We took a 1.5 hour bus ride there, if that's not dedication then I don't know what is.
The Pearl Harbor memorial encompasses 4 sites, the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Bowfin, USS Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum.
The Arizona is free but required a wait for our 11:15am time slot, so while we waited we checked out the USS Bowfin, a submarine that survived WWII. I know little about submarines but was impressed by the way such tiny spaces were used to house beds, galleys, dining rooms and even bathrooms.It was stiflingly hot inside and I couldn't imagine what it would be like when the sub when "silent" and had to shut off all air conditioning at the depths of ocean.
Once the USS Bowfin was covered we headed to see the USS Arizona. This is the main memorial at Pearl Harbour.
During the Second World War the Americans tried to thwart Japan's expansion into South-East Asia by imposing sanctions on the Japanese. Japan, unimpressed by America's interference in their military action, planned the attack as a way of debilitating the American Pacific fleet and America's ability to stop Japan's military actions. So it was on the morning of December 7 1941 the Japanese army launched a surprise attach on the Navy battleships.
From wikipedia
"The base was attacked by 353 Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk. Of these eight damaged, two were raised, and with four repaired, six battleships returned to service later in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,402 Americans were killed and 1,282 wounded."
From wikipedia
"The base was attacked by 353 Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk. Of these eight damaged, two were raised, and with four repaired, six battleships returned to service later in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,402 Americans were killed and 1,282 wounded."
The attack was a huge shock to the Americans and caused the entry of America into WWII both in the Pacific and in Europe.
The USS Arizona was the biggest of all the battleships and it's been turned into a memorial, celebrating the valor of the soldiers who died and those who survived.
The tour stars with a video, highlighting the main points of the attack. A short boat trip takes you out to the memorial for 15 minutes to look at not only the memorial but the USS Arizona that lies beneath.
All in all it was an interesting day, lots of history and topped off by spicy pork Manapua, something I'll tell you more about shortly.
The tour stars with a video, highlighting the main points of the attack. A short boat trip takes you out to the memorial for 15 minutes to look at not only the memorial but the USS Arizona that lies beneath.
All in all it was an interesting day, lots of history and topped off by spicy pork Manapua, something I'll tell you more about shortly.
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