Honolulu + Pearl Harbor/Hawaii

February 20, 2024 Pearl Harbor

I dedicated today to remembering an event so significant that it continues to impact my life to this day: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. With this action on December 7, 1941, the USA was forced to enter World War II, which ultimately led to the surrender of Japan and Nazi Germany. The Allies made it possible for me to live the way I do, and for that I will be forever grateful.

The day started early. Shortly after 7 a.m. I was ready to go and left the ship. After a while of struggling with the Uber app refusing all of my payment options, I hailed a taxi, somewhat annoyed. The drive went quickly and about half an hour later I was at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.

I had little hope of being able to visit the memorial above the sunken USS Arizona, because apparently you wouldn't be able to get on any of the boats that shuttle between the visitor center and the memorial without a reservation made well in advance. All nonsense!

There were two rows at the boat launch: one for visitors with reservations, the other for "standby visitors". Since it wasn't even 8 a.m., the crowds in both rows were limited and I was waved through to the first boat of the day without any problems. Shortly afterwards I was at the "USS Arizona Memorial".

Even without the sailors' clues, I was aware that I was standing over the grave of hundreds of Navy personnel and took off my hat as a sign of respect for the duration of my visit while other visitors grinned and took selfies of themselves.

Since the USS Arizona sank in relatively shallow water, pieces of wreckage still stick out of the water, most notably the remains of a gun turret. Other parts of the wreck can be seen through a glass plate in the floor of the monument.

After about twenty minutes the boat arrived with new visitors and took us back to the starting point. Following the sailors' instructions, I went to "Cinema 2" to see original film footage of the attack. It must have been hell. Over 2,000 Americans and Hawaiians died. Only 55 of the attackers did not return alive.

I then visited the museum and the bookstore, where I purchased two signed books on the subject of “Pearl Harbor.”

Then I looked as much as I could at the submarine lying in the water. The price for a tour was too high for me, especially since I had only recently toured a battleship. Its sister ship, on which the Japanese signed their surrender, is also in Pearl Harbor as a museum ship.

I had arranged with the taxi driver to pick me up at 11 a.m. Unfortunately he didn't come. After fifteen minutes I called him (he had given me his business card). He didn't come himself afterwards, but at least he sent a colleague, and so I got back to the ship before 1 p.m. without any hassle.

In the evening, the singer, saxophonist and guitarist Hayden Smith delighted us with his skills.