Wednesday, December 7, 2011

To The Memory Of The Gallant Men Here Entombed

The U.S.S. Arizona Memorial floats gracefully over the sunken remains of the ship for which it is named.  It is a striking visual.  Every fifteen minutes, 150 visitors are ferried across the harbor to stand on the platform.
 
Over time the memorial has suffered from the heavy traffic and the effects of time and the elements.

When you stand on the platform you are struck by the reverence with which the memorial was constructed.  It is, after all, the gravesite of 1177 men.  To this day, the ship still weeps for her dead.

The Arizona had 1.4 million gallons of fuel on board when she went down, and perhaps half a million gallons remain. About a quart and a half a day bubbles up from below. Pearl Harbor survivors call the seepage “black tears.” It’s eerie to see and, in a strange way, a seemingly tangible connection to those who lie below.

When I visited Pearl Harbor, I purchased a flag that had been flown from the memorial on September 11th.  I needn’t tell you why I feel there’s a connection between the attack on Pearl Harbor and the attack on America on September 11, 2001.

Today, about 120 survivors will join Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, military leaders and civilians to observe a moment of silence in Pearl Harbor at 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time—the moment the attack began seven decades ago.


Linked at Say Anything Blog.  Thanks.



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