Hello again. I’m back to share the second half of our visit to the Pearl Harbor area on Oahu. Yesterday, I spoke about our time at the World War II Valor in the Pacific Monument, including the USS Arizona Memorial. This was  a very solemn site to visit, but today’s locale is a bit more upbeat. After we finished up our time at the museum, we took a shuttle (complementary) to the Battleship Missouri Memorial and Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island. I say this is upbeat, because aboard the USS Missouri is where the Japanese signed the documents surrendering, which brought World War II to an end. Definitely a happy event!

When we arrive to the USS Missouri, we were greeted by a statue of Admiral Nimitz, who signed the surrender documents on behalf of the United States, and a band of Seabees playing Christmas music–what a treat! Before we boarded the ship for a tour, we walked out in front of the ship to enjoy views on the USS Arizona. It was a different feel to view the memorial from here, the USS Missouri, where the US found victory.

After we got our tickets, we headed on board the battleship. We enjoyed a leisurely tour on our own around the ship, taking in the various decks, wealth of knowledge on the ship’s many important tasks, and where all it had been, including a faraway locale where Lovely once worked.

We spent a couple of hours on the ship, then headed to the next spot. A shuttle took us from the USS Missouri to the Pacific Aviation Museum at Pearl Harbor. This museum was a real treat! It is nestled near the original air traffic control tower from the war, which is also seen in the movie Pearl Harbor. They let us know that though the tower looks freshly painted and new, it was in fact the original. It was painted for the film to suit the time (of course they would want it to look new for the time period). I also can only assume it is painted every so often. The museum consists of tons of old planes from various wars, as well as space shuttles. We very much enjoyed this museum, and found out that the planes are resorted by volunteers. What a huge feat to volunteer such time and knowledge to resort these treasures.

The morning was full on learning, exploration, and reflection. Even though we were so very glad we did not choose to stay on Oahu, we were so, so very happy we decided to make the journey there for the day to visit Pearl Harbor. If you ever have the opportunity to visit this area, you should grab a hold, and go! This is one of the most incredible places I have had the honor and privilege of visiting. It is my hope that anyone and everyone visit this most sacred place.

Many, many thanks to reading along with me on this journey through Pearl Harbor. I hope you have enjoyed it. Until next time!