Travel Log Day Two: Hard To Imagine...

Day two of the Hawaii trip was spent at Pearl Harbor...and as a self-titled history buff, it was beyond fascinating to me.
What struck me first was how somber we felt as soon as we got off the bus. There's something about that place that just levels you in terms of your view on life, courage, struggle and war in general.
While I've long known the dates, times, names and events of WWII, seeing the film and listening to the volunteer narrative prior to watching it, really brought it all home. What struck me the most was learning of all the survivors, who, upon their passing asked to be buried with their brothers underwater, back aboard the USS Arizona. I was not aware of that and it really hit hard, knowing that those men spent the rest of their lives as survivors, with what had to be absolutely vivid and horrid memories of that day etched in their minds. Memories of their ship, of how their lives and that of the nation and world, changed that day. Memories of their fellow sailors and Marines that died.
Their last request was to return to the Arizona and their names are etched at the memorial wall too...
After the film, we took the ferry boat to the memorial...it was something to see, all of these people looking around and taking pictures, but not really talking. There wasn't the usual touristy banter going on because the memorial is really an observational stand over a submerged graveyard.
When you look out at the ship below, there is still oil leaking up to the surface...that ship is still "alive" in the sense that you see it and see the little slicks of oil coming up, over 67 years after the fact.
You can also see the USS Missouri anchored just a few hundred yards away. The war with Japan started there and ended aboard the Mighty Mo. Full circle for us to see.
So there you are, in this paradise of a place, knowing that it was hell on earth that day.
If you've never been there, go. It is simply hard to imagine...

JReed...Says Be Well.