On Tuesday, we visited the WWII Valor of the Pacific National Monument at Pearl Harbor. We started at the USS Missouri, which actually marked the end of the war. The surrender documents were signed on the deck of this battleship. Interestingly, this ship was mostly being built during the war. It was the last battleship ever built by the US; after, we moved into the age of aircraft carriers.
The Missouri saw duty in WWII, Korea, and Desert Storm before being decommissioned and brought to Pearl Harbor to create a full circle tour of the war.
Next, we visited the Arizona Memorial, which marks the start of the war. The memorial is well-designed and a fitting tribute.
Finally, we ended our day on the Bowfin, a submarine that saw significant use and really represented the middle of the war. This was our favorite of the tours. The sub is compact, and it is intriguing to see how much they fit in such small quarters. Most interesting fact: when launching a torpedo, the inner hatch is sealed. Then, the chamber is flooded with water to equalize pressure before ultimately launching the torpedo. Sensible and something I had never thought of before.
We spent the whole day exploring the memorial. Thank you to those who fought and sacrificed for our nation.