[MAXUM]

I remember my first trip to Hawaii newly enlisted in the Navy late teens and here I am going to Hawaii, how cool is that. As we approached pearl harbor, being a newbie I was "selected" to be one of many to 'man the rails' as we pulled into port. So I put my dress whites on and step out onto the flight deck and take up a position along the edge of the deck. Now most of us sent up there were newbies, all excited to be there and had some difficulty standing there at parade rest as anticipation of beaches and babes were rattling through all our heads. As we neared the USS Arizona memorial, it caught my eye, this large white building suspended over the beautiful water, shortly before we passed it, the flight deck 1MC (loud speakers come on, captain puts us at attention. For those not directly facing the memorial, instructed to do an about face, hand salute and taps belted out as we passed by followed by utter silence for another few minutes it took to pass by. Even afterwards, not much was said, the reminder of what happened there could not have been more poignant. Later that afternoon when liberty was called, my first stop was the USS Arizona memorial. I cannot describe what it is like to see it, to be there and to experience it, but it is by far a place all Americans should visit.

Those guys were the real heros!