitely the cheapest option (just $2 each, one-way), but unless you consider taking almost 2 hours, stopping all along the way, and being overcrowded with people from a cruise ship "good," avoid The Bus going to Pearl Harbor.
Here's Matt, doing his best to tolerate our bus ride.
We left early, stopped for pastries at Saint Germaine (a lovely bakery) and caught the #20 bus to Pearl Harbor. That was our first mistake. The 46 would have been more direct. About half-way, we picked up a load of mostly retirees fresh off a cruise ship. Together, we slowly made our way to Pearl Harbor. We arrived at the Memorial mostly exhausted -- any excitement we'd had to tour the memorial was gone. But, that wasn't a problem, as the next round of tickets to get to the movie and memorial wasn't for about 2 1/2 hours later... So, off we went to see the USS Missouri.
The USS Missouri wasn't in Pearl Harbor on that day that will live in infamy, but it has been placed in the harbor and is being restored, occupying a place of honor as the ship at the end of the war -- in the harbor by the resting place of the ships at the start of the war.
What's impressive about the Missouri is primarily its size. It's mind-boggling how they built this thing, let alone got it to float. It's gigantic, and loaded with everything you'd expect of a battleship. We toured quickly, so we could make it back to the USS Arizona Memorial in time. If you're going to see the Missouri, allow plenty of time -- we just skimmed most of the exhibits.
Wow, I guess our government was more advanced in 1942 than we knew... :) (this was at the gift-shop / food area outside the memorial).
Becky, by the South Dakota flag at the USS Missouri. Yes, I know I'm not really a South Dakotan anymore, but it's tough for me to pass by an opportunity to give some appreciation to a state flag that doesn't probably get many photographs. I also remember visiting the USS South Dakota Memorial in Sioux Falls while growing up. The USS South Dakota actually sailed in this very harbor in WWII.
Texas' simple lone star flag blowing in the breeze at the entrance to the USS Missouri.
Matt, on deck.
Everything about the USS Missouri is big. We couldn't resist taking many pics of the guns on deck:
You can see to the Arizona Memorial from the decks of the Missouri.
A unique 31-star-flag at the Missouri. I need to look up when this was from, again.
This area is still active with military presence. Getting to the Missouri location, we had to cross over to Ford Island, and go thru military gates. In the harbor, we spotted this ship and several others.
The USS Missouri had a fairly long life at sea. In addition to it's vital role in WWII, it was retrofitted later with other weaponry. We wondered just how much Raytheon paid the US Navy to get their logo so boldly printed in that first picture.
The Japanese surrender in WWII happened on board the Missouri -- here's the seal marking the spot.
Ok, I need to revise my earlier statement. Not *everything* about the Missouri is big -- the rooms and ladders were small. Here's Becky descending one steep ladder, and Matt going down ahead of her.
This thing is impressive!
Touring the Missouri gave us a better idea for the carnage that would have been found in Pearl Harbor the night of December 7, 1941. If the Nevada, Oklahoma, Arizona, and others were anywhere near that size, the debris would obviously have been intense. As we arrived back at the Arizona Memorial, we were reminded of the ship's size from the anchor in the entry way.
USS Arizona Anchor.
The other ships that were in Pearl Harbor that fateful day are marked by simple structures -- representing where they were in the harbor. Here are the Nevada and Arizona markers.
Several state flags (of course, including Arizona's sunburst at right) are found at the entrance to the Memorial.
The US flag stands tall over the middle of the Memorial.
Matt's reflection, caught in the side railing, overlooking the resting place of the Arizona and it's brave crewmen.
A few pieces of the ship can be seen from above or thru the water.
After passing thru the center of the Memorial, with views to the harbor and wreckage, you are presented with the names of those "Gallant Men" who gave their lives on December 7, 1941 and a peaceful window to the harbor.
Like any such memorial, it was moving to think of how many people lost thier lives that day -- and this list (as far as I know) only covers the Arizona, not those on other ships damaged that day.
For me (Becky) if I had to compare this to other war memorials, I'd say that the Vietman memorial was somehow more moving (which I find a bit strange, since I know much, much more about the history of Pearl Harbor and WWII than I do of Vietman) -- but perhaps that's mostly a testament to the profound way the Vietnam Memorial draws you in -- this list of names mostly serves as a quiet reminder of a not-very-quiet day. Somehow, the simpilicty of the entire memorial stands in opposition to the complexity of carrying out the surprise attack, which is probably what makes this memorial effective.
Oil on the surface -- coming up from the wreckage below.
Again, the front view of the USS Missouri reminds you of the immense size of a battleship.
Randomly -- you get a pretty good shot of Aloha Stadium from here.
This ship came by - from the name, we guess it's for the Commander in Charge of the Pacific Fleet
Monday night we went out for a late celebration of Becky's birthday - and also a celebration of being on vacation. We went to Alan Wong's restaurant in Honolulu. Our appetizer (a barbequed pork quesadilla) was amazing, but what really captured us was the dessert -- simply called the coconut. It was a dark chocolate shell, covered in coconut, with a coconut sorbet in the middle -- overflowing with fresh fruit. It was simply beautiful and delicious! Matt also bought Becky a flower for her hair. The lighting was dim and these pictures don't do the coconut justice -- check it out on the Alan Wong's website.
