The Arizona and Missouri

MagistrateChris · Sep 17, 2007

The Mrs. and I just got back from ten days in paradise, known to the world as Oahu. Amazing. Of course, being my first trip, we had to visit the Arizona memorial. I shed a few tears on the deck of the memorial, and we then went over to the Missouri. It's an amazing way to spend half a day, on one hand seeing where the war started, and then going down the harbor to see exactly where the war ended. The Missouri had lots of fun stands around, in the WWII theme, even a photo stand with some vintage apparel for photos.

For me, the emotional mix of the beginning and the end together was powerful. Our tour guide for the Missouri, and very pretty and smart young wife of an Air Force pilot (and history major, herself), said that she likes to think of it as the Mighty Mo watching over the Arizona and her crew for eternity. I kind of like that thought as well.

I've tried attaching some photos, but they are all too big. Anyone know how to reduce the file size of a photo so I can share?

Lincsong · Sep 18, 2007

Please post them.

RIOT · Sep 18, 2007

MagistrateChris said:
The Mrs. and I just got back from ten days in paradise, known to the world as Oahu. Amazing. Of course, being my first trip, we had to visit the Arizona memorial. I shed a few tears on the deck of the memorial, and we then went over to the Missouri. It's an amazing way to spend half a day, on one hand seeing where the war started, and then going down the harbor to see exactly where the war ended. The Missouri had lots of fun stands around, in the WWII theme, even a photo stand with some vintage apparel for photos.

For me, the emotional mix of the beginning and the end together was powerful. Our tour guide for the Missouri, and very pretty and smart young wife of an Air Force pilot (and history major, herself), said that she likes to think of it as the Mighty Mo watching over the Arizona and her crew for eternity. I kind of like that thought as well.

I've tried attaching some photos, but they are all too big. Anyone know how to reduce the file size of a photo so I can share?

Sounds like a memorable time! I visited Oahu a while back in the 80's and the Arizona memorial was one of the highlights of the trip for me. Very intense.

Try hosting those photos on photobucket and pasting the img link? Can't wait to see em.

imoldfashioned · Sep 18, 2007

Yes, if you upload the photos to photobucket you can click "edit" right above the picture in your album, then click "resize" for message board size or smaller.

I hope this works for you, I'd love to see your pictures!

MagistrateChris · Sep 19, 2007

Thanks for the advice. Here are a few shots to start with:

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee289/cas700850/100_0928.jpg
This is how the two are lined up now. A beautiful sight, the contrast between the beginning and the end.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee289/cas700850/100_0959.jpg
The Mighty Mo, as she was known.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee289/cas700850/100_1005.jpg
A copy of the flag flown on the Missouri when the surrender was signed. It was the flag flown by Perry when the first American fleet enterred a Japanese Port, which Admiral Halsey had delivered to the Missouri for the surrender, for the symbolic nature.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee289/cas700850/100_1028.jpg
The National Cemetary of the Pacific, better known as the Punch Bowl. Thousands of names of service members whose final resting place is "known but to God."

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee289/cas700850/100_0613.jpg
The Royal Hawaiian Hotal. The Pink Palace. An amazing hotel where we stayed, and athrowback to teh Golden era we all know and love. I'll write an entire post on the subject later.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee289/cas700850/100_1126.jpg
A twilight shot over waikiki beach, just because I thought it was good enough to share.

Chris

DanielJones · Sep 19, 2007

All I can say is, "Wow!". Thank you for sharing.

Cheers!

Dan

Roger · Sep 20, 2007

Fabulous shots. Glad you had a good time. Was this your first trip to the islands?

MagistrateChris · Sep 21, 2007

My first time, though the wife's third. We stayed on Oahu the entire time, but it was simply amazing. As I told my wife, this was the first trip I'd ever taken that truly lived up to the hype. The island was beautiful, the water amazing. Pearl Harbor was as emotionally powerful as I expected. I almost felt the weight of the location as soon as we stepped out of the rental car and started walking towards the musuem. I had a lump in my throat almost from the moment I walked through the door. The nice thing was the balance that the Missouri (and the Bowfin) brought. You see the tragedy of the Arizona, but then see how the men (and women) of America fought back and won. I had thoughts of my grandfather, and how he must have felt passing through Hawaii on his way to the South Pacific, where he was crew on a landing craft.

SamMarlowPI · Sep 22, 2007

Truly amazing...i predict ill have a similar reaction when i visit one of these days...one my future projects is to find a frame and fit the following into it:

imoldfashioned · Sep 22, 2007

Great pictures MagistrateChris, thanks for sharing them. I especially liked the contrast between the lovely Deco era hotel and the glass block behind it. Your picture of the silhouetted palm trees was very evocotive too.

Terrific newspaper Sam_Marlow_PI, you should surely get it framed.

Kifaru · Dec 4, 2008

Asa Navy sailor, I've been to Pearl Harbor many, many times and it's still one of my favorite places. If you ever get a chance, take a walk down Admiral's Row. That is the "Officer Only" avenue with the big houses for admirals. Really cool.

On my first trip out the the USS ARIZONA I had the privilidge of riding with a PH vet and a Japanese pilot who had participated in the attack but had been shot down and became a POW. The Navy vet had pulled a Japanese water canteen of the harbor which still had the handprint of the pilot where he had crushed it.

The two old men, brothers in arms, once for thier own nations and now in each others, rode together with us to the battleship. Arm in arm, they tossed flowers in memory of fallen comrades and shared a drink of water from the old battered canteen.

Not a dry eye in the place, heck, not one now...

Hondo · Dec 4, 2008

Seems like years ago I saw the Mighty MO when she was in Bremerton, Washington (State) before being moved to Hawaii, Pearl Harbor. Unfortunately didn’t have a camera then so many thanks for sharing, walking her deck was awesome, isn’t she a beauty? after all these years, Thanks!

p51 · Dec 5, 2008

My wife and I took a Hawaii cruise in 2003, and I had only one demand that wasn't negotiable, to go to the Arizona memorial. Of all the places I've been, only three places have ever made me feel chills from just standing there; The Alamo; The Anne Frank House in Amsterdam; and the USS Arizona. But when we were there, there was a group of very young Japanese tourists, and they treated the place like a trip to the mall. Lots of loud talking and laughing. Lots of glaring from many of us, and my wife VERY much wanted to tell them to stick a cork in it. I told her to let it be, and let them be the jerks. If she'd said something, they wouldn't have gotten it, and to them, SHE would have been the jerk. Ignorance knows no national barriers, to be sure. :eusa_doh:
In addition to the Arizona, we got to see the Mighty Mo, as we'd bought a bus tour that took us to Pearl, then the Punchbowl cemetery. It cost a little more, but it was worth not dealing with the hassle. The Missouri was really neat, but our tour guide really didn't know much about what he was talking about. It was really something to stand up at the front of the Mighty Mo, looking at the oil slick from the Arizona passing around us on it's way out to sea. I also managed to hop around back of the men's room at the visitor center on Ford Island and dig out a rock. Shhhh, nobody's supposed to know about that, but it's since joined my collection which includes a bullet from Gettysburg, a shell fuse from Ypres, and beach sand from both Normandy and Tarawa.
Of course, the "Museum of the Pacific War" was just a dream then and the hangars on the island were empty then.

carter · Dec 5, 2008

Four trips and it never ceases to bring me to tears. May they Rest in Peace.

MrBern · Dec 9, 2008

MagistrateChris said:
My first time, though the wife's third. We stayed on Oahu the entire time, but it was simply amazing. As I told my wife, this was the first trip I'd ever taken that truly lived up to the hype. The island was beautiful, the water amazing. Pearl Harbor was as emotionally powerful as I expected. I almost felt the weight of the location as soon as we stepped out of the rental car and started walking towards the musuem. I had a lump in my throat almost from the moment I walked through the door. The nice thing was the balance that the Missouri (and the Bowfin) brought. You see the tragedy of the Arizona, but then see how the men (and women) of America fought back and won. I had thoughts of my grandfather, and how he must have felt passing through Hawaii on his way to the South Pacific, where he was crew on a landing craft.

I was there just last week.
Ive been a few times before & never tire of Hawaii.
I couldnt agree more with you, its an awesome Island w/ wonderful people. And the Punchbowl cemetery as well as the Arizona Memorial & USS Missouri are solemn locations that should not be missed.

Its a wonderful thing to see the Veterans & Dec7thSurvivors gather & share their experience. It is truly heartbreaking to see fewer of them make the long trip each year. But thats life's natural course...

KY Gentleman · Dec 9, 2008

I hope to get to this site someday to pay my respects. Thanks for the post.

Jedburgh OSS · Dec 13, 2008

I was there in 1994 myself

Of course the Missouri wasn't there yet. There are no words that can be spoken when standing on the Arizona memorial looking down into the water and at the list of the names of the sailors entombed there. Silence says it all with the utmost respect. Soon after our neighbors went there on their honeymoon and he got pretty vocal about certain other tourists, saying "Look at all these Japs!" out loud. That was just the UAW coming out of him. The Punchbowl Cemetary allowed me to see Ernie Pyle's grave which was a highlight after having been to his birthplace in Dana, Indiana.

The actual table the surrender was signed on came from the Missouri's galley with a lush green table cloth to cover it. After the ceremony the sailors took it back down below and put it back in a pile with the rest of them. When someone realized what happened they went back and tried to find it, but no one could remember which one it was. So, the table that was used for the greatest unconditional surrender was lost to history. At least the correct type of table can be used since they all looked the same.

I just picked up a book called The Pink Palace, Royal Hawaiian Waikiki by Stan Cohen who has written a number of great books on historical subjects. I also have three others by him: The Tree Army, about the CCC, Wings to the Orient, about the Pan Am flying boats, and V for Victory, about the home front.

dit dah · Dec 13, 2008

It's an amazing way to spend half a day, on one hand seeing where the war started

With all due respect that's where it started for you guys, people had been dying at the hand of the Axis powers for over 2 years before Pearl Harbour. The war started in september 1939.

The Japanese blunder cost a lot of good men their lives but ultimately helped to gain the commitment of your fine nation and it's incredible fighting forces to help win the day.

Perhaps the 7th December 1941 was actually the beginning of the end of the war, though it took a long time, and a lot of blood, to materialize?

Story · Jan 5, 2010

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BATTLESHIP_MISSOURI?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

HONOLULU (AP) -- The battleship Missouri is scheduled to return to Battleship Row in Pearl Harbor this week after three months of maintenance and preservation work.

The 887-foot "Mighty Mo" is expected to leave drydock at noon Thursday for the 2-mile return to its previous pier a few hundred yards away from the sunken battleship USS Arizona.

The Missouri underwent an $18 million renovation that included painting, stripping its hull, replacing its mooring lines with chains, and building a new enclosure for events on the fantail.

The restoration work on the 54,899-ton warship was its first since 1992.

A grand reopening is planned for Jan. 30, a day after the 66th anniversary of the ship's launch.

p51 · Jan 6, 2010

dit dah said:
With all due respect that's where it started for you guys, people had been dying at the hand of the Axis powers for over 2 years before Pearl Harbour. The war started in september 1939.

While you’re splitting hairs, the Brits were late to the party as well. Chinese people were dying at the hands of the Japanese (yes, the Axis as well) as early as 7 July, 1937.

The Arizona and Missouri

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