On the morning of December 7, 1941, America was attacked at Pearl Harbor on Oahu. The USS Arizona was the first ship to be bombed and with it, 1,177 sailors went down with her.
Watching the opening subtitles of an informational and historical video at the Pearl Harbor memorial in Honolulu had me in tears. The room was dark and among the sniffles from visitors around me, you could feel the room tense up and a cold silence hovered over us. While I had studied Pearl Harbor and the Japanese war in school many times, something about actually being there and seeing the ship underwater made it so incredibly real.
As I rode the short ferry ride over to the Arizona Memorial, I was surrounded by Veterans and civilians, both of which were here to understand and pay respects. The memorial again is quiet, white and somehow serene and chilling at the same time.
It is true that there is still oil oozing from the massive ship and it is treated like a huge burial site for the fallen men unable to escape.
While the ship was fascinating to see, I was actually more captivated by the visitors. Many people brought their families, wives, sisters and children. You overheard stories of grandfathers telling their grandchildren how they found out about Pearl Harbor. It was unifying as a country but still many held deep emotions and resentment. I was surprised by how many foreign tourists visited the site and I wondered what their reaction was to it. Have you toured the Arizona Memorial and Pearl Harbor?
Tour Tips: All together, visitors are only on the memorial for about 20-30 minutes before the ferry comes back to get you. The whole Pearl Harbor tour only takes about two and a half hours, with the video and touring the other memorials. While everyone will have a different experience, remember to bring sunscreen or wear a hat (the entire thing is outside) and silence your phones while on the memorial.
If you’re looking to tour Pearl Harbor, check out Hawaii Duck Tours for an interesting trip from Waikiki. With bilingual guides and the duck boat trucks, this is definitely not your standard tour.
