December 7, 1941 and 2016

Good Morning

Back in the Spring I was having lunch with my son one day and we were talking about trips and things we wanted to do this year.

I said I would like to be in Honolulu for the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

Andy said let's see if I can get hotel rooms.  Right ten and there he was able

to secure a room at the Royal Hawaiian on Ohau, and Maui Westin on Maui.

The adventure began on Sunday, December 4.

This is what our backyard looked like early in the day.

We kept hearing about how much snow was coming. Andy suggested that I drive to work

with him and stay at the hotel where he works for the "just in case" idea that the airport may have issues with the snow early in the morning, and who knows what the roads would be like.

He had secured a room for us.  He never got to use it as the airport had gone down the "dumpers" and he ended up working all night.  He woke me up at 4:30 a.m. to get dressed and go to the airport on the first shuttle available.  I would rather be early that late for a plane!

Now you are probably wondering where Ron was.
As the trip was drawing closer, his left hip was bothering him a lot.  He felt that the walking and long plane ride would not be a lot of fun for him.  He had checked about when surgery could be scheduled.  If he had a cortizone shot just before we left, he would not be able to have the surgery  until well into January 2017.  He had taken out insurance just in case.
Needless to say the hip got worse, and he had surgery the beginning of November for the replacement.  We knew ahead of time he would not be going, just Andy and myself.  He was okay with that.  What we didn't count on was the infection that showed up two weeks after the surgery.
After a second surgery and another stay in the hospital, he was cleared to go home.
He has to infuse an antibiotic daily, which takes about an hour and a half.
After much deliberation, he wanted us to go on the trip.
When Ron booked the air ride, it was too late to get a nonstop from Chicago.
We had a two hour layover in Denver.
When we got to our gate this sign was on the wall, and there was  red, white, and blue, balloons in bunches by the entry to the gate.  What we found out, was there would be a group of World War II veterans, friends, and family that the Florida State Elks had sponsored. 

Anyone could sign this message to the veterans

This is Art Gruber, who was a survivor of  USS Tennessee.
There was another surviror, Ruth Heckinger, who was a combat nurse and was with the Flying Tigers. Everyone in the gate area gave then a round of applause.  Once we all got on the plane, another announcement was made and again they all receive a round of applause.  They were
scattered through out the plane, so we got to talk to them and thank them for their service.
You could just feel the gratefulness and proud feelings we all had.
When we arrived in Honolulu, there were other groups of survivors that had arrived and were in the baggage area.  You could not help grinning and feeling proud to be an American.

We got our car and headed for dinner.  I had talked Andy into a restaurant called "Uncles" on one of the piers on our way to the hotel. I had eaten there before, and knew Andy would like it as well.
Then on our way to the Royal Hawaiian.
Let me tell you, "Pink" is the one word to describe it!  Everything is pink. It is a beautiful use of pink. What an elegant use of it.  The Christmas decorations are all pink as well.  To say I felt like a
"country mouse" is an understatement.  Andy and I met up with a friend of his that evening at the Mai Tai bar.  She had been able to acquire tickets for us to go on a special tour of the battleship USS Missouri.  Not long after that the long day caught up to us and off to bed.
We were going to have an early morning.

We were up and out by 7:30 AM.  We had to check in at the Pearl Harbor historical site, and be in line to catch a bus to Ford Island were the Missouri moored.  We had to be ready for our tour at 9:45.  Parking is minimal, and walking is long.
Once we reached the island, we passed the memorial for the USS Oklahoma.

From the forward deck of the Missouri, we were able to get a different view of the Pearl Harbor Memorial which is over the USS Arizona. What a view.

Andrew.
See those guns?  Well let me tell you, we got to go into the turret, and see how the ammunition was packed and loaded into them.  I can tell you first hand, there is not a lot of space in there for moving around.  Each person is assigned a job and the precision they have to load and lock would have been very exacting. 

There were 6 of us on this tour. Dom the lady in the blue shirt, was our tour guide.
She knew her stuff.  We are in the "hallway" that they call "broadway". This has doors that can be closed and locked from each other.  Impressive.  Our tour lasted about 2 hours and gives you a new appreciation of what and how the bowels of the ships work.  

This is the portion of the forward deck where the "Document of Surrender" was signed.
There are viewing cases that show the document, pictures of who signed and other memorabilia regarding this historic moment in time. 

As we got on the bus to leave Ford Island, we had one more stop at the "Pacific Air Museum".
This air tower is the same one you see in documentaries about WWII.  Ron and I have since watched several, and you can spot the tower.  It also is in th"Tora, Tora, Tora."
Once we arrived back to the Pearl Harbor grounds, we got to go out to the Arizona.

It is so beautiful, and impressive.

This is the picture of how and where the memorial was positioned.
Were you aware that Elvis Presley had a hand in getting this memorial completed?

This is the shrine where the names of the Arizona crewmen who died are inscribed on a marble wall. Notice the two areas in front of the wall.  The one on the left has names of the survivors that have since passed away.  The one on the right is shrouded in black.  It was reveled until after a ceremony on December 7.  Two additional servicemen that had served on the Arizona were entombed on her deck.  One was a gentlemen that is now with his brother.  They were serving together that fateful day.  One died and one survived.  They are now once again serving together.

What an impressed and sacred place.  It cannot help but  bring tears, to realize what all of these servicemen
did and sacrificed for our freedoms.
Even as I write this I can't help but tear up.

The oil from the Arizona still seeps to the surface.

The Battleship USS Missouri

What an amazing monument.

One last look as we return to land

There were memorial wreaths staged to be taken to the memorial on December 7.
They were from around the world.

The submarine Bowfin with the bridge to Ford Island in the background.

We had a long and great day visiting Pearl Harbor.   We had timed our visit to be on the 6th, because I knew we would not have been able to be there on the 7th.
We had only one real problem that day.  No food!  We had thought we would pickup breakfast on our way.  Got hung up in traffic, and we were on a time table. There were only snacks at Pearl Harbor.  Should have eaten after the Missour tour,  there was food, but again we were on a time table. We left the sites as the end of the day. So father then try to find a place in the traffic on the way back to the hotel, there was a restaurant by where we had parked. So we started a new trend. Happy Hour! They had a special on appetizers and drinks.  There was enough of a variety that we could order several appetizers and hit all the food groups.  So we sat and watched the harbor and drank and ate until some of the traffic would have subsided  going back to Honolulu.

Then back to the Royal Hawaiian.
See this entry?  Well it was used in a recent episode of Hawaii 5-0.
Got to talk to a lady who works  the the valet desk.  She was working the day the scene was shot, and
had to duck behind the desk.  I know my sites in Hawaii!

For the actual December 7, I will tell why I had to be in Hawaii.

Aloha

Mary