USS Missouri

USS Missouri

Today we traveled to the USS Missouri - a battleship built near the end of the second world war and currently on display at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.  I have wanted to see this ship for a very long time, partly because I like ships of this type and era but also because of its fame.  I was not disappointed.
We were fortunate because there was not a large group of visitors present; we were able to move easily about the ship and I could photograph with few tourists congesting the view.  As I traveled about I was overcome with emotion; my throat chocked up and my eyes became very watery.  I guess I was overwhelmed by the history, the symbolism, and the immensity of where I was and what I was seeing.
One of my favourite photos is from the bridge where, in the near distance, you can see the memorial for the USS Arizona.  Over 1000 sailors still entombed there, her turret wells just beneath the surface of the water.  The Missouri itself suffered from one Kami Kazi attack.  What I loved in this though was how the WWII sailors treated the remains of the pilot.  His body was given a proper burial at sea with respect given to the life he gave.  There was no hate.  An astonishing ship, an astonishing legacy, with a lot of wonderful stories.  You owe it to yourself to visit.