Ford Island

Alexandra and Matthew live on Ford Island which is part of Pearl Harbor naval base. Matthew was able to get us to stay in the Navy Lodge, a hotel restricted to military and their families. It is walking distance from their house.

Pre-WWII the Navy Lodge was built as bachelor officers quarters.

It’s open air lobby has a view of the bay.

You can only get in the island as part of a tour group or with a pass. Matthew got us passes so we could stay there.

The island is encircled by a 3.8 mile walking path with points of interest.

We did the walk one morning.

The trail is marked by blue dots in the path.

The Utah Memorial with remains of the ship still in the water.

Hawaiian Star Compass was used for navigation by indigenous people.

You can still see strafing holes from the December 7 attack.

The USS Oklahoma Memorial lists the name of each sailor who died on a picket.

It is next to the battleship USS Missouri which is now a museum.

The Arizona Memorial as seen from Ford Island.

Tours to the Arizona are via boat from the main island. The museum is on the May island. It is greatly expanded and updated since we visited 15 years ago.

Disembarking at the memorial.

The memorial is built over the submerged remains of the Arizona.

It is a very solemn place because it is the resting place of 1102 of the sailors who died on the ship.

The names of the sailors are inscribed on the marble wall.

Smaller plaques list the names of survivors who chose to have their ashes interred in the Arizona with their crew mates. Note that the last 2 were interred in 2017. I wonder how many remain?

The remains of a gun turret us one of the few parts above the surface of the water. Oil can still be seen leaking from the wreckage.

Visiting here was a very moving experience for me.