Day 3 - Touring the USS Arizona, USS Bowfin, USS Missouri and the USS Utah memorial site

By Ellen Outten

Clicking on any picture will enlarge it for a better view


 

Day 3 - Touring the USS Arizona, the USS Bowfin, the USS Missouri and the USS Utah memorial site.

Wayne and I had a wonderful day.   History at it's finest.   We both enjoy it.  

Hawaii is amazing.   I'm not certain if it truly is, technically, a rain forest, but from the vegetation and the on and off again rain, making the ferns and the trees so marvelously rich and green; I'm going to consider it a rain forest!

We started off early today; 7 am to be in time for our 9 am tour and boat ride out to the USS Arizona.  The movie we saw before the ride was an excellent way to understand what led up to December 7, 1941.

From there we took the boat ride out to the memorial site.  





With rain on and off during the day, rainbows were plentiful.  I caught a picture of this double rainbow, not uncommon in Hawaii.


On the boat, arriving at the USS Arizona memorial.   What a memorable day.  Solemn and serene.


This picture was meant to be.  I caught another rainbow right over the memorial site as we were arriving.




The remains of the ship are mostly underwater, but this gun turret still rising above the water line is a symbol of all that happened December 7, 1941.

Our guide on the memorial.  He had amazing stories to tell.

The Wall of Honor - the names of all the men entombed with their ship.




This is where the ashes of any survivor of the  USS Arizona, who wished to be interred with their shipmates, is brought.  Divers take the urn with their ashes down and place it in a circular barbette that once held a gun turret thereby placing the urn with their crew members.


More remains of the ship under water.  In the far distance there's a small white buoy which marks the bow of the ship.




After the tour of the USS Arizona, we toured the USS Bowfin.  Wayne qualified on a similar submarine and he was really enjoyed taking me through the submarine and explaining the details of being a submarine sailor.  I know I learned a lot more than the audio (ear bud) tour they could give us.  I got a private and better tour than anyone else!  



I caught Wayne's arm in the picture, but it's perfect for this photo as he points to the forward bowplane to explain how the ship went underwater.

We are inside the submarine looking at the six (bottom two almost recognizable) torpedo tubes.

Wayne told me that he slept in the bottom rack :).  He says he really did, but it had a little more space than the picture shows.  It's where he tells me that he learned to sleep on his back all night without moving.   Rolling over was NOT an option.

The Yeoman's office.  In honor of Wayne, I took this picture of what his office would have looked like. But he had an electric "Selectric" typewriter! 

The four aft torpedo tubes.

Another rack Wayne might have slept in.


He's pointing to a model of SSBN 732 (the USS Alaska).   Only one digit off (SSBN 731) from the USS Alabama he served on.

Onward to the USS Missouri where the signing of the unconditional surrender of Japan took place on September 2, 1945.   We were able to tour so much more of the ship than I would have thought.  We had a great guide with a lot of stories.   With nearly 2 1/2 miles of walking today, I think we walked the entire ship.   What must it be like to tour an aircraft carrier; I can't imagine.



Admiral Nimitz



The USS Missouri was the ship where the unconditional surrender of Japan was signed.

On this spot, stood the table where the surrender document was signed.



The USS Missouri's Captain's quarters.  

A replica of the Surrender Papers signed September 2, 1945.








Our last stop for the day, the USS Utah Memorial.  


This is all that is left of the USS Utah above the water line.  



We started early this morning and were dragging by the time 3 pm rolled around.   Lunch time! Finally!  I found us a Mexican restaurant (only in Hawaii would we try a Mexican restaurant).   This was what Howard and I used to call "slupper".  A cross between supper and lunch.  The food was good too.   But by 3 pm, cardboard would have tasted good too.





The end of a wonderful day!  

Tomorrow - Diamond Head and a million steps to the top of the lookout!  Onward!








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