Pearl Harbor

After our relaxing day in Oahu we were ready for a full day of sight seeing, so we got up the next morning and headed to Ford Island to visit Pearl Harbor.  The clouds were billowing up right behind us, but luckily we didn't get rained on.

Our first tour was on the Battleship Missouri Memorial, also nicknamed the "Mighty Mo".

These pictures do not even come close to really showing how massive this ship is.  The U.S.S. Missouri was launched on January 29, 1944 and is the last U.S. battleship ever built.  I cannot imagine how loud it must have been hearing these turrets going off.

We had fun exploring all the different levels of the ship, using handheld players for our walking tour.

This was one of the officer's staterooms aboard the ship, and one of the few with a window (which I somehow managed not to capture).

On the second deck was the crew's mess room, where they dined,

and also the crew's sleeping quarters.

We stood on the surrender deck, which was the sight of the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945. 

As we left the ship, a worker there insisted he take our picture in front of the battleship...he then showed us where...

We had to recreate our excitement of the war ending.  After leaving the Missouri, we took a short bus ride to the Pacific Aviation Museum.  Right as you arrive you see the massive control tower.  I immediately recognized it from the movie Pearl Harbor.

We visited both the Hangars but most of the larger planes are housed here at Hangar 39.

It was amazing to me that the bullet holes from the attack on Pearl Harbor can still be seen in the blue glass windows here.

They have done a great job at salvaging so much wreckage from the war.

From there, we went back to climb aboard the U.S.S. Bowfin, also known as the Pearl Harbor Avenger and sank 44 enemy ships during the course of her nine war patrols.

Maneuvering through this ship was not as easy as you would think.  We had to climb through some pretty small hatches.

 

Immediately inside is one of the small rooms where the torpedo's were launched from.

The amount of controls that covered almost the entire sub inside was astounding.  They even had levers inside the tiniest bathrooms.

I could never go underwater in a sub like this.  Everything about this was tiny and cramped.  These hallways were just enough space for you to walk through with your shoulders almost touching the sides.

There were less beds than there were seamen, and so they had to sleep in shifts on these tiny beds, and were allowed only enough items aboard to fit in a small bag that hung from the beds.

Although being in cramped quarters they were said to have some of the best food.

Just looking up and seeing these tiny portholes made me a bit claustrophobic.

Even the deck itself was small.  Matt had fun finding all the ships in the bay to fire upon.

Our last stop at Pearl Harbor was to visit the U.S.S. Arizona memorial.  Luckily we got tickets early in the day and were able to catch one of the last boats out.

Inside the monument etched on the wall are the names of over 1,100 sailors and marines killed during the Japanese surprise attack on December 7, 1941.

Viewing out the sides of the monument you can see parts of the battleship peering just above the ocean.

It is crazy to me that as you look out into the water almost 75 years later oil is still bubbling up to the surface.

Back on shore they have a die cast of the actual anchor that they brought up from the U.S.S. Arizona.

Pearl Harbor was an amazing visit and one that I know we will both remember for the rest of our lives.