USS Missouri and USS Utah

USS Missouri

After visiting the USS Arizona we went to Ford Island and viewed the USS Missouri.

For those of you that don't remember this is the ship that the Declaration of Surrender was signed on

ending World War II and was also active during Operation Desert Storm. 

This is the view from the USS Missouri Memorial entrance looking towards the USS Arizona Memorial.  Notice the lighter streak in the water from the USS Arizona Memorial to the USS Missouri this is the oil slick caused by the oil seeping out of the USS Arizona. 

View lookng towards the back of the ship.  You can see six of nine turrets. 

USS Utah

After viewing the USS Missouri we headed to the other side of Ford Island and visited the USS Utah Memorial.  In the picture below is the walkway out to view the Memorial. 

 

Mike viewing the Memorial.

The Memorial is on your right..but I couldn't resist taking a pciture

of the view is was gorgeous out here today!

I know this is not a part of the Memorial, but this flower was gorgeous. 

I believe it is called "The Bird of Paradise".

Pearl Harbor Memorial

Pearl Harbor Memorial

We had a wonderful day going through the Pearl Harbor Memorial for the USS Arizona.  It was a very sombering moment to look down at this ship in the water and know that so many Soldiers and Marines lost their lives in this ship, and to see the oil still seeping out of the tanks is profound.

On one end of the Memorial they have a marble wall etched with all the Sailors and Marines that died this day.

You could look down through an area of the floor and see the ship below.

Here is a picture that I took of the oil seeping out of the ship. 

This is a picture of what is left of one of the turrets. 

Here is the anchor of the USS Arizona.

Just a picture of Mike and the kids on the boat shuttle heading to the Memorial. 

Waikiki Beach

Waikiki Beach...

need I say more. 

We headed downtown to go to Waikiki Beach and the walk to the beach was beautiful.  We stopped along the way and took our pictures.  Then continued on....

We are almost to our destination..... the excitement is building!

Finally Waikiki Beach. 

We walked out onto the beach area.

Then we walked out onto the rock wall that extends from the beach area... beautiful.

We continued walking on the beach.... 

One thing we noticed is that there are no shell pieces in the sand.... the sand was very soft. 

I thought this was a neat.. a beached catamaran waiting for it's next load of passengers. 

Aloha from Hawaii

ALOHA from Hawaii!!

Today we went to Bellows AFB on the North side of the island to go to the beach. 

 It was an absolutely beautiful drive.

Here are a couple of pictures from our time on the beach. 

Enjoy!!

Mike and the kids digging in the sand....

and the water washing away there holes...

Not to mention that that water is cold.

Hawaiian Trees

Checkout some of the trees that grow over here. The one outside my room is something of a magnolia tree I think. It's the first few pics. The last two I'm not too sure about, but it sure is big.

This one had some crazy pods growing from it that I'm not too sure about either.  It was cool looking though.

Hawaii Rainbow

I got the chance to wake up to this earlier this week.  It's the first one I've ever seen that ended next to some buildings.  Enjoy.

Also, this is the view I get to wake up to each morning.  Don't be too jealous, I have to climb the stairs to get here about three or four times a day (100 steps).

Hibiscus

Just thought I post a few pictures of the National Flower of Hawaii since I'm here.

The first is actually of a Hibiscus at my Mom's house in Texas.  The others are from around the Tripler Hospital where I'm stationed now.

I've also seen a few cool looking birds around here too.  The first time I saw these I thought they were Woodpeckers.  It kind of looks like it was "date night" for these two couples.