Pearl Harbor

Every December 7 at Pearl Harbor, there is a memorial to those who died in the awful attacks that day in 1941. Survivors gather here, though fewer every year remain alive. Oil still rises from where the USS Arizona lies in the harbor. The horrific events of December 7 are still a raw part of the history here. Several months ago, the civil defense sirens went off all over Oahu. It was a glitch in the system, but I remember an elderly woman in downtown Honolulu who said she looked at the sky because she remembers when there really was an air raid, and the sirens bring her back to that time of eminent danger when what seemed impossible unfolded in front of her young eyes. For history buffs, students, and all sorts of tourists, this is a “must visit” National Park on Oahu. Tickets to take the boat to the memorial are cheap (but do require an advanced booking of a couple days), and there are several other activities and museums at Pearl Harbor to explore including a walk through the USS Bowfin.

On my first day in Hawai’i, I stopped by the Pearl Harbor Memorial. It was sober reflection of what transpired on that fateful day. This was an experience never to forget.

In O’ahu, Hawaii the ‘Arizona Memorial’ is impressive, Hickam Air force Base entrance spectacular, and Diamond Head unforgettable.But the memorial for the USA submarines that sank during WWII gripped me as a lost thought to the large battleships that was bombed nearby. Take a minute to think about the panic from these men in their last moments.

Visit historic Ford Island for a taste of aviation history! Hangar 37 exhibits vintage aircraft, and they even have combat flight simulators if want a more hands-on experience. In Hangar 79 (my favorite), you can view numerous aircraft in varying stages of restoration, and you can even go inside some of the jets and helicopters. The best part of the experience is the many military Veterans who guide tours and hang out in the hangars. Hearing their personal stories and chatting about flying and the mechanics of different aircraft adds a meaningful and unique touch to the aviation museum experience! Unlike many of the attractions on Oahu, the Pacific Aviation Museum never feels too crowded, so take a day to see the planes and meet the heroes that made history!

While in Oahu we had to pay a visit to Pearl Harbour, when we got there it was late afternoon, the site closes at 4:30 PM, so make sure you arrive early if you want to see all or some of the sites. We wanted to go to the memorial and where lucky to get on standby and got in for free, the visit starts with a short movie that explains the events that happened that faithfull day in American history, prepare to be moved to tears as you see actual footage of the events, you can only feel an inmense emotion and gratfullness to be part of this great nation, free to be, thanks to all the people that have fought for our rights. Once the movie ends, you continue to the dock and get on a boat for a short ride to the memorial, which sits over the USS ARIZONA , there you will walk around and at the end of the memorial you will find the names of all the service man and women that perish that day. It is a site not to be missed.