Wow. It's hard to say anything "new" about the events of 72 years ago today--that unforgettable attack on Pearl Harbor. Amazingly, there are still survivors who come together each year to commemorate the event. Sadly, as many of them reach their 90's, these reunions get smaller and more poignant on each anniversary. We don't see much in the media unless it's a "big" anniversary, which we'll have in three years...but how many survivors will there be by then?
I remember being at Pearl Harbor in 2001, just a couple of months after 9/11 and right before the 60th anniversary. It was just about the final stop on our week-plus trip to Hawaii. We'd been to Kauai and the Big Island, so we'd flown several times during that week. Each airport was heavily secured, filled (it seemed) with military men carrying huge guns for our safety. It was alarming rather than comforting. Visiting Pearl Harbor was something we really wanted to do, although we had no idea what it would be like. Out of respect, or curiosity, or patriotism? I'm not sure, but it was important to go there.
The thing that struck me most was the quiet, no matter where you were, even in the gift shop. It was like everyone there was just overcome with the hugeness of what had happened. Most of us weren't yet born when the attack occurred, but of course we'd heard about it our whole lives. And there we were. It's just a harbor, with water and boats. But when you get on the shuttle boat out to the memorial, and you see the oil still seeping up from the wreckage below...it's overwhelming. You learn that something like 1000 victims are still on the USS Arizona, beneath where you stand. Even more moving are the veterans who volunteer there and who can remember vividly the exact moment when it all started. They're there to answer questions, but somehow it's hard to say anything except a quiet "thank you" and solemnly shake a weathered hand.
I can't imagine what that day must have been like, either for those on the ground at the harbor or for those at home hearing the news on the radio. How terrifying not to know about loved ones...how horrible to see the pictures later. (And you have to wonder, how different was it from the "war trigger" we all can remember -- the 9/11 attacks, where we watched the horrific events live on television? Of course, Pearl Harbor was a military target, unlike the World Trade Center, but there are certainly comparisons to be made.)
If you visit Hawaii, please make time to visit the memorial. It's sobering, fascinating, and hugely important. And something you won't easily forget! Now I think I'll go watch the news and see if they cover the story...
I remember being at Pearl Harbor in 2001, just a couple of months after 9/11 and right before the 60th anniversary. It was just about the final stop on our week-plus trip to Hawaii. We'd been to Kauai and the Big Island, so we'd flown several times during that week. Each airport was heavily secured, filled (it seemed) with military men carrying huge guns for our safety. It was alarming rather than comforting. Visiting Pearl Harbor was something we really wanted to do, although we had no idea what it would be like. Out of respect, or curiosity, or patriotism? I'm not sure, but it was important to go there.
The thing that struck me most was the quiet, no matter where you were, even in the gift shop. It was like everyone there was just overcome with the hugeness of what had happened. Most of us weren't yet born when the attack occurred, but of course we'd heard about it our whole lives. And there we were. It's just a harbor, with water and boats. But when you get on the shuttle boat out to the memorial, and you see the oil still seeping up from the wreckage below...it's overwhelming. You learn that something like 1000 victims are still on the USS Arizona, beneath where you stand. Even more moving are the veterans who volunteer there and who can remember vividly the exact moment when it all started. They're there to answer questions, but somehow it's hard to say anything except a quiet "thank you" and solemnly shake a weathered hand.
I can't imagine what that day must have been like, either for those on the ground at the harbor or for those at home hearing the news on the radio. How terrifying not to know about loved ones...how horrible to see the pictures later. (And you have to wonder, how different was it from the "war trigger" we all can remember -- the 9/11 attacks, where we watched the horrific events live on television? Of course, Pearl Harbor was a military target, unlike the World Trade Center, but there are certainly comparisons to be made.)
If you visit Hawaii, please make time to visit the memorial. It's sobering, fascinating, and hugely important. And something you won't easily forget! Now I think I'll go watch the news and see if they cover the story...
This is one of the most-seen pictures from the attack. At the site, it's available on postcards.
