Hawai'i - Pearl Harbor (12/28/2011)

Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Today we visited the sites of the beginning and end of the United States involvement in World War II.
In my research, I did not come across the warning to arrive early, as tickets to visit the USS Arizona Memorial are free, but go fast. I think we arrived at 9:30 AM, but received tickets for the 2:30 PM slot. There is so much to do in Oahu, I hadn't planned on spending all day here.
Brynne, however, had read that we should not bring anything but cameras and IDs, no bags or purses.
We carried on and caught the shuttle bus out to Ford Island to see the USS Missouri. Just outside the entrance to the Missouri, was a memorial to the USS Oklahoma:

This was one of the ships moored on Battleship Row when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on 12/7/1941, and 429 Marines and sailors lost their lives. Each of the white "standards" represents a sailor in dress uniform standing at attention along the rails of the ship.

The USS Oklahoma Memorial was dedicated 12/7/2007.
The USS Missouri Memorial:

Admission to "Mighty Mo" was $22/person including the shuttle ride onto the naval base. Before boarding the ship, we walked down the dock, past the statue of "Times Square Kiss" (dedicated in September 2011):

This is a life-size replica of the 25-ft sculpture by famed artist Seward Johnson that was inspired by the iconic photograph of a sailor kissing a nurse on August 14, 1945, the day President Harry Truman announced that WWII had ended. 
At the end of the dock we had a view of the USS Arizona Memorial:

It sits along Battleship Row:

The USS Missouri:

Just before you board the battleship, a photographer takes your picture. There are some hats and helmets to don:

A volunteer gives you a tour of the main deck of the ship, starting at the bow/front:

Commissioned in 1944, the USS Missouri was assigned to the Pacific Third Fleet. It was the site of Japan's surrender to the Allied Forces on 9/2/1945 that ended World War II. The battleship went on to participate in the Korean War, then was decommissioned. In 1986, it was recommissioned, and took part in the Persian Gulf War in 1991. Final decommissioning in 1992, and then the Mighty Mo was donated to be used as a Memorial in 1998.
Decks were made of teak wood:

Our guide gives perspective to the shells used in the gun turrets:

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This turret had 289 hits during Desert Storm:

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The powder kegs, 16 of these are required per shot:

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This is also why there are wooden decks, as a metal deck could spark the gunpowder.
The Surrender Plaque:

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The Surrender Document:

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More gun turrets:

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with notations of hits made during Desert Storm:

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A dent made by a kamikaze plane during WWII:

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A photo of that plane:

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The wing broke off and the fuselage slid across the deck and burned. They were able to pull out the pilot, who appeared to be a young boy. He was given burial at sea.
At this point we were on our own to explore the ship. Actually they have the route pretty well laid out, you just follow the arrows at your own pace.
Game table:

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Berths:

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Ship dentistry:

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Wardroom:

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Captain's Cabin:

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A TV? Oh, yeah, this was 1991.
Navy T-shirt:

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Ford Island/Naval Base:

View of the dock and USS Arizona Memorial:

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A bridge:

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Kent in the Captain's chair:

We took the shuttle bus back to the Visitors Center. Kent found a USS Arizona ticket for 12:30, and then we found another for 1:00. He turned the tickets in to the Park Ranger, and asked about getting into an earlier session. The ranger said if the theater isn't full, then they let a few more people in. So we waited, and sure enough were waved in for the 12:45 session. Whew!
First you enter the Pearl Harbor Memorial Theater and watch a 23-minute documentary about the 12/7/1941 attack.
Then you take a Navy-operated shuttle boat to the Memorial:

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The Entry Room holds the flags of the 9 states after which the 8 battleships and USS Utah (a training/mobile target ship) were named:

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The Assembly Room is open for ceremonies, and to view the remains of the USS Arizona below:

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Oil is still seeping from the ruins:

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The final section of the Memorial is the Shrine Room:

The marble wall is inscribed with the names of the 1,177 sailors and Marines who perished aboard the USS Arizona, along with survivors who have chosen to be interred with their shipmates:

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We solemnly returned to the Visitors Center on the shuttle boat.

Passed the USS Bowfin, a submarine that served during WWII and the Korean War:

The shuttle boat to the USS Arizona:

We made a final stop at the USS Arizona bell, one of two salvaged from the ship in 1941:

As we were leaving the Pearl Harbor Visitors Center, Kent noticed some disappointed faces. There were no more tickets to visit the USS Arizona today. So Kent made a few people happy by handing over our 2:30 tickets.