A visit to Pearl Harbor

[philp]

Club VP Pat Gilmore got an early Christmas present from his wife, a trip to Pearl Harbor on the 65th anniversary of the attack (course, they had plenty of Skymiles).

Pat enjoyed the trip and not only got to see the sites but also visit with some of the survivors of that day, from both sides.

The pics are posted in our Gallery.
Pearl Harbor
Pat provided comments on some of them so make sure you click on the pics if you visit.

Here are a couple of teasers.

[B777LR]

uhhh goodie! That tower in the first pictures, is that the one used in the film? You know, when that P-40 passes, and gunners in tower shoot at the chasing zero?

[BlackOps]

We lived in Hawaii for seven years and mom used to work in the Arizona memorial gift shop. I don't remember the model of the Arizona being that bright, wonder if they painted it or if it's just the photo's color is tweaked. This brings back lots of memories

[datguy]

We lived in Hawaii for seven years and mom used to work in the Arizona memorial gift shop. I don't remember the model of the Arizona being that bright, wonder if they painted it or if it's just the photo's color is tweaked. This brings back lots of memories

The Arizona model is in updated colors based on a newly discovered paint memo.  Story available at http://starbulletin.com/2006/12/07/news/story04.html

DG

[philp]

Yep,
This model is in the "correct" colors.  Guess that means if you did an Arizona in grey, it is now a Whiff.  

Not sure if the tower in "that" movie was the original or not.

[Matt Wiser]

Stay way the hell away from "that" movie. If you want to see an accurate depiction of not only the attack, but the events leading up to the attack (code-breaking, Yamamoto's fight to make the attack, the attitudes of Admrial Kimmel and General Short, and a realistic depiction of the attack, especially the exploits of Ken Taylor and George Welch in their P-40s, see Tora!Tora!Tora! instead. Jerry Bruckhiemer and Michael Bay got lots of things wrong, and very little right in "that" movie. IF they had listened to the historical consultants and military advisers, and cut out that romance story, it would've been a decent war movie. Navy Times had a piece after it came out listing a dozen things they got wrong. Tora got an Oscar for Best SFX in 1970, but lost to Patton for Best Picture.  

[monkeyhanger]

What a place to visit. I've never been anywhere like that. I would love to visit the preserved battle fields in France and Belgium (my great Uncles fought in World Was 1). A pal of mine has been diving in Scapa Flow.

There were some brave actions that day. I remember reading about someone who manned the turret of a bomber on the ground and blasted away at the attacking aircraft. Brave or foolish?

[B777LR]

I remember reading about someone who manned the turret of a bomber on the ground and blasted away at the attacking aircraft.

I heard a similar story from somewhere in northern australia. It was when australian refugees escaping from the japanese. They escaped in sunderlands and Dornier flying boats, but when lying off northern australia, japanese zeroes attacked, and killed many refugees. One of them also manned a tower in one of the dorniers.

[Matt Wiser]

There were two aimen at Hickam Field who did just that: one supply clerk climbed into the nose of a B-18 Bolo and fired away with the .30 cal. A strafing Zero set the plane on fire, and the man kept firing until the plane burned completely. No one knows if he ever got out. And in the second wave, a Sgt. climbed into the top turret of a B-17 and fired away with the two .50s. He must've hit something, because another Sgt. was loading A-20s with bombs at the time, and saw two Vals (strafing the base after hitting ships at Pearl) crash into a nearby hill after overflying that B-17. (From Gordon W. Prange's December 7th, 1941: The Day the Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor)

[NARSES2]

What a place to visit. I've never been anywhere like that. I would love to visit the preserved battle fields in France and Belgium (my great Uncles fought in World Was 1). A pal of mine has been diving in Scapa Flow.

I've been to Pearl harbour on a few occaisions and standing on the Arizona Memorial is certainly moving even for a Brit - for the US Citizens amongst us even more so. To me it's the oil still leaking from the tanks which for some reason hits the spot  

As for the WWI Battlefields - then please do go, you'll find them both moving and inspiring. I went to Ypres again a year or so ago (posted a load of pics if I remember) and am going back next year to the Somme. There's one Comonwealth Cemetary at Ypres where there are bullet marks on the gravestones. These come from when British troops were conducting a fighting retreat through the area in 1940, can you imagine what that must have done to both sides pshycology ?  

One thing to note is that even women and children find something there to "inspire" them. The women in particular look at the graves of all these "children" who could of been their's and the kids look at graves of teenagers younger then themselves in some cases. So if your'e going and you have them, take the family. Can't recomend Ypres enough, easy to get to, good hotels, tremendous restrauants, great tour arrangements and enough history from the 1300's to keep any buff happy

Chris

Chris

[Dork the kit slayer]

Im thinking the colour on that preserved "Zero" is going to stir things up a bit....certainly amongst the  non wifers.