Pearl Harbor 80 Years Later

Remembering Pearl Harbor

This is not our typical post, but today is not a typical day either.   Today marks the 80th anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  

These pictures were taken during a visit to the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial during a cruise vacation to Hawaii. The background of this image is the oil slick which still rises to the surface of the water around the memorial. 

These images remain in my mind several years after our visit. We were so moved by our visit, we went back the next day for a second visit. 

Out of respect to the Sailors and Marines entombed below, visitors are asked to remain silent during their visit. The silence adds to the eerie atmosphere at the memorial. 

Cruise vacations to Hawaii, often start or end in Honolulu, Oahu. I would encourage you to visit the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial during your visit there. It is even more moving when you visit on or around December 7th. 

For more information about U.S.S. Arizona Memorial and today's events, see the National Park Service website.

 "December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” — Franklin Delano Roosevelt 

The attack caught America by surprise, killing 2,400 Americans, sinking 12 ships and destroying 188 aircraft -- and triggering U.S. entry into World War II. In fact, the U.S. declared war on Japan the following day when FDR made the above quote. Eighty years ago today, at precisely the moment that I started this column, the United States was drawn into World War II when Pearl Harbor was attacked. While this was before I was born, it is still a date that is impossible for me to forget.

Watch this video made by one of the two remaining survivors of Pearl Harbor.  

Louis Conter was aboard the USS Arizona when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. More than 1,170 of the ship’s crewmen died, and 2,403 total lives were lost that Sunday morning. But Conter survived, and he bravely served in the Navy until 1967 when he retired at the rank of lieutenant commander. The Knights of Columbus salutes Conter, a member of Father Nicholas Phelan Council 1875, on the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

 

Connect With Us On

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday afternoon at 4 PM Eastern for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

Remembering the War

click images to enlarge

Pou Maumahara 

Memorial Discovery Centre

Visitors can explore the stories behind photos, diaries and military collections and contribute further knowledge and information to create a legacy for future generations.

Hundreds of unique New Zealand war medals are on display, each one connected to an individual story. Explore the stories of these medals and their recipients through digital interactives.

The Discovery Centre is staffed by their very knowledgeable volunteers and space is provided for people to plug in laptops, sit down with books and soak up the rich history around them.

War Memorial

The top floor of the Museum is dedicated to the memory of fallen soldiers and included within the war memorial galleries is the spectacular World War One Hall of Memories. Nearly all the 5,325 New Zealand soldiers killed were buried overseas. Almost a third of all those killed have no known grave.

The Roll of Honour is engraved in white Sicilian marble slabs on the wall encircling the top floor. The letters have been cut into the face of the marble and inset with bronze leaf.  The spectacular stained glass lead light ceiling directly above the entrance foyer shows the Coat of Arms of all British Dominions and Colonies during the First World War.

Additional photos can be found on our Australia & New Zealand Shutterfly page


Auckland Museum



Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Connect With Us On

        

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers


Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

Michael Joseph Savage Memorial

click to enlarge images

High On a Hill - Auckland

Included in our LOCAL CONNECTIONS: CITY DRIVE & AUCKLAND MUSEUM tour was a stop at the Michael Joseph Savage Memorial which is high on a hill over Tamaki Drive.

Formal gardens, a sunken pond and graceful obelisk commemorate the resting place of one of New Zealand’s most beloved prime ministers, await visitors to this memorial. It also offers views over Auckland city, its harbour and the Hauraki Gulf.

It was a gorgeous day in Auckland when we visited this past January.  The skies were painted in shades of blue with streaks of white clouds.  The eyes were drawn to the shadow in the reflecting pool in front of the obelisk.

Michael Joseph Savage was New Zealand’s popular prime minister from the Labour party, who established social welfare back in the 1930's. These grounds surround his grave inside a historic gun bunker.  View the Auckland City Drive photo album for more images.   Our coach headed to the Auckland Museum after our visit here.

Additional photos can be found on our Australia & New Zealand Shutterfly page

Auckland City Drive
Auckland Museum



Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Connect With Us On

        

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers


Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

USMC 240th Birthday

Happy 240th Birthday

United States Marine Corps

On November 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia passed a resolution stating that "two Battalions of Marines be raised" for service as landing forces with the fleet. This resolution established the Continental Marines and marked the birth date of the United States Marine Corps.

Semper Fidelis

 

Since then, Marines have participated in all the wars of the United States, and in most cases were the first service members to fight. To date, Marines have executed more than 300 landings on foreign shores.
Today, there are more than 200,000 active-duty and reserve Marines, organized into three divisions stationed at Camp Lejeune, Camp Pendleton and Okinawa, Japan.

The images above were captured in Washington D.C. during our Regional Conference held in Virginia.   We booked the "Monuments at Night" trolley bus tour which included a stop at this memorial.

Thank you to all Marines, living and deceased, for your contributions to our safety.   Be sure to ask about military benefits when planning a vacation.  For example, many cruise lines offer special pricing or onboard credits to past and present active military personnel.

Costa Concordia Anniversary

The Costa Concordia on Italy's Giglio island on Saturday.
Maurizio Brambatti / European Pressphoto Agency (January 12, 2013)

Still Submerged ...
One Year Later

Off the coast of Giglio Island in Italy lies the submerged hull of Costa Concordia.  It is a stark reminder of the events of that fateful night in mid January when Captain Francesco Schettino did a sail-by as he had done many times before.  This time, there would be human error and other factors contributing to the disaster.

32 lives were lost and countless lives altered in a matter of a few hours.   The ship, crew, and others are now the subject of investigation and court proceedings as well as a $400M salvage operation that is behind schedule.   It appears that the wreckage won't be removed completely until this Summer.

Reliving the Tragedy

As the anniversary approaches, the media has been interviewing survivors getting their thoughts about the events of that January night.  For some, it brings tears once again as they remember lost family and friends or perhaps the ordeal that they themselves went through.

Memorial Service      
           

(More CNN Coverage of Anniversary)

Meanwhile, as Giglio prepared for a religious service Sunday to mark the anniversary, including the release of 32 airborne lanterns to mourn the dead, Costa Crociere has told survivors among the 4,200 passengers and crew to avoid the island out of respect for those who died. The company says that there would not be enough space on the island to accommodate all the survivors of the wreck.

We're sure that the company meant well by making those remarks, but it hasn't sat well with the families who are trying to deal with the tragedy one year later.

We hope that the families and friends are able to find some comfort on this one year anniversary.   Please remember the survivors and those that died in your thoughts and prayers today.

Anchor Blog Article:  Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident

Patriot Day 2012

President Proclaims Patriot Day, Day of Remembrance

By a joint resolution approved December 18, 2001 (Public Law 107-89), the Congress has designated September 11 of each year as “Patriot Day,” and by Public Law 111-13, approved April 21, 2009, the Congress has requested the observance of September 11 as an annually recognized “National Day of Service and Remembrance”. President Obama officially proclaimed September 11, 2012, as Patriot Day.

In his remarks, the President said “On September 11, 2001, a bright autumn day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. Thousands of innocent men, women, and children perished when mighty towers collapsed in the heart of New York City and wreckage burned in Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon. They were family and friends, service members and first responders — and the tragedy of their loss left pain that will never fade and scars our country will never forget.”

He continued, “More than a decade later, the world we live in is forever changed. But as we mark the anniversary of September 11, we remember what remains the same: our character as a Nation, our faith in one another, and our legacy as a country strengthened by service and selflessness. ”

He called us to service, by saying “Today, as we remember the victims, their families, and the heroes who stood up during one of our country’s darkest moments, I invite all Americans to reclaim that abiding spirit of compassion by serving their communities in the days and weeks ahead. From volunteering with a faith-based organization, to collecting food and clothing for those in need, to preparing care packages for our men and women in uniform, there are many ways to bring service into our everyday lives — and each of us can do something.”

Remembering 9/11/2001

Each year we recall where we were when learning about the terrorist attacks.   We were on the inaugural voyage of Norwegian Sun, thousands of miles from home in Paris, France.   Our tour bus was filled with our fellow passengers, the majority of whom lived in New York.  The transatlantic cruise, we were on, was originally scheduled to conclude in New York but ended in Boston instead.

What was to have been a celebration of our 25th Anniversary, quickly became a very unique experience as we observed the hospitality and caring from so many people across the globe as our journey home continued.

See our article from last year, FDNY May We Never Forget, on the 10th anniversary, as we recalled our journey back to New York to visit the site of the World Trade Center attacks.  Should your cruise vacation plans include New York, we recommend spending some time at the WTC Memorial and other historic sites in the city.

Costa Concordia One Month Later

Rescue operations: Salvage and rescue operations on the Costa Concordia 

have been faced with a new obstacle after snow fell on the west coast of 

Italy at Giglio island                                                                Credit: Reuters

Costa Concordia In Memorium

May they Rest in Peace

Today in the Tuscany village of Giglio island, people gathered for a memorial service honoring the victims and missing of the Costa Concordia accident.  To date, 17 victims have been found and 15 are still unaccounted for and presumed lost.  One month later, it is fitting to pause and remember all the victims of this tragedy.

Family members, of people still missing, boarded a small boat that took them 50 meters from the stricken cruise ship, where they tossed bouquets of red roses into the sea.

Among family members at the scene of the tragedy was Susy Albertini, the mother of 5-year-old Dayana Arlotti, who was traveling with her father William, who is also missing. Kevin Rebello, the brother of a missing waiter from India, also attended, as did the families of missing French and German passengers.

One month later, they have not given up hope. "I haven't lost hope yet, anything can still happen, a miracle. He may be injured, he may have lost consciousness, anything may have happened. I still have hope, I always have hope, hope is the last thing to die," Rebello said. "I hope I will find him as soon as possible, to bring him home."

"The feeling that has always been with me during these 30 days and today is sorrow. Sorrow for those who died, for those who are missing," said the Rev. Lorenzo Pasquotti. 

On Sunday, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, and other senior officials, attended a memorial mass in Rome for the victims of last month's shipwreck of the Costa Concordia. The mass in the central Basilica of St Mary of the Angels was presided over by the secretary general of Italy's Catholic episcopal council, Bishop Mariano Crociata.

 

What should have been a happy evening January 13th for more than 4,200 people, quickly turned to sadness as the ship sailed by in salute to the people of Giglio and struck the rocky coastline.  It began to fill with water from the gash torn into the hull.  After much confusion, the order was finally given to abandon ship.

Ongoing Updates - we continue to provide updates on significant developments

Costa Concordia Listing after Deadly Accident 

Costa Concordia Fuel Removal

The World Watched

Through the miracles of modern technology, we had a front row seat for the unfolding story of the sunken cruise liner.  Rescue workers braved the chilly Mediterranean waters and put their lives on the line to try to find missing passengers and crew.   Images and video emerged showing real-time footage of everything from passengers waiting to abandon ship, to the aftermath with all the activity in the port.

Captain Francesco Schettino, who was in command of the vessel,  has come under fire for his actions during the crisis.  Among those vivid images we saw the captain arrested and taken away by Italian authorities.   Since that time, he has been put under house arrest and has begun answering questions posed to him by the court.   He has already been "tried and convicted" in the court of public opinion and even Costa Cruises has distanced itself from him.

Hampered by Bad Weather

Search and rescue operations began once the abandoned ship order was given and continued around the clock for days.   In the middle of the second week following the accident, the weather changed, making it hazardous for rescue operations to continue.   About the same time, there  was growing concern that the fuel oil could contaminate the pristine Tuscany waters and preparation activities began to remove the fuel.  The actual start of the fuel extraction didn't occur until yesterday, nearly  a month since the tragedy.

The bad weather halted further searches for bodies. There are 15 people still unaccounted for and presumed to have perished in the accident.   Identification and notification of the remains that were recovered was difficult in most cases.  

For the families of the remaining victims, there is no closure.  It was just announced that the family of missing Minnesota couple, Gerald and Barbara Heil, plan to hold a memorial for them next weekend to celebrate their life.  

Untold Stories

There are many untold stories from the events that started a month ago today.   Over time, the truth will hopefully come out explaining what went wrong.   More importantly, measures will be put in place to prevent something like this from happening ever again.

National Geographic premiered Italian Cruise Ship Disaster: The Untold Stories  last night which weaves accounts of the tragedy from passengers, crew members and the Coast Guard and features never-before-seen video and CGI to reconstruct the ship's sinking as it happened.  An encore presentation of the documentary will be aired tonight at 10 PM Eastern.

In the days and months ahead, we will learn more about this event and the heroism that was exhibited by the various emergency responders.  In all of our lives there are historic events that stand out and are remembered.  Ask an American, who was alive at the time, where they were when President Kennedy was shot or where they were on 9/11, and they can tell you.  This too will be remembered.

Today, we pause to remember