Day 14: Honolulu - Pearl Harbor

Today was the final day of our amazing Hawaii vacation, and we devoted today to Pearl Harbor.

We visited Bowfin Submarine and USS Missouri. I tried to make reservations for Arizona Memorial, failed to secure 3 tickets fast enough before all were gone. 😔

However, the submarine and battleship tours actually took us all day since there were so much to see! It was so impressive that Bowfin sunk 44 Japanese ships! Being on this very ship felt surreal.

I didn’t know the official surrender of Japan happened on USS Missouri. Standing on the very spot of the signing ceremony made me emotional.

My mother’s family had suffered a lot during WWII in the hands of Japanese army. Her father was killed by Japanese air raid early in the war. Her mother re-married a few years later and then died. Her stepfather sent her to live with her uncle. She was abused by that family, treated like a servant. When she broke a tea cup one time, they made her kneel on the broken pieces. She still has those scars more 70 years later. The uncle then sent my mom to an orphanage, where she actually was treated better. Then just before the city was liberated by the Communist army, the adults of the orphanage fled, left the entire school of kids to fend themselves. The kids were starved for 3 days before the Communists soldiers saved them, gave them candies and food. Then new Communist government sent my mother to school, gave her proper education all the way to college, where she met my father.

War is cruel and common people suffer. I often wonder how she had survive so much sufferings and still always smiling and happy. She is the kindest and most selfless person I know (Steve is too). I don’t know why, but standing on the spot of Japan’s surrender made me miss my mother.

The final dinner in Hawaii was at a restaurant called Aloha Table. The food was absolutely amazing!! A fitting end to our trip!

We have to get up at 4 AM tomorrow to catch our flight. 😬Read more