Saturday, December 8, 2007

Pearl Harbor 1967

As a Navy family, we were stationed in Hawaii for 2 years. It was a wonderful tour. My 4 (at the time) children were small, and we were at the beach, or out adventuring most of the time. I took hula lessons at the Officer's Club on Ford Island. One day in December, after the kiddies were in day care on the base, I took the little ferry over to Ford Island, and then caught a shuttle bus to the O Club. At that time the island was covered with lush, tropical greenery. Somehow I got off at the wrong stop. I realized that I was in Navy housing, and it was so beautiful and dead quiet, that I just started walking. It was as though the world stood still. There weren't any people anywhere, there were no cars on the street, and no boats moving in the harbor. I thought I was in a time warp. I could see the lovely aquamarine colors of the water between the houses as I walked. I finally came to a tiny park along the water, between the houses, and suddenly there was the Arizona Monument, right before my eyes! It seemed as though I could reach out and touch it. I was stunned. Still, there was no one anywhere, and certainly not a soul at/on the monument. I sat down on a bench, and stayed a long time. After all, I had it all to myself! It was a "god treat" as my children would say.

The spell was broken when I heard the shuttle bus coming. It was not until I was back on the bus that it registered the fact that it December 7th. It was a good day!

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