Uss Arizona Memorial Tour By Tink on - Updated Oct 15, 2011
The USS Arizona Memorial is located in Oahu, one of the islands of Hawaii. I visited this memorial last summer. We booked a tour that included transportation to the memorial.
We were picked up at our hotel in Waikiki and taken to Ford Island where the memorial is located. Admission is free but you still have to get in line for tickets for a tour start time.
When it was our turn for the tour, we were loaded onto a boat that took us directly out to the memorial. We heard the history from the guide about that infamous day when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese on December 7, 1941.
We got off the boat and stepped onto the memorial. I was very moved by the experience of reading all the 1,177 names on the wall. I could see the ship in the water. I noticed that there were rings of oil that seemed to be coming up from the ship. I asked about this and I was told that there were 1.4 million gallons of fuel on the USS Arizona when it sank. Approximately two quarts a day still surfaces from the ship. Pearl Harbor survivors refer to the oil droplets as "Black Tears."
This was a moving and educational tour and I would highly recommend this tour for the whole family.
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Such a touching place. Every time I go there I get moved and feel the sorrow of all the lost. Everyone should see this at some point in their lives.
My husband and I visited the memorial when we were stationed at Schofield. It was so emotional for me (my grandfather was there during the attack) that I was only able to go once.
I'm surprised the ship's still leaking oil. Great tidbit!
Sounds like a very educational and moving memorial!
I've wanted to go all my life. I'm glad you did. Thanks for sharing! Good write
Wish they would tell the truth about what really started the war though