Pearl Harbor: beautiful lady on an anti-aircraft gun; USS Arizona - the grave of 1177

Before we left Oahu to come here to The Big Island of Hawaii, Margie and I visited Pearl Harbor. There, we saw a beautiful young woman of Japanese heritage climb happily into the seat of an anti-aircraft gun to pose for her family and friends.

Then we rode the boat to the memorial built over the USS Arizona, the grave of most of the 1177 crewmen who lost their lives on that infamous December 7. The names of all the dead are listed on a huge wall in the room beyond the wreckage viewing area.

It is a different time now, and we mingle in peace with those our near forebearers fought so hard against. "How shall we remember them?" someone asked of the USS Arizona sailors and marines...

...In tears, even now.

For Margie, anyway - and me too.

Comments

[Dean]

This is either a simply powerful post or a powerfully simple post. It is beautiful.

[Nancy]

Thank you, Bill.

[Jersey Babs]

Thanks for sharing your Hawaiian travels. In one of those funny coincidences, I just got the following link in an email yesterday. It is for a YouTube video about after-hour memorial services at the USS Arizona. It is titled Eternal Peace, posted by WWIIValorNPS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgE2KiPd3xg&feature=youtube_gdata_player