Today was our Pearl Harbor day. Both my family and Kevin’s family have ties to Pearl Harbor. My maternal grandfather was a civil engineer and was employed at Pearl Harbor in 1941. Kevin’s grandfather was in the navy during that time and although he was home on leave, his ship was stationed at Pearl Harbor during the attack. So in addition to the overall historical importance of the site to us as red blooded Americans, our family history ties us to the site as well. I’ve visited in the past, but as this is Kevin’s first trip to the island, he hasn’t had the opportunity to visit until today.
Visiting the Arizona Memorial is a solemn affair, and the guide who gave us our little orientation before we boarded the ferry was great at conveying that. He very clearly stated that this is not a tourist attraction but is a military cemetery and deserves to be treated with solemnity and honor. I always feel that seriousness when there, as I believe most people do, but I was grateful for the reminder. I don’t know that I have much more to say other than that being there on the memorial filled me with an immense feeling of gratitude for all those who have fought and sacrificed, and those who continue to do so, in order to preserve the freedom of this country. They have allowed me to live my day-to-day life in safety and without fear.
Our second stop of the day was to ride the shuttle over to the airplane museum on Ford Island. It is still an active military base so there are security measures to be followed, hence the shuttle taking us rather than individual vehicles being allowed to drive onto the base. Kevin and I were both first timers for this stop and while I don’t have the same interest in airplanes as most of my boys do, it was another reminder of the cost of freedom in WW II. While most of the destruction of the December 7 attack was repaired, there are still bullet holes in the windows of some of the hangars. They were left as a reminder instead of being replaced after the war.
The museum itself includes a Japanese zero which is a plane Kevin has never seen in person before, so he was excited about that. I think the most interesting thing I learned was that Asian American PILOTS carried what is called a “blood chit.” Basically, that is a document that acts as proof that they were Americans and could be trusted should they be shot down and need help from civilians. It makes perfect sense that such a thing would be needed, but it was something I had never thought about before. Again, a solemn stop for me, one that was a reminder of how very blessed I am to live where I do.
When Kevin and I were finished at Pearl Harbor, we met my parents for lunch. It was dim sum day and I was super excited about that! Unfortunately, we arrived after the lunch rush, which you might think was a good thing but in fact, was not. We got a super pushy waitress who unloaded all the lunch leftovers on us which meant the selection was minimal and none of it was fresh. We all left feeling a bit dissatisfied with our meal. Oh well. We still have plenty of days left in which we can pursue some better Chinese cuisine. Because Asian food is plentiful and easy to find around here!
