The Bowfin, also known as the Pearl Harbor Avenger, is a fleet attack submarine that was launched on December 7, 1942, one year to the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Having sunk 44 ships, it ranks Number 15 of the 207 subs used in World War II. It is amazing to think that so many men lived in such a minuscule space. In comparison, the Pacific Princess seems like a luxury liner with our staterooms being penthouse suites. The sub had only 36 bunks, not enough for all the crew, so the men kept "hot bunking," waking up other sailors when they came off duty so they could sleep. We kept heading aft by stepping though the hatches that were more than two-feet high, seeing the officers' dining room, the galley, the crew's mess, the bunks, the control room with it red and green Christmas-tree like lights, the engine room and the torpedoes. What seemed out of place was the calming female voice coming through our headsets telling us that "nothing was more discouraging than to fire a torpedo and have nothing go off."
Then we headed up the stairs to the after deck, which had been teak to prevent slipping but has now replaced with metal to handle the more than 250,000 visitors annually. Above the after deck is the cigarette deck with its rapid fire guns and its view of the memorial to the brave men in the silent service who are forever on eternal patrol. One out of four sailors serving on submarines in WWII never returned.
After touring the museum, we took the shuttle to Ford Island to see the USS Missouri, America's last battleship that was launched on January 29, 1944, decommissioned in the early 1990s after serving our country in three wars--WWII, Korea and the first Gulf War, and took its final journey to Pearl Harbor in 1998. It is fitting that the ship that witnessed the end of WWII stands guard over the USS Arizona, whose attack resulted in the beginning of the United States' official involvement in WWII. On September 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay, General Douglas MacArthur accepted Japan's unconditional surrender, ending the War in the Pacific. Neither President Truman nor the Emperor of Japan attended the ceremony because we were still officially at war. Even MacArthur doubted that the Japanese would really surrender that day. But at 9:04 a.m., Foreign Minister Marmoru Shigemitsu signed the document on behalf of the Emperor of Japan, and at 9:08, MacArthur signed on behalf of the President of the United States.
We stood near the plaque on the floor where the table was placed that day. Reggie, who has served as a tour guide since the Battleship Missouri Memorial opened in 1999, shook Ken's hand as a fellow Marine and told us that the table was not important until the paperwork had been put on it. The original treaties are in Washington, DC, and Tokyo but the copies were impressive. So was the quotation from Toshikazu Kasi, a member of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, "Happen what may in the future, this day on the Missouri will stand as a bright point that marks a tireless march toward an enduring peace."
The Might Mo still boasts its original teak decks that provide insulation from the sun and last a long time because termites do not seem to like teak. Standing on the deck, we marveled at the glorious weather with a light breeze, clear dark blue water, bright light blue sky and mountains as the backdrop.
Reggie told us he would love to handle any questions from us because we didn't yell at him like his officers in the Marine Corps. When he noticed that I was taking notes, he had me write down how much food was consumed on the ship daily while it was in service--240 gallons of milk, 500 gallons of coffee, 210 dozen of eggs to serve the 2,700 late-teen and early 20-year-old soldiers with limitless appetites who ate four times a day.
Our next stop on Ford Island was the Pacific Aviation Museum with its two large hangars, 37 and 79, both surviving the attack of Pearl Harbor with the bullet-pocked scars serving as badges of honor. While the hangers include a flight simulator and dozens of aircraft from WWII to today, what fascinated me the most was the large map of the islands in the South Pacific. Because many maps do not list the names of all the islands we have visited or will visit on this cruise, I was able to observe their locations in relationship to each other.
It was almost 4 p.m. when we finally hopped back on the Pearl Harbor Loop bus. We did not think that we could take the trip around the city because the schedule showed that the buses stopped running after 5 p.m. However, our hostess on the upper deck told us that when the cruise ships are in town, the Night Loop that goes to the hotels and beaches is extended to include Aloha Tower, near where the cruise ships dock. While we were unable to tour the buildings because they were closed, we viewed the outside of Iolana Palace that is the only royal palace in the United States and the Ft. DeRussy Army Museum, and drove past Waikiki Beach, very crowded, and the statue of Duke Kahanmoku who is best known as the father of modern surfing. We hopped off at the Ala Moana Shopping Center that claims to be the world's largest open shopping mall and walked to Walmart, where we spotted fellow ship passengers and purchased four $3.99 T-shirts for Ken to use in his boot-camp training program and other items that we must have.
After hopping back on the bus, we returned to the ship in time for the Folkloric Performance by Hawaiian children, who served as adorable ambassadors for their home state. It was a perfect ending to another perfect day.
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