We woke early on Thursday, October 8 to meet the van in the
hotel lobby for the Home of the
Brave Tour at 5:30 a.m. Even in the summer, it’s still very dark at that
time of the morning. Besides Len & Luanna, another couple from the Hale Koa
hotel joined us on the tour. For the next week, it felt as though we were
following each other around since we seemed to be at the same places at the
same time.
We made a couple of other stops to pick up additional passengers
before the actual tour began.
Our first stop was Fort Shafter, the
headquarters of the US Army of the Pacific. During WWII, this was the center of
Pacific Operations.
We arrived just before dawn and exited the bus just in time
to see the raising of the flag, escorted by an honor guard. In addition, the cannon
was shot in salute. What a fitting beginning to a day dedicated to the events
of December 7, 1941.
Our tour guide, Olav, was a true student of the story of the
Pearl Harbor attack. As the day progressed, he walked us through the events of
that morning. He concentrated on the stories of individual participants in the
activities, making the story personal and meaningful.
Next, we went to Pearl Harbor for the Navy tour of the USS Arizona Memorial.
We had intended to visit the memorial on this trip. Len and Lu had taken the
Home of the Brave Tour about twenty years earlier and wanted to do it again, so
we opted to go with them. It was one of the highlights of the trip.
The USS Missouri is now a museum, and we saw it from the
Navy transport on the way out to the Arizona, but we did not have time to visit
this time.
We were able to take additional notes while on the memorial
for our next Agapé Jones
mystery—the major reason for taking the tour. Visiting the memorial is always a
moving experience.
On we went to Wheeler Army
Airfield, where many aircraft were lined up for storage on the morning of
the attack. The Japanese strafed the field and destroyed most of the aircraft.
However, several pilots were able to get to planes into the air and engage in
aerial battle.
Next, we went to Schofield Barracks,
home of the 25th Infantry division, where we ate lunch. We arrived
on the day when the division celebrated its birthday, so the troops marched in
formation through the base as we watched, forming a lasting memory.
After lunch, we visited the museum and learned even more
about the location and its history.
We drove to “The Punchbowl,” the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Unfortunately, due to vandalism, tour
groups are no longer allowed to leave their vehicles to walk around the
memorial. Fortunately, we have visited the place on several previous tours
.
Our final stop was at the Home
of the Brave Brewseum. Downstairs is an amazing collection of WWII
memorabilia—including the old motorcycle shown here. Many of the items have
been donated by the families of WWII veterans.
Upstairs, the owners have a microbrewery.
Altogether, the day was educational, emotional, and moving.
I was once again reminded of the sacrifices of those, including our fathers, who
gave several years of their lives in order to assure the safety of those at
home.
I highly recommend this tour if you are ever in Honolulu.
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