We had a very good breakfast at Denny's which is directly across the street from the hotel at which we were staying.

We then boarded a bus for the tour we were taking. The tour took us to the WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument at Pearl Harbor which included a visit to the Arizona Memorial. We than had a tour of Honolulu.

The WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument has a multi-faceted display of the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese on December 7, 1941. The display emphasizes the success of the attack was due to the Japanese planning it well and the U.S. military leaders belief that Japan was not strong enough to dare attack the U.S.A.

The Remembrance Circle exhibit pays tribute to the men, women, and children, both military and civilian, who were killed as a result of the attack on December 7, 1941. Medal of Honor recipients are noted with their names listed in gold lettering, and a bronze 3D map of Oahu illustrates the various attack targets of that day. There are plaques with comments made by survivors of the attack and other prominent people. The plaque that struck Ernie the most was a poem by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Dear Lord
  Lest I Continue
  My complacent way
Help me to remember
  Somehow out there
  A man died for me today
As long as there be war
  I then must
  Ask and Answer
  Am I worth dying for?

The Arizona Memorial can only be visited by the park boats assigned to bring visitors to it. Visitors need to get timed tickets, which are free, then at the designated time they are brought in to view a video about the memorial, brought to the memorial on one of the designated boats, and have about 20 minutes to visit the memorial before being brought back to the park.

The Arizona Memorial spans the width of the USS Arizona where it lies at the bottom of Pearl Harbor. The boat docks at one end of the memorial. At the center are openings on each side where visitors may look down onto the hulk of the USS Arizona. At the end opposite where the boats dock is the memorial wall listing the names of everyone who perished during the attack. In front of the memorial wall is a short wall containing the names of the people who survived the attack, but decided to be buried with their shipmates on the USS Arizona.

Survivors of the attack on the USS Arizona who choose upon their death to be buried with their shipmates are given a special ceremony at the memorial. They are cremated and their ashes are placed in a sea-worthy urn. After the ceremony, a diver brings the urn down to where there is a crack in the hull that is barely wide enough to force the urn through it. The urn is pushed through the crack. The room into which the urn is placed is completely sealed off so the urn cannot drift off.

It is mentioned that the Japanese had to develop torpedoes that would work in shallow water as Pearl Harbor is only 40 feet deep. Except for the very top of a turret on the deck of the ship, the USS Arizona is completing under water. We asked the ranger at the memorial how this could be in only 40 feet of water. He told us that the weight of the ship sunk it 25 feet into the silt at the bottom of the harbor and that what structures above the main deck were not destroyed by the attack have succumbed to the sea and weather.

After the visit to the Arizona Memorial we were taken on a tour of Honolulu.

After returning from the tour, we ate lunch at Rock Island Cafe which is setup like a 1960's diner. The atmosphere is great and the food is good. We went there a few other times to view the memoribilia they have and to get ice cream. After lunch we went back to the room to rest up a little then went to supper at Cheeseburger in Paradise, which is an upscale fast food place.

After supper we went to the Society of Seven show. The Society of Seven are really good entertainers that put on a tremendous show. Though traditionally there are seven entertainers, when we saw them there were the seven regulars plus a girl who just graduated from high school. She is a great singer. According to reviews of attractions in Waikiki, the Society of Seven is repeatedly voted the "Best Show in Waikiki". We would have to agree with this assessment. (Pictures)

Last updated:   feb 11 2016