Dateline April 1, 2011 Oahu, Pearl Harbor

Eleanor Roosevelt’s Wartime Prayer

This prayer is etched in the circle of remembrance overlooking the Arizona and the other berths along Battleship Row. So appropriate during World War Two and again today for those wonderful Citizen Soldiers that live and die for our protection around the world.

Most of us were not alive on December 7, 1941 but our parents and grandparents remember it like it was yesterday. The “Greatest Generation” began to put its mark on our country and the world as a whole.

Today we visited Pearl Harbor, it was an unbelievable experience.The generations of those visiting spread from small children to our special senior citizens that remember that day so well. Hearing a young boy tell his father that we won, brought a smile to our faces. There was a 25 minute video that was shown, Hollywood can make all the films about Pearl Harbor, but the live shots that were put together told a story that was spellbinding. We then boarded a US Navy launch for the trip out to the Arizona Monument. Seeing all the mooring

with the ships names where they were tied that day bought the video to life.

So many died and so many heroes left peacetime for war when the attack began.

Arriving at the Arizona memorial we were in awe as you looked down in the water at this 600+ foot battleship on the floor of Pearl Harbor.

Dive bombers made a direct hit and the ammunition exploded instantly killing the majority of the crew who are buried within the ship. There are still small amounts of oil escaping from the ship.

The names of all the sailors that died are on the end wall of the memorial. In front of the wall is another memorial to those that survived and asked to be interned with their shipmates of December 7, 1941. This devotion to those that died that day bought up tremendous emotions of respect followed by a silent prayer and thanks for those noble people.

All ships at anchor in Pearl Harbor face the opening of the harbor. There is only one exception, the Missouri that forever faces into the harbor directly at the Arizona watching over the ship and the sailors under the harbor.