Pearl Harbor

We flew into Oahu and stayed there a couple days before continuing on to the island of Kauai. One of the things I wanted to see while on Oahu was the Pearl Harbor Memorial. It turned out to be a great history lesson. I hadn't realized there was so much I didn't know about what happened December 7, 1941, which is really just not that long ago. The memorial itself is out on the water sitting above the USS Arizona.  It was incredible to me that there is still a visible oil sheen on the water because the fuel tanks were not destroyed. (I forgot how many gallons the park ranger said that the ship held, but he did say the estimate was that 2 gallons a day leaked into the ocean and will continue for the next 100+ years).  Here's another fact, the Japanese aerial bomb that struck the forward section of the USS Arizona ignited the forward magazine causing a catastrophic explosion that sunk the battleship in nine minutes. 

Totally worthwhile remembering this important place in American history. Have you been?

Hot day

Submarine that fought during WWII

Had to take a short ferry to the memorial, out on the water.

See the oil sheen on the water?