Historians have said that over 2,403 lives were lost eighty years ago in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Over 1,000 were injured. Nearby bases, shipyards, and other sites were also bombed by the Japanese in a significant and devastating offensive.
It is a very somber experience to visit the Pearl Harbor National Memorial in Oahu, Hawaii. Many ships were sunk in this harbor, with memorial markers built over their locations.
The Pearl Harbor National Memorial includes museum exhibits along the shoreline, which help explain the horrific attack, from both the American and Japanese perspectives.
Visitors can walk through the memorial straddling the U.S.S. Arizona, where there is a wall of the names of those lost on this particular ship.
There are remnants of the ships poking out of the water throughout the harbor, along with oil still leaking out. Surprisingly, wildlife has found a way to reclaim the lost ships as their own habitat.
If you are like me and studied this attack and the war in history class, but it occurred before your time, the Pearl Harbor National Memorial really brings to life the day that Pearl Harbor was attacked and the U.S. entered World War II. If you ever get to visit Oahu, I highly recommend a trip over to the memorial to pay your respects.
For more information on visiting the Pearl Harbor Memorial, click on the link below:
Pearl Harbor National Memorial
Some of my previous blogs:
Peaceful at Dawn 
Such moving words and pictures to honor the veterans of Pearl Harbor. I too have experienced this memorial and was profoundly immersed in the sacrifice by so many military so we could be free. Hawaii truly embodied the moment in time that would forever change our lives with all of the respect due to the military and their families. These pictures help us to remember how grateful we need to be to the veterans service to our country.
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Well said! I am grateful for those who sacrificed and to all of our veterans and those currently serving. ❤️💙
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