Good afternoon,
First, let me just say that as a Country we are truly blessed to have a place like Pearl Harbor to remind us of the fear, anguish, perseverance, victory and love which was experienced here. The people of Hawaii work daily to preserve this historic harbor so generations to come will never forget. We quickly realized we did not know even half the story. We listened to personal accounts, walked in the places that were bombed, stood in awe of the size of the vessels and aircraft, and read the names of those who died on that infamous day. We also saw civilians polishing bells, painting decks and volunteering their time. Touring the Battleship Missouri was a highlight.
One personal account that really got to me was the story of Sterling Cale. Not unlike other Pearl Harbor survivors, his story is heart-wrenching and heroic. We bought his book. Not only did he pull people from the wreckage of the USS Oklahoma and USS Arizona, but he went onto fight in the Korean and Vietnam wars as well. Did I mention he was a pharmacist on base who just happened to take a diving class and was a born leader? A farm boy from Moline, Illinois, was finishing his pharmacist shift at around 6 a.m. on December 7, 1941. Strolling back to his quarters that quiet Sunday morning he saw the red circle on the Japanese planes and never looked back; only racing forward to try and save as many lives as possible.
After 6 hours of walking and learning, we ended our day with the Aviation Museum in Hangar 79, on Ford Island. The photo included in this post shows bullet holes in the glass. Those are from December 7, 1941. The Hangar had multiple panes with holes, left there over time as a remembrance of what happened and what ascended from the rubble. Yes, both the movies Pearl Harbor and Tora Tora Tora were both filmed here.
Today we use our timed ticket to take the short boat ride out to the USS Arizona Memorial. We are thankful that we did our learning yesterday and today we can use this time to reflect at the memorial. Didn’t really plan it that way, but we are glad it worked out that way.
Your friend, B
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