My mom received a letter on December 5th from a friend of hers from high school who was serving in Hawaii. The letter was full of assurances about how safe he was. One sentence pointed out that a butterfly could not flap its wings within 50 miles of PH and not show up on radar. I’ve seen that quote in other places, so it must have been the standard one floating around out there in early December. I’ve spent right much time driving ships in and out of PH. An amazing natural harbor.
A friend of mine has a degree from the University of Hawaii. He has never been to Hawaii but the cooking school he went to in Louisiana was somehow affiliated with UH.
One of my uncles was a USMA graduate and was serving in Hawaii on December 7. Below is a letter he wrote to my grandparents after. He later formed an artillery battalion and fought in Europe. He was on the Rhine when he was killed on December 24 1944 he wrote a letter home the night before he was killed. It’s as moving as any I’ve read.
Condolences on the loss of your uncle. Another member of our greatest generation who made the ultimate sacrifice serving his country. My Dad served in Patton's 3rd Army. He didn't talk about it much until I returned from a years tour in Nam.
Well I promise you that while the memorial is worth seeing, Hawaii is a wonderful place to go. Really some of the most beautiful scenery you can find anywhere. Stay away from Waikiki but everywhere else is well worth it
Haleiwa is the best place to go if you are on Oahu. Breaks are different enough to satisfy beginners to pros. And strangely enough, food trucks are a serious business. You can go to some and wait in line for a loooong time. This dude is very successful. https://datcajunguy.com/ My favorite island is Maui. Kauai is nice but small and tons of rain. Maui has just about everything. The sunrise bike ride down Haleakala crater is fantastic. Kihei has probably the best collection of beaches. Great views and awesome snorkeling/SCUBA. Honestly, outside of the Memorial, it's best to avoid the typical touristy spots. No Waikiki, no Polynesian Cultural Center, no Hanauma Bay, no chain restaurants. Hiking is highly recommended. Locals don't like haoles so if you go off the tourist path, be watchful and respectful. But in terms of US bucket lists for visiting, Hawaii would make my top 5 every time.
I almost got divorced on my honeymoon in Hawaii. I wanted to see the volcano flow on Kona and my wife didn't care too. It had signs saying have good shoes and plenty of water and of coarse I had neither. Took off on my journey with flip flops and no water. After 1.5 hours of climbing up and down rocks and lava no where in sight. Feet feeling heat and thirsty I saw people walking back I asked how much farther. They said oh only another thirty minutes. I did the math and that meant my wife would be on picnic table over 4 hours. No water and no concession stand and no cover from heat. I begrudgingly turned around and as it was over 3 hours and I didn't get to see lava. When I got back to table I saw more steam than what I would have. She had been crying and called me some names I wont repeat here and she doesn't cuss.. Then 45 minute ride back to where we were staying without a word. Luckily I was romantic back then and woke her up at 3:30 am to take a moonlit drive along beach and look at stars as we had gotten a car with retractable roof. I tease her about it still and it still isn't real funny to her. We didn't get to see Honolulu so I want to go to pearl harbor at some point and pay respects. I have been to many retired and old Navy vessels. USS Yorktown, USS Alabama, USS Iowa, USS Hornet. USS Midway A Destroyer and Submarine at sight of Yorktown. No way I would have served on a WWII sub. If you get the chance go to the USS Yorktown It has the Medal Of Honor Museum. The USS Hornet is neat if you get to San Francisco. It is in Alameda at the old Naval station.
