Early Memories of a Memorial

            Growing up, I traveled to countless memorial sites and battlefields, as my dad is a sucker for Civil War and World War II history.  My parents believe that it is important to understand the past in order to succeed in the future.  Although I have been to many different monuments and memorials, it wasn't until 5th grade that I discovered a memorial that I would never forget: Pearl Harbor.  During the summer, my family and I traveled to Hawaii with all of my cousins in celebration of my grandparent’s 50^th wedding anniversary.  It was during this week of joy and excitement that we went to Pearl Harbor, a site that my family deemed necessary for my cousins and I to experience.  I will never forget visiting this memorial.  My grandfather was a general in the Army and was able to gain access to the memorial before the crowds began to arrive, so we were the only people visiting the site at the time.  I remember the eerie silence as the boat approached the memorial and the silence that remained as my family and I reflected on the innocent lives that were lost during the attacks that sparked our entrance into WWII.

                                                 (A picture of the Pearl Harbor Memorial)

The memorial, as you can see in the picture, is anchored in the middle of the harbor, directly above one of the sunken boats.  The pristine white of the structure contrasts greatly with the blue of the water and the surrounding greenery on shore.  I remember the wind blowing across my face as we approached the memorial and thinking that the memorial looked so clean and perfect out on the water.  Once in the memorial, everything is silent as it is a place for thought and peaceful reflection.  The back of the memorial displays a list of the lives lost during this attack.  My grandfather was overcome with emotion at this wall, as one of his dear friend's name was etched into the wall among the dead.  I remember running my fingers over his name and watching the emotion roll over my grandpa’s face, standing in the memorial on the harbor.  However, the detail that I will never forget is the walkways within the memorial.  As I mentioned above, the memorial is situated above one of the sunken boats, which still contains the bodies of the sailors and acts as a grave for these brave men.  The walkways of the memorial were cut out above the smokestacks of the ship and visitors can watch and reflect as gas bubbles continuously rise from the smokestack.  I strongly recall watching in awe as the rainbow tinted bubbles slowly rose to the surface from the smokestack, serving as a never ending reminder of the surprise attack that claimed many innocent lives.

                                      (Inside the Pearl Harbor Memorial)

-Megan Fricke