Your Pearl Harbor Tour Primer

-- Pearl Harbor Tour --

You probably know the modern story of Pearl Harbor, in Oahu, Hawaii. But there’s a lot more to Pearl Harbor than the tragic attack that caused the eventual bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.

Hawaiian Roots

Long before Pearl Harbor became a US Naval Base, it was known as Wai Momi, or “Harbor of Pearl” in Hawaiian. The people of Hawaii believed that the shark goddess and her son lived in the bay, and until the 1800’s, the harbor was teeming with pearl producing oysters, hence the name.

It was only in 1887 that the US Government signed the lease for Pearl Harbor, allowing the Navy to begin setting up its naval base.

The First Attack

The Japanese’s first attack on Pearl Harbor was no surprise to the US troops, who had decoded their messages, about the attack, however, they’d failed to decipher the location in time, and when the Japanese planes, submarines and ships entered Pearl Harbor, the result was devastating.

Twenty one US warships were damaged during the attack, three of which were irreparable, and a further nine were sunk. Far worse than the damage though, was the death toll. Two thousand, three hundred and fifty people died, and a further one thousand one hundred and seventy eight were injured.

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The Unexpected..

In 1944, just three short years after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, a tank landing ship exploded at West Loch in Pearl Harbor, killing one hundred and sixty three, and injuring a further three hundred and ninety six. Six LST’s sank, and two more were severely damaged.

National Landmark

In 1964, Pearl Harbor was declared a national monument, and although it’s still a working naval base, there are tours of large parts of the harbor, and the USS Missouri, USS Utah, USS Bowfin and USS Arizona are also part of the tour, as floating museums to the Pearl Harbor attacks.

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A Strange Feeling

Learning the history of Pearl Harbor is one thing. Actually visiting the site is a little different though. It’s a strange feeling knowing you’re walking through a place where thousands of people needlessly lost their lives. It’s a little spooky too, as you wonder whether the spirits of those sailors and civilians are truly at rest, or whether they are still lingering around the harbor.

Having died so violently, no one would be surprised if they were still haunting the area. Then again, you also can’t help but think of their families, and the loss they experienced.

All in all, going on the tour of Pearl Harbor is fascinating, a little upsetting, and a really great advertisement for world peace. When you look at the beautiful Hawaiian surroundings, it’s difficult to imagine that there were so many deaths in this harbor.

This visit is well worth it, if you are going to be in Hawaii, although don’t expect to walk away untouched. So if you are hoping for historical twist to your Hawaiian holiday, go there to experience it for yourself.

You'll never forget it!

-- Pearl Harbor Tour --

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