Pearl Harbor hosts the book ends of World War II:
- The USS Arizona Memorial, whose water grave marked the US's entry on December 7, 1941, http://www.nps.gov/valr/
- The USS Missouri, nick-named the Mighty Mo, whose decks hosted the formal surrender of the Japanese on September 2, 1945, http://www.ussmissouri.com/
My children and I attended the 65th Anniversary Ceremony of the End of World War II on board Mighty Mo. My husband sang with the Sounds of Aloha - a Barbershop Harmony Chorus - throughout the program. Above is their photo on http://www.soundsofaloha.org/.
I was teary eyed from the moment I stepped aboard the hallowed deck where thousands of sailors scrambled to view the historic signing between General Douglas MacArthur and the Japanese emissaries.
The ceremony included remarks from
- US Senator from Hawaii, Daniel K Inouye, a decorated WWII veteran
- US Secretary of Veteran Affairs, Retired Army General Eric K. Shinseki, a decorated Vietnam veteran
and a portion of the speech from General MacArthur,
"It is my earnest hope, and indeed the hope of all mankind, that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past -- a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance and justice."
During the NBC Evening News, I watched the video of Frank Borrell attending the ceremony today. He is one of the last living sailors who witnessed Japan's surrender on board the USS Missouri:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38983127
At the end of the video, Frank visits the USS Arizona Memorial to pay his respects to relatives who remain entombed in the water below. As Secretary Shinseki noted, war is not victorious when you consider the carnage to preserve freedom.
But we do celebrate our freedom and I share a video link of US sailors celebrating V-J Day in Honolulu on August 14, 1945
http://vimeo.com/5645171
Mahalo, Mary Jo Putney, for sending the link to me!
To honor the Mighty Mo, I am offering to mail any reader (US or international) a postcard from Pearl Harbor. Send your mailing address to sos.america@yahoo.com and tell me if you prefer a vintage or modern photo of Mighty Mo.
Join me on Monday, September 6, for a surprise book giveaway!
Happy reading!
Kim in Hawaii
SOS Military Liaison
Hi Kim. Thanks for the post! I just watched a really great documentary on the USS Indianapolis, and I can't get those images out of my head. Maybe one day mankind will get its act together and figure out how to get along. Here's hoping!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Kim. I've walked the decks of the Mighty Mo. It is amazing to feel the connection to that moment in history. A hopeful moment with the end of the war.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to get cynical from our perspective in the next century--with continued wars born of human failure to respect the dignity of fellow humans.
I'm grateful that our military still answers the call.
Mighty Mo arrived in Peral Harbor just before we left. I first toured the Arizona Memorial in 1984 and watched the film/video about the attacks and I found it moving. It frightened me too thinking about it happening again.
ReplyDeleteWe just saw a very good documentary on the Arizona the other day. What a horrific event Pearl Harbor was!
ReplyDeleteMy family and I were on Mighty Mo when it was docked in Bremerton, WA, several years ago. Even at that age, I got a feeling of the reverence of the place. It's nice to see it come full circle and wind up back at Pearl Harbor. Thank you to all the men and women who served and who currently serve!
ReplyDeleteHi Kim,
ReplyDeleteI was fortunate to be a guest on the Mighty Mo in August of 1990 when she was docked in Long Beach, CA. She had been reactivated and a friend of mine was serving on board as one of the officers in charge of the big guns. We received a special tour, and then were served brunch in the officer's mess. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to see the battleship functioning as a true working ship. Carol