Valor in the Pacific and Submarine Museum

Between the USS Arizona Memorial and the USS Bowfin the Submarine Museum are various static displays. When you first enter the park, you will start off by seeing various types of torpedoes  and missiles. The picture above is of Regulus 1, a Ship/submarine launched nuclear cruise missile built back in the 50's. Some of the designs at the park might actually surprise you. For instance, did you know they had a nuclear torpedo? Sounds like a great idea if you want to kill the enemy and commit suicide at the same time right? Needless to say, they were rarely used and were discontinued. You will also see the very first submarine launched ballistic missiles.

Now as was mentioned back in the post of the USS Bowfin, You will be unable to go up inside the actual operations center of the sub, but there is a cutaway version that you can explore. This is located next to the 40MM Anti-aircraft guns and the Japanese kamikaze torpedo.

A little ways off from the torpedoes is a memorial to all 52 submarines that were lost in WWII.

Now on to the museum. Now you might think that the first submarine might have been used back in WWI, but the first submarine was actually used by confederate forces back in the American civil war. from there, submarines took off and developed over the years to become what it is today. Also in the museum, you will find mini training subs that were used to teach others how to identify friendly subs and enemy subs. Among the memorabilia are various items that submariners would take aboard to make life a little less stressful. Near the end of the museum, you will find several models of modern submarines that have made a name for themselves. As you can tell, there is a lot to do and see at the Valor in the Pacific park. The USS Missouri, USS Arizona, USS Bowfin, Pacific Aviation Museum, Submarine museum, and of course the the various static displays. Visiting all these sites in one day is literally impossible so be sure to plan, at the very least, two days to checking out his massive exhibit.

Entertainment: 4
Educational: 4
Price: 3
Cafe: 3
Gift shop: 3
Overall: 3

Additional Information

Address: 1 Arizona Memorial Pkwy

Hours of Operation: Sun- Sat: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Price: See website for pricing Information

For more Information, visit: http://www.nps.gov/valr/index.htm

Hickam AFB Hotspots *MILITARY ONLY*

Pearl Harbor as you know, wasn't the only place attacked on December 7th. The nearby Ford Island, was bombed to oblivion because of the fighters on the ground that could have greatly reduced the casualties had they gotten into the air. Hickam AFB, then known as Hickam Field, also suffered a great number of casualties. The barracks were probably the worst hit. The battle damage can still be seen today through out various parts of the base.

The airmen, inside the barracks were trapped while bullets were literally going through the walls. those lucky enough to survive grabbed guns and ammo and fought literally in their undergarments. Those wounded were transported to the hospital, which is still in use today. There is a plaque in front of the entrance telling of the horrors that awaited them on the steps of the hospital as hundreds poured in from Hickam Field and the battleships.

Right across from the hospital is a static display of an RB-26 Invader and a memorial dedicated to those who made the ultimate sacrifice at Pearl Harbor and members of the 11th Bombardment Group who lost their lives in the Pacific Theater.

Also on the base is what is called the Freedom Tower. It is basically a water tower that was built before WWII but has since been dedicated to those who serve in both past, present, and future.

The last place I visited was at the Officers club. There is a memorial there depicting four F-22s in a missing man formation. For those who don't know, The Missing Man Formation is a flying formation in honor of those who were lost. It is a four ship formation, and the middle plane takes to the skies, symbolizing the heaven bound journey the fallen make.

There are other locations which I was not able to see. But if you wish to see if there is a tour available for certain hotspots at Hickam, check out ITT to see if they have any.

Pacific Aviation Museum (Ford Island Hotspots)

What do The Doolittle Raid, Battle of Midway, and The Attack on Pearl Harbor all have in common? They all involved warbirds, which is exactly what you will find here at the Pacific Aviation Museum. Now, upon coming to the museum, you will come across a familiar control tower...that is if you're a movie buff. I'll give you a hint, since it's based in Hawaii, Pearl Harbor to be exact, it was featured in an epic movie featuring Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, and the gorgeous Kate Beckinsale. If you said Pearl Harbor you would be correct. This control tower is not only the original control tower that helped guide planes to and from Ford Island, it is also a movie star.

There are two parts of this museum; the first part has just a handful of planes and the stories that go with them; the cafe, and flight simulators. The other part has a larger number of planes, in a hanger that still has bullet holes in the doors. For the first part, you will come across a replica of the infamous Japanese zero, and the P-40 that managed to get up in the air to fight off the outnumbering attackers. Next to the zero is the B-25 Mitchell, made famous by Col. Jimmy Doolittle and his raiders in the bombing of Tokyo.

In the aftermath portion of this exhibit, journey far into the Pacific towards the Island of Midway where you will find a couple of maintainers fixing up a Hellcat, and a SBD Dauntless diving in for the kill.  If your brave enough, hop into the cockpit of one of the flight simulators to fight off Japanese fighters.

If you have the urge to grab a bite to eat, visit the Laniakea Cafe, which is themed back to the time period. They have burgers and fries, salads, and even Mahi Mahi. They even serve alcohol. Just don't climb into the pilots seat afterwards. Now, on to the second part, the bullet hole riddled hanger. When I was there, they were still developing this part of the tour, but were allowing visitors to come inside for a peek. Unlike the first part of the museum, the hanger has several different kinds of planes throughout the years. One of them is the deadly F-15 Eagle. They also have an F-86 Saber and Mig-15 locked in combat.

Be sure to visit the gift shop before you leave for some souvenirs, such as a bullet pen, models, books, films, etc. The Pacific Aviation Museum will take you up into the very bullet ridden skies of hell as American and Japanese Air Forces evade and engage each other in the Last Great War.

Entertainment: 4
Educational :3
Price: 3
Cafe: 4
Giftshop: 4
Overall: 4

Additional Information

Address
319 Lexington Blvd #37, Honolulu HI

Hours of Operation
Sun. - Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day

Prices
Adult: $20
Child: $10
Flight Sims: $10
Children under 4: free
Military Adult: $12
Military Child: $7

For more information, visit: www.pacificaviationmuseum.org

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FORD ISLAND RUNWAY AND USS UTAH

Apart from the Museum is the Ford Island Runway and the memorial to the USS Utah, Both of which are not accessible to civilians. The Ford Island Runway is EXTREMELY hard to find unless you know where to look. The best directions I can give you is to park in the parking lot right next to the road that leads to the USS Missouri, and go across the road northwest of the parking lot in what looks to be a bare patch of land. The area is almost completely covered in grass so you have to look carefully. This is what it will look like. The numbers are still visible but just barely.  On a rather interesting note, the Ford Island Runway was used by famous female Aviator Amelia Earhart on her solo trip across the pacific.

 The USS Utah is one of two ships still in the harbor, the other being, of course, the USS Arizona. It's a rather small memorial, and the ship itself has not been kept in as quite a good condition as the Arizona. Still, its a rather quiet place to visit. Because it is not open to the public, it has no physical address. The best way I can describe how to get there is this. Once you enter Ford Island via the bridge, take the first right you see on the roundabout and follow it around until you come up to a small parking lot. That is where you will find the rusting remains of the USS Utah.

USS Missouri

The USS Missouri. Battleship, site of surrender, floating museum, and more recently, a movie star. Affectionately known as The Mighty Mo, the USS Missouri in and of itself is a jaw dropping sight. From its massive 16 inch guns that could lob a shell over 20 miles away, to its smaller 5 inch guns, Coming aboard this ship will transport you back to the explosive past of the War in the Pacific. Now there are several tours you can do, but I would highly recommend The Heart of The Missouri tour for the most detailed experience. This particular tour will take you inside one of the massive 16 inch guns, down into the engine room, and also down into what is called Broadway, where the ammunition was transported to various areas. After the tour, you are free to explore other areas not covered in the tour, such as the bridge, the observation deck, officers mess hall, even the famed site of the Japanese surrender.

One thing you will notice on the ship, is some of the more modern modifications. The USS Missouri may have gotten its fame in WWII, but it also served in Korea and Desert Storm before finally retiring as a museum ship. Two of these modifications were the installation of the HARPOON Cruise Missile launchers and the MK 15 Phalanx Anti-missile Gatling gun.

The Mighty Mo, if you take The Heart of The Missouri tour, in addition to the rest of the accessible areas of the ship will take you anywhere between 2-4 hours. There are a few locations where you can pose for a nice picture shot to put up on your facebook, Like me in the War Room.

Before you leave the area, of course you have to visit the gift shop for all kinds of trinkets. If your a history nut like I am, you might be interested in replica newspapers of the Attack on Pearl harbor, where the articles feature exact copies of stories of the attack and aftermath. Of course you can also get keychains, models, shirts, and mugs if you want the regular stuff. Before you leave the area completely, right out of the gates is a memorial to the crewmen of the USS Oklahoma. Be sure to check out this place as well.

Entertainment: 3
Educational: 4
Price: 4
Cafe: N/A
Giftshop: 4
Overall: 4
Additional Information:

Address
63 Cowpens St, Honolulu HI
NOTE: The USS Missouri is located on Ford Island which is still a military installation. You must have a military ID to get on it by yourself, otherwise you have to go through a tour group.

Hours of Operation
Sun - Sat (Sept. through May) 8 a.m. - 4 pm
Sun - Sat (June through Aug.) 8 a.m. - 5 pm
Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years

Prices
Adults (with choice of optional tour) $22
Children (4-12) $11

For additional information: http://www.ussmissouri.com/

45th Infantry Division Museum

General George S. Patton once said, "Wars may be fought with weapons but they are won by men". That is exactly what the men and women of the 45th Infantry Division (now the 45th Infantry Brigade) did in WWII and the Korean War.  But to understand the history of the 45th, we should start out with how they first started as a division. From the Indian Territory, to Anzio and Dachau, to the mountains of Afghanistan, the 45th Infantry Museum will take you through the journey of how they came to be, how they brought down the 3rd Reich, and into modern history.  Now when people think INFANTRY division, they think of a mass amount of troops dedicated to just infantry. But a division is the second largest size in terms of military organization. Each division consists of several regiments which break down further into battalions, companies, and then finally, platoons. The 45th Infantry division consisted of several battalions that were not dedicated to infantry. Some were dedicated to artillery, support, logistics, medical, etc. However,  each of these battalions form the support structure to keep the division running smoothly. Now that we have that out of the way, lets get into the history. As you enter the museum, you will first start off with the beginnings of the 45th before it was known as the 45th, all the way back into Indian Territory. Note that all items in the museum are authentic with the exception of a handful of items. From there, you will journey into the American Civil war, the Spanish American War, and then into WWI where the art of warfare became exceptionally brutal with the introduction of new weapons such as Mustard Gas. Before moving into WWII take a moment to learn about the history of the original 45th Infantry Division Emblem, the Swastika.

A lot of people might come to think of the Swastika as symbol of evil that Hitler had created for the Nazi Party. However, the Swastika was an ancient Hindu emblem meaning good luck. It wasnt until Hitler took the symbol and tilted it so that it became the evil symbol we know today. After learning this interesting fact, take a journey into the artwork of 45th Infantry Division veteran Bill Maulden. Many of his comics were funny and in some cases, close to reality. Bill Maulden was also friends with famous actor and Medal of Honor recipient Audie Murphy. Even Peanuts comic strip creator Charles Schulz paid a tribute to Bill Maulden in one of his comics, which is seen in the exhibit as well. From the cartoon strips, back to the war we go. Enter the WWII section where some fascinating Nazi memorabilia is located.  Here you will find the funeral robes of Erwin Rommel, a.k.a The Desert Fox, and a mirror from one of Hitlers lavish retreats.

From this area, see the Reaves Military Collection which include guns and ammo of every era from the Revolutionary War to today. You will see some familiar weapons that you might have seen at reenactments or on movies, and then some you might have never seen, let alone heard of. One of the rarest items is the very first Sniper rifle. It was used very briefly in The American Civil War.

A small little detour from the Reaves Collection into a area that reveals a set up of what a base camp would look like in the field, complete with medical truck and field mess hall. Close to the set up tents are various forms of artillery and vehicles, including one that was made famous in WWII and still widely used in the civilian world today...the Jeep.

Going back into the Reaves collection and past the sniper rifle, you will see guns used in the wild west, WWI, WWII, and Modern Day. In the last area of the museum, you will see the room of the 45th Infantry Medal of Honor recipients and you will travel back to WWII one last time when the 45th liberated the dreaded Dachau Concentration camp. WARNING!!! If you have a weak stomach, this part of the exhibit is probably not for you. This part of the museum shows actual pictures of Dachau when it was liberated. It shows some rather gruesome scenes and is NOT for the faint of heart.

Outside of the museum you will find many static displays of vehicles that once called the 45th home. These displays can range from the tank repair vehicle, to several ranges of artillery guns, to the mighty M-60 Battle Tank.

Before you leave, be sure to stop by the gift shop for some 45th patches, some build it yourself models, shirts, cups, and even some books. If you're a student, or an officer going through military training, stop by the library for some really good research material. Note however that unless the curator is there, you will be unable to access the library since some people have taken books from there and have yet to return them.

Entertainment: 3
Educational: 5
Price: 5
Cafe: N/A
Gift shop: 4
Overall: 4

Additional Information

Address
2145 NE 36th St. OKC OK, 73111

Hours of Operation
Closed on Mondays
Tues - Fri.: 9 AM - 4:15 PM
Sat:  10 AM - 4:15 PM
Sun: 1 PM - 4:15 PM

Price
Free (donations welcome)

For additional Information: http://45thdivisionmuseum.com/

USS Bowfin

The USS Bowfin. Nicknamed The Pearl Harbor Avenger, was commissioned on 7 December 1942, exactly one year after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This is the third ship you can visit as part of the Valor in the Pacific National Park. Its located in the same area as the USS Arizona memorial museum. The whole tour takes about an hour, mostly due to the size of the submarine. As you board the submarine, you will make your way down the first hatch, where you come across the forward torpedo tubes...though I highly doubt they were this shiny back in the day.

After the forward torpedo room, you will then make your way through the unbelievably small corridors and into the operations room, where you will find the periscope, navigation area, and quartermasters stations. You can't actually go into the top area of the operations but they do have a cutaway version back on land. From here, make your way into the crew quarters where you will find the radio room, sleeping quarters, and mess hall. If you aren't already amazed at how cramped it is inside, imagine 80 people cramped inside. Add that to the fact of being underwater for a considerable amount of time.

The next area is the engine room, which is conveniently located next to the crew quarters, where you will see the four massive diesel engines used to power the ship. The last part before you finally come up gasping for air is the rear torpedo room. Yes they did have rear torpedoes. How else could they sink a tailgating enemy destroyer? Now that your finally back in the open world, feel free to take a photo of yourself on the rear deck gun.

   The whole tour, audio device and everything will take about an hour, if that. After going through the ship you might have a better appreciation of submariners. Especially after knowing that in todays world, the average submarine can stay underwater almost indefinitely. Add the new technology like SONAR, where the slightest sound can give away your position, and things can get pretty stressful down there. Before you leave the park, there is a little cafe that serves hotdogs and hamburgers for a pretty decent price. Then of course there is the gift shop. Much like the USS Missouri, it offers the usual stuff. They do have some books and films however, so if you want some reading material for the 8 hour flight back home, be sure to grab a book or two. Apart from the USS Bowfin, is a submarine museum and a display of various missiles and torpedoes which will be covered in a later post.

Entertainment: 3
Educational: 4
Price: 4
Cafe: 2
Gift shop: 3
Overall: 3

Additional Information

Address
11 Arizona Memorial drive, Honolulu HI

Hours of Operation
Sun - Sat 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m
Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day

Prices
Adult $10
Child (4-12) $4
Children under 4 are not allowed on submarine for safety reasons

For more information, visit: www.bowfin.org        

Update to blog

Because there are some locations in the US that only military members can visit I will post these up with a DARK BLUE highlighted title. If the entire post is for military, such as on a base. I will post up a * MILITARY ONLY* title. Of course, I will post pictures up so the civilian world can see them as well. Also in regards to updates to previous blogs. I will add the word *UPDATED* to the title and then highlight the updated information to you in RED for 2 weeks so you know what has been updated so you don't miss anything. After the 2 weeks expire, The entry will return to normal.