On Tuesday, my first full day in Hawaii, I went to see Pearl Harbor. It was a solemn trip and totally worth it.  The new visitor center and displays are well done.

This was my view as I debarked from the city bus.  It was the easiest way to get here from my hotel.

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Once I arrived at the visitor’s area, I received a ticket for the 8AM theatre presentation.

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While I waited for my presentation time, I walked around the monuments.

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I also looked at the Bowfin submarine from the outside.  The whole area was rather park like.

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This is a photo of the text from a letter sent from President Roosevelt to Emperor Hirohito of Japan on December 6th, 1941.  You can read the text here. It really struck a chord with me.

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The USS Arizona sunk in 9 minutes.  It burned for over 2 days.  After a short film, I took a Navy boat over to the memorial.

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You can see some of the ship still above the water.  Some of the ship is visible just under the water.

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The memorial is an open building that sit above the sunken ship.

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A US flag flies over the memorial.  Here’s a view from the boat as we head back to the visitor’s center area.

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I can’t imagine going to Oahu without going to Pearl Harbor.  It’s such a huge part of our history.  I’m glad that this visit was early in my trip so I could spend time enjoying some of the more positive aspects of the island.