Arizona Memorial... Pic heavy

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,556]

  So my job has me traveling often and one of my "worksites" is Pearl Harbor. Been there maybe 15 times but never had the time or was with other folks who had already been and didn't want to go again to the Arizona Memorial. I just got home today from a 3 weeker so I had a couple Sundays off and was alone for part of the time so I went. I am so glad I did!!
  I'm not a museum guy and if I'm in one I usually breeze right thru.....but at the Arizona I spent almost 4 hours taking it all in....the movie....the boat trip...the memorial...the museum...and the grounds. They open at 7am and only have a limited number of tickets per day so I was there bright and early at 6:40am and I was still a 100 or so deep in line and when 7:00 came there were probably 400 people behind me!!. I got my ticket for the first showing of the movie which then leads directly to the boat to take you to the memorial. At the memorial the first thing you notice is the smell of oil which is still today (after 74 years) leaking slowly out of the battleship. You can see it coming up and then hitting the surface and quickly spreading out. Getting there early meant the water was calm and I could see a whole lot more than you would if the water was disturbed by waves. The feeling out at the memorial was somber and there was no loud talking, screaming kids and no one yakking on their cell phones....it was a very respectful crowd. There was a tour guide who was full of great stories about the Arizona both before and after the attack. It was interesting to learn that Elvis Presley was a huge contributor to the Arizona Memorial project!
Of course I remembered my camera...here's a few pics (and two selfies....I gotta learn to smile).
Mike............

[neil 2,410]

Amazing pictures Mike 

[CasualObserver 3,409]

Thanks Mike. Great pictures.

[rexman72 210]

thanks for  sharing

[AMC RULES 37,141]

Thanks Mike...  
always wanted to go. 

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,498]

Mike, my father was at pearl harbor on dec 7th, aboard the uss pennsylvania.  I still cant see any pictures on the site. wish I could. Problems problems

Glenn

[953 nut 56,234]

​Mike, you are right about the universal respect the monument receives, several hundred people and you could hear a pin drop. That is one of my bucket list items I had the honor of checking off last year.

Thanks for the great pictures.

[KC9KAS 4,741]

Thank you for the photos....Very fitting this Memorial Day Weekend.

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,364]

Really makes you think about the greatest generation.... I was watching the news the other day and on average we are losing about 500 WWII vets each day. 

Edited May 23, 2015 by stevebo

[muz123 1,192]

Thanks for sharing!

[wallfish 17,128]

Thanks for sharing Mike, great pics!
 

[SALTYWRIGHT 859]

THANKS MIKE. I WAS THERE IN 1952. IT HAS CHANGED A LOT.  RUSS

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,351]

That is one amazing memorial, I've been there several times even visited the bowfin, which isn't for taller guys!

[stevasaurus 22,914]

Thanks for sharing all of that Mike on this weekend where we remember.  I think we have about 25 U. S. flags flying in the front yard. 

[c-series don 9,086]

Thank you for posting this, God bless 

[RedRanger 1,468]

Thanks for posting Mike.  I was there in 2011 and took it all in.  Just amazing.  Like mentioned, the Bowfin is interesting and if you have the time, get out to see the USS Missouri and the air museum on the island.  Both are must see.  Plan another 4-6 hours to take in both.  Good to hear you had a respectful group of people with you.  Wish I could say the same for our tour.  We had a group of very distasteful Japanese tourists while on the memorial. 
I think the memorial might just be the most somber place I've ever visited.

Edited May 24, 2015 by RedRanger

[Brrly1 1,146]

Thanks for the pictures, if I go anywhere I for some reason am drawn to see the USS Arizona. Thanks

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,556]

Thanks for the pictures, if I go anywhere I for some reason am drawn to see the USS Arizona. Thanks

​You wont regret it John!
Mike....

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

Thanks for sharing, Mike. I remember the first time I was there in uniform in 1972 (yes, the Coast Guard sails around the world.) I always make a point of visiting the Memorial and the Punch Bowl every time I am in our 50th state. I find it fitting that many of the survivors aboard the USS Arizona on that day make their last wish to be buried with their shipmates. 

Edited May 26, 2015 by shallowwatersailor

[Forest Road 594]

Thanks for the photos Mike. I was there for my honeymoon in Nov 2006. As RedRanger stated I was surrounded by a bunch of noisy, rude would be an understatement. Quite honestly after living through 9/11 the Arizona memorial just didn't have the wow factor I had anticipated. The kids running around didn't help much either.

We also took a tour of the Missouri. AWESOME! @ 6'8" I didn't even contemplate the Bowfin. 

[muz123 1,192]

Hoping to go there some day.

Edited May 28, 2015 by muz123

[Brrly1 1,146]

Sparky, I don't know if you know it or not but a huge medical ship went thru the area near the Arizona an actually struck the ship and the ramp going out to the memorial. I think this happened on Tuesday.

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,556]

I didn't know it John....so to the internet I ran and your right. It musta been hit pretty solidly to move it 10 feet!
Mike.........