O'ahu - Hawaii - page 76

started that American anti-aircraft guns began to shoot back at the Japanese war-
planes. Twenty other US military ships were sunk or seriously damaged and 347
airplanes were destroyed during the two-hour attack.
In hindsight, there were two significant warnings prior to the attack that were
disastrously dismissed or misinterpreted. More than an hour before Japanese
planes arrived, USSWardspotted a submarine conning tower approaching the en-
trance of Pearl Harbor. TheWardimmediately attacked with depth charges and
sank what turned out to be one of five midget Japanese submarines attempting to
penetrate the harbor. Then at 7:02am a radar station on the north shore of Oʻahu
reported planes approaching. Even though they were coming from the west rather
than the east, the planes were assumed to be from the US mainland - a fatal mis-
take.
Sights & Activities
The offshore shrine at the sunken USS Arizona , part of the multi-state WWII Valor in the
Pacific National Monument ( www.nps.gov/valr/ ) , is Hawaii's most-visited tourist attrac-
tion. Nearby are two other floating historical sites: the USS Bowfin submarine (aka the
'Pearl Harbor Avenger') and the battleship USS Missouri, where General Douglas
MacArthur formally accepted the Japanese surrender at the end of WWII. Together, for
the USA, these military sites represent the beginning, middle and end of the war.
To visit all three sites, as well as the Pacific Aviation Museum, dedicate a full day,
preferably starting on a weekday morning when it's less crowded. All of Pearl Harbor's
attractions are wheelchair-accessible and closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New
Year's Day.
Book guided tours in advance online ( www.pearlharborhistoricsites.org and
www.recreation.gov ), or buy same-day tickets and discount sightseeing packages in per-
son at the visitor center's Aloha Court . A one-day pass to Pearl Harbor's main attrac-
tions costs $55/30 per adult/child, or get a two-day pass ($65/35) valid over a seven-day
period.
USS Arizona Memorial MUSEUM, MEMORIAL
( 422-3300; www.nps.gov/valr ; 1 Arizona Memorial Pl; tours free, tour reservation fee $1.50;
7am-5pm, boat tours 8am-3pm) One of the USA's most significant WWII sites, this
somber monument commemorates the Pearl Harbor attack and its fallen service members
with an offshore shrine reachable by boat. At the recently rebuilt visitor center back on