We began the trip on Ford Island which is still an active military base but we had access and our expert guide. We stopped at what had been the area of the airfields first attacked on December 7 and were able to see the damage that remains from the attack. One can still see the pockmarks from Japanese aircraft fire particularly 20mm cannon in the concrete.
We also stood on the exact spot where the very famous photo of the USS Shaw exploding in drydock had been shot during the attack. You could see hospital point where the USS Nevada had been run aground to avoid sinking and blocking the channel. The bus then brought us to the Pacific Aviation Museum which has a great smaller collection of photographs and vintage airplanes. The original control tower on Ford Island also stands sentinal outside the museum.
From the museum we headed to the newest addition to the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument (the new name for the what had been previously known simply as the USS Arizona Memorial). A beautiful and touching new memorial has been added to commemorate the loss of the USS Oklahoma and the more than 400 sailors who went down with the valiant ship when she rolled over after numerous hits by torpedoes. The memorial includes single white posts with the names of each of those sailors etched upon it. 
Our next stop was the visitors center for the USS Arizona memorial and our boat ride out to the famous site. The visitor's center is currently undergoing a major redo and upgrade and the film that one usually views is currently being shown in a temporary tent facility. The film explains the history behind the memorial and helps to set the mood, however we noticed that some people were bypassing watching the film. We would view the film later in the week so we could compare it to the previous film that had run since 1981; our Ranger guide, Daniel, had helped lead the effort to create the new film. We boarded the last boat to the memorial. The memorial is run by the Park Service but the boat ride is operated by the US Navy and its personnel who serve 3 year shifts on this duty. Our full boat headed across the water of Pearl Harbor to our somber destination.
Upon disembarking, we entered the long white structure and immediately individuals began taking photos. The Memorial itself was crowded with people and was noisy much to the chagrin of many of us on the tour; it was hard to focus on the site itself, but I walked along among the people both young and old and worked to let my mind wander back to that day. All those young men, over 900, lay silently entombed forever in their ship; in this place they are immortal at least in our memories. While some may view the USS Arizona as a reminder that the nation should always be prepared to defend itself, and others may view it as a reminder that we should strive for peace, I am always reminded that in war the ultimate cost is paid by the thousands of young men and women like these who sleep forever in the waters of Pearl Harbor. This ship is both a memorial and a tomb and elicits emotions from most who visit. 
The wall containing the etched names of all those lost on the ship that Sunday morning evokes a since of solemnity and sadness. 
In addition, those crewman who survived that fateful day may request to be returned to their ship upon their deaths. Their names are listed as well and on this day there were 2 read roses here also. Ranger Daniel explained that this was a tradition started by a Japanese veteran of the war who had created a bond of friendship with a Pearl Harbor survivor and began an individual effort at reconciliation that has been embraced by some veterans. The roses had become a sign of this reconciliation and are still delivered to the site on a regularly basis per the Japanese veteran's request before his death. 
As Daniel began to explain this story to our group, many other people in this area of the memorial became silent and also listened in to the narrative. We were all moved and Daniel himself, who had worked with these veterans, became choked up as he finished his story. It was a poignant and moving moment and as I do at these memorials with lists of names, I quietly say a few of the names aloud; it is my small way of helping keep their memory alive.
The wall containing the etched names of all those lost on the ship that Sunday morning evokes a since of solemnity and sadness. 
In addition, those crewman who survived that fateful day may request to be returned to their ship upon their deaths. Their names are listed as well and on this day there were 2 read roses here also. Ranger Daniel explained that this was a tradition started by a Japanese veteran of the war who had created a bond of friendship with a Pearl Harbor survivor and began an individual effort at reconciliation that has been embraced by some veterans. The roses had become a sign of this reconciliation and are still delivered to the site on a regularly basis per the Japanese veteran's request before his death. 
As Daniel began to explain this story to our group, many other people in this area of the memorial became silent and also listened in to the narrative. We were all moved and Daniel himself, who had worked with these veterans, became choked up as he finished his story. It was a poignant and moving moment and as I do at these memorials with lists of names, I quietly say a few of the names aloud; it is my small way of helping keep their memory alive.
I walked along the memorial and gazed into the areas beneath where the hulk of the ruined ship lies on the bottom. Nearby one can see the mighty battleship USS Missouri that I would visit in a few days. 
I also noticed over on the nearby shore of Ford Island a small memorial! My interest was peaked and when I asked Professor Geoffrey White who was also leading our group, I was informed that his was one of the original memorials to the Arizona! And yes I could probably access the memorial when I visited the USS Missouri -- I now had a new adventure in my sites.
I also noticed over on the nearby shore of Ford Island a small memorial! My interest was peaked and when I asked Professor Geoffrey White who was also leading our group, I was informed that his was one of the original memorials to the Arizona! And yes I could probably access the memorial when I visited the USS Missouri -- I now had a new adventure in my sites. The Arizona site also contains the USS Bowfin submarine and the tribute to the US silent service. I found this interesting as the site is very similar in what it contains to the Groton, CT site I had just visited a few weeks past. Each of the submarines that had been lost at sea is remembered here and her crew names are listed. 
We boarded the bus and headed to our last stop at the park and a site that is not accessed by the general public as it is located on the opposite side of the island. This is the tribute to the USS Utah, a training ship, that had been lost on December 7 with the lives of 58 men. The navy had attempted to salvage the aging battleship but the task had proved diffcult and so it was decided that is should also remain at the bottom of Pearl Harbor. Parts of the ship remain visible above water and a small but fitting walkway out toward the hulk contain a memorial plaque with an eloquent quote from the Senator from Utah who had led in the dediction of the memorial. This site particularly moved me as I have for years related the sad but heroic story of Peter Tomich, an immigrant, who served in the navy and gave his life on December 7 to save as many of the men on the ship as possible by working to keep the power on. For his extreme gallantry, he received the Medal of Honor posthumously, however, there was no family to receive the award and so the state of Utah became's its keepers until just a few years ago when Tomich's distant relatives were located in his home country. 
Upon departing the Valor in the Pacific Park (and the museum store where I did have to purchase some key items LOL), we headed into downtown Honolulu and the state capitol grounds and royal palace. We were allowed a few minutes off of the bus to take photos of the famous statue of King Kamemeha. However, I knew that the capitol grounds contained the Hawaiian Korean and Vietnam memorials and had seen them as we drove up so myself and one of my workshop mates headed out in search of it. The memorial commemorates those Hawaiians who gave their life in either conflict and it is an elegant and beautiful memorial. The site appears to be a simple serpentine wall with a step design along the wall, however, as you approach you see that each of the protruding stones has the name of a fallen Hawaiian etched upon it. Many tropical flowers adorned the names. 
We made one more stop at the beautiful Pali Lookout that was the site of the famous battle that finally united the Hawaiian Islands under a single ruler. The view of the north side of the island was spectacular! And did see a gorgoues golf course below. 
This was a beautiful reminder that we were in Hawaii!! We concluded this spectacular day with a welcoming dinner at the Japanese consulate. This lovely home has been the site for the consulate for over 100 years and the current consolute and his wife are charming. When she learned I was from Texas her face lit up in a huge smile because they had previously served at the consulate in Houston and had loved their time in Texas. I also learned that they would also be going over to the neighboring island of Kauai at the end of the week for some golf -- just as I plan to do :)
Our workshop had begun with a sensory, on-site experience that brought to life all of the history and stories that so many of us knew by heart. We teemed with thoughts and images and the next day we would hear the voices that enlivened those stories as well as brought us new narratives to incorporate.
