USS Arizona

Today was the first full day in Honolulu.  First, I took an early morning walk to the beach.   There were more people out st 530 am than l thought there'd be.

Waikiki in the morning

 

Princess Ka'iulani

The lei I got at the airport is on her left arm.

 



 After some oligatory tour group stuff, we went to the USS Arizona Memorial.  It's officially called the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Park.  I've been to a few military memorials--they're all pretty solemn places, but this seemed pretty powerful to me.  Maybe it's because you were so close to the ships where they perished.  Hawaiians are pretty spiritual too, so maybe it's the way they presented it and told the stories.

 

Part of the USS Arizona

 

Names in the memorial

 

The memorial from the shore

 

Did you know:  Twenty-three sets of brothers died aboard the USS Arizona.  US officials attempted to discourage family members serving on the same ship after Pearl Harbor.