Their 9/11

I got up bright at 5:45 this morning to go visit Pearl Harbor because I’ve heard the lines are extremely long and it easy to miss the free theater show and ferry out the memorial that marks the location of the USS Arizona’s final resting place. I also took the city buses which took some time. As you can tell from the pictures, the rumors were true. I got there about 7:30 and the line moved fairly quickly. Once inside I purchased one the audio tours as I waited on my turn to ride the ferry. I have to say it was a very sobering experience.

We’ve read about it. We’ve seen the movies (Even the one with Ben Afleck) and we’ve heard our parents and grandparents talk about it, but just like Ground Zero in New York and the site where the federal building once stood in Oklahoma City, looking upon such a place with your own eyes allows you to conjure up the imagery and sounds of the day and re-establishes a human element to the story that we are often detached from because of time and experiences.
Something that I had forgotten was that Pearl Harbor is a generic term for an attack that was directed toward the island of Oahu as a whole. Pearl Harbor took the brunt of the punishment and there was certainly an interest in hitting our fleet, but there were several other military bases on the island that were targeted which sustained large amounts of loss and damage.

If you look in some of the pictures of the water you can see what remains of the sunken ship which entombed some 900 men who could not be salvaged. You may also notice oil spots in the water which are a result of oil from the Arizona. It leaks an average of two quarts a day. I also included a picture of two Pearl Harbor Survivors. The Arizona monument’s sloping design that sags in the middle represents a low point in American history. The gentle slope to the ends represents the victory America would go on to achieve. Finally, several of the ships that were damaged in the attack were fixed up and went on to be used in WWII.

It was interesting to note that at least half of the visitors at the memorial were Japanese and we all stood side by side throughout the exhibits. According to many locals, Hawaii is a popular destination for Japanese tourists because it is the only place they can come in America and not have to speak a lick of English. For me today was a testament of how things can and do change for the better.

Editors note: Reference of 9/11 not intended to be compared point by point.