On our second day in Oahu, we went to Pearl Harbor. We didn't want to do many "tourist" things while we were in Hawaii, but we couldn't miss the opportunity to share this with William. A lot of the visitor center had changed since John and I were there 11 years ago. The complex includes the USS Arizona, USS Missouri, USS Bowfin, as well as the Aviation Museum on Ford Island. We only toured the Arizona, but we could see the Missouri and Bowfin from the visitor center. William was quite moved by the walk through museum exhibit and the pre-ferry movie. Like most little boys, he's a big fan of army and battles. But I think the "realness" of it was a bit overwhelming. I'm glad he saw that it isn't glamorous.
Anchor with Missouri and Arizona in background
Manning the guns near the USS Bowfin
The bright white portions are what is visible above the water
Oil still coming to the surface
At the gift shop, I learned that the pattern here in the roof of the memorial, as well as several places throughout the memorial, are known as the tree of life.
