Come sail with me on a virtual cruise to Hawaii on Ruby Princess

[PurpleTraveller]

6 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

The saddest story

 

One of the most moving and sad stories we heard was that of 3 sailors who were on the battleship West Virginia during the attack.

 

After the attack, sounds were heard which were almost imperceptible amid the noise and frantic activity following the carnage. At dawn the next morning the silence revealed the grim reality that someone was trapped, and still alive, deep within the hull of the ship. Sadly, there was nothing that could be done. 

 

Six months later their bodies were found huddled together in an airtight storeroom. But the most haunting discovery was that of a  calendar on the wall, which showed 16 days crossed off in red pencil.

 

These poor young men had no idea what had happened to their ship and the rest of the US fleet, nor that America was at war. This devastating secret of their survival for 16 days, was hidden from their families for 54 years. What courage those young men must have shown, and what a terrible fate befell them. 

 

 

 

That is one of the saddest and most horrifying stories I have ever heard. My heart aches for the thought of those brave young men and their families. 

 

I have been to Pearl Harbour a number of times and while there can always can feel the horror of that awful day. It is a sombre experience.

 

Since you were unable to land on the memorial I hope you don't mind that I am posting a few photos of one of my visits there. They are quite a few years old so the colour and quality is not great.

 

 

 

 

[JF - retired RRT]

3 men trapped for 16 days...so sad.😢

[AF-1]

Anyone who visits this site;  it doesn't matter if you stop at the memorial or just sail by;  it is a solemn occasion and one that still haunts many people today.  Rest well my fellow sailors.  

[ellie1145]

44 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

Anyone who visits this site;  it doesn't matter if you stop at the memorial or just sail by;  it is a solemn occasion and one that still haunts many people today.  Rest well my fellow sailors.  

 

Well said, AF-1.

[ellie1145]

On 1/7/2021 at 6:09 AM, PurpleTraveller said:

Since you were unable to land on the memorial I hope you don't mind that I am posting a few photos of one of my visits there. They are quite a few years old so the colour and quality is not great.

 

Thank you very much, Purple Traveller. I am most grateful to you for posting the photos. 

[ellie1145]

An Unexpected Meeting with Everett Hyland

 

 

As we walk back towards the exit we are fascinated to see an elderly gentleman sitting behind a table, happily chatting to anyone who would stop, and signing books on the Japanese attack.

 

This amazing veteran of the Pearl Harbour attack is Everett Hyland, who was just 18 on that momentous day.

 

Now aged 95, Everett is a regular volunteer at the visitor centre, and today he is sitting in his usual place, with his usual flowery shirt and cap.

 

 

He was born in Connecticut, in 1923 and enlisted in the US Navy in November 1940. A little over a year later he was serving on the battleship USS Pennsylvania, the flagship of the Pacific fleet, as a seaman. That morning the ship was in dry dock.

 

 

A young Everett proudly wearing his naval uniform. To the right he is with his granddaughter as she graduated. 

 

As the attack on December 7th began, Hyland made the decision that he did not want to be trapped in the bowels of the ship, so he swiftly made his way topside and reported to his battle station. With his fellow crewmen, he carried ammunition out to the three inch anti-aircraft gun.

 

Within minutes, the Pennsylvania took a direct hit, close to where Hyland was standing and the18 year old was so badly wounded that his own friends did not recognise him. He was nearly given up for dead.

 

 

Covered in flash burns, he had a bullet hole in his left thigh, his hand had been ripped open and he had sustained many other injuries, including five pieces of shrapnel in his left leg. Hyland spent 9 months recovering from his wounds, and didn’t regain consciousness until nearly Christmas.

 

However, after recovering, he was straight back to sea, on the USS Memphis. He earned seven campaign medals during his naval career, including the Purple Heart.

He was discharged in 1945, and became a science teacher. 

 

Since 1995, he has volunteered to tell his story to thousands of visitors, and we feel very honoured to have met him.

 

His own granddaughter has followed in his footsteps and he was very proud when she graduated from the United States Navy Academy to become a member of the US Navy. I guess she must be incredibly proud of him.

 

I think one of my favourite stories about him, which illustrates his dry sense of humour, and lack of bitterness about the events of that day, was when he was asked how he felt about the Japanese now. His answer was ‘Well, my wife’s over there - why don’t you ask her?’ His second wife is Japanese.

 

Sadly, since visiting the centre, Everett Hyland passed away in July 2019, at the age of 96. How lucky and honoured we feel to have met him

 

 

 

[ellie1145]

Well, dear Cruising Adventurers, I must apologise for the slowness of my posting. DH has been pretty poorly, but he seems to have turned a corner and I am so relieved. The prospect of him needing hospital treatment at the moment was terrifying.

 

Our city hospitals are on their knees, and we have not yet felt the full impact of those who decided to travel and meet up with friends and family to celebrate Christmas and the New Year. Anyone needing emergency care, other than for Covid, is likely to be turned away from ER very soon. Such a situation is unheard of, and our wonderful NHS is working flat out. But there is a limit. 

 

As in many places throughout the world, Covid is spreading rapidly and I do hope that you are all keeping safe and well, wherever you are. It’s going to be a bumpy ride for the next few months, and I hope that this virtual adventure will give you some respite from all the horrors that we hear about daily. 

 

So keep safe and PLEASE let me know from time to time if you are still with me on this journey, and still safe and well. I love it when you comment or even just react to a post. It certainly spurs me on. 

[mustgo]

I am so sorry for your husband's illness.  I wish him a speedy recovery.  Your time is certainly better spent with him and his needs that our make believe trip to Hawaii.

[ellie1145]

1 minute ago, mustgo said:

I am so sorry for your husband's illness.  I wish him a speedy recovery.  Your time is certainly better spent with him and his needs that our make believe trip to Hawaii.

 

Thank you, mustgo.

 

To be honest, it has been a welcome escape to take my mind off my worry, and DH has done a lot of sleeping in the last few days - nothing worse than sitting worrying, so I am pleased to be concentrating on something pleasant for a change. 😉

 

Keep safe! 

[cr8tiv1]

Please tend to your dear Husband before you spend your precious time with us.  I hope he continues to improve at home.

 

Just a side bar note....my uncle was one of the few official photographers at Pearl Harbor.  He was called up on Sunday to go in to document the event.  Unfortunately, because he was employed in this official capacity, ALL photos belonged to the US government.  He rarely spoke of the things he saw.  

[mustgo]

As long as it helps you I look forward to enjoying your posts

[trbarton]

13 hours ago, AF-1 said:

Anyone who visits this site;  it doesn't matter if you stop at the memorial or just sail by;  it is a solemn occasion and one that still haunts many people today.  Rest well my fellow sailors.  

FYI...I’m a navy veteran & when I visited the memorial I was deeply moved. Interesting to see the oil on the water after all of these years. May all of the men Rest In Peace. 
 

Tom😎

[azbirdmom]

Wishing your husband a speedy recovery Ellie.  You have given many of us a respite from the horrors of Covid all around us and now you must focus your attention on helping your loved one through this.  Sending good thoughts to you!

[AF-1]

On 1/9/2021 at 11:18 PM, trbarton said:

FYI...I’m a navy veteran & when I visited the memorial I was deeply moved. Interesting to see the oil on the water after all of these years. May all of the men Rest In Peace. 
 

Tom😎

Tom, I see in your signature you were assigned to the Coral Sea;  by any chance did you serve off the coast of Vietnam?  I have a good friend who was  Marine Security assigned to Coral Sea during Vietnam.  He said he never left the ship; as they sat off the coast for almost a year

Edited January 11, 2021 by AF-1

[JF - retired RRT]

37 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

Tom, I see in your signature you were assigned to the Coral Sea;  by any chance did you serve off the coast of Vietnam?  I have a good friend who was  Marine Security assigned to Coral Sea during Vietnam.  He said he never left the ship; as they sat off the coast for almost a year

Interesting. DH says the same thing happened to him at some point during the war. He was on the Sunadin (attack tug).

When we went to Pearl Harbor we found his ship on the map showing where all the different ships were during the attack.

Edited January 11, 2021 by JF - retired RRT

[trbarton]

5 hours ago, AF-1 said:

Tom, I see in your signature you were assigned to the Coral Sea;  by any chance did you serve off the coast of Vietnam?  I have a good friend who was  Marine Security assigned to Coral Sea during Vietnam.  He said he never left the ship; as they sat off the coast for almost a year

Yes we were off of the coast. From fall of 1966 - 1977. 
 

Tom😎

Edited January 11, 2021 by trbarton

[ellie1145]

On 1/9/2021 at 9:07 PM, cr8tiv1 said:

Please tend to your dear Husband before you spend your precious time with us.  I hope he continues to improve at home.

 

Just a side bar note....my uncle was one of the few official photographers at Pearl Harbor.  He was called up on Sunday to go in to document the event.  Unfortunately, because he was employed in this official capacity, ALL photos belonged to the US government.  He rarely spoke of the things he saw.  

 

Thank you so much cr8tiv1. He is improving daily, but not yet 100% although I am very relieved by his progress.

 

How fascinating to learn of your photographer uncle. What an extraordinary experience that must have been for him, and one, I am sure he never forgot. But in those days people just had to get on with it, there was no sympathy or support for those who experienced such traumatic events. It makes you wonder how they ever picked up the pieces of their lives, but so many did. My F-I-L was one of them. 

[ellie1145]

On 1/9/2021 at 9:07 PM, mustgo said:

As long as it helps you I look forward to enjoying your posts

 

Thank you, mustgo, I look forward to ‘meeting’ you all each day. 

[ellie1145]

On 1/10/2021 at 4:18 AM, trbarton said:

FYI...I’m a navy veteran & when I visited the memorial I was deeply moved. Interesting to see the oil on the water after all of these years. May all of the men Rest In Peace. 
 

Tom😎

 

It is extraordinary to see the oil after so many years have passed. 

 

It was truly a moving experience and one we will remember. 

[ellie1145]

On 1/10/2021 at 5:59 PM, azbirdmom said:

Wishing your husband a speedy recovery Ellie.  You have given many of us a respite from the horrors of Covid all around us and now you must focus your attention on helping your loved one through this.  Sending good thoughts to you!

 

Thank you, azbirdmom, he is doing well, though not out of the woods completely. But day by day he is improving and I am so grateful for that. 

 

Thank you for the good thoughts. They are most welcome and gratefully received. 

 

Stay safe. 

[ellie1145]

3 hours ago, trbarton said:

Yes we were off of the coast. From fall of 1966 - 1977. 
 

Tom😎

 

How extraordinary, Tom, that you have a link to others on this thread. They say the world is a small place.

 

[ellie1145]

I hope you won’t mind me sharing a few more photos of the amazing Bowfin. These were taken on my iphone, and I meant to include them but got distracted by events. 

 

She is such an awesome sight, and having the chance to explore her fully is an unexpected experience for us.

 

 

 

 

Imagine sleeping on top of a torpedo!

 

So many keys! I wonder what they are all for. 

 

No internet, or computers, lap tops or satellite communication in those days. How on earth did they manage? Here is a well-used typewriter.

 

Left rudder and right rudder controls in front of the steering wheel. 

 

I am mesmerised by all the brass which shimmers in the light. The submarine is immaculate, and so well cared for, it looks ready for action at any moment. 

 

 

 

 

Until we took this tour I must confess that I hadn’t realised that, when Bowfin was submerged she was powered by huge batteries. Of course, that makes sense as an engine just wouldn’t be viable. It would have been essential to pass through the water as swiftly and silently as possible as any sound could alert the enemy.

 

 

This shows the name ‘General Electric.’ The Bowfin is an extraordinarily complex war machine. 

 

 

 

[ellie1145]

 

Up on deck visitors clamber over the guns, taking selfies. 

 

You can sit in the very seats used by the gunners operating these fearsome guns.

 

 

 

Bowfin’s brass bell, still pristine.  

 

 

 

 

 

[trbarton]

1 hour ago, ellie1145 said:

I hope you won’t mind me sharing a few more photos of the amazing Bowfin. These were taken on my iphone, and I meant to include them but got distracted by events. 

 

She is such an awesome sight, and having the chance to explore her fully is an unexpected experience for us.

 

 

 

 

Imagine sleeping on top of a torpedo!

 

So many keys! I wonder what they are all for. 

 

No internet, or computers, lap tops or satellite communication in those days. How on earth did they manage? Here is a well-used typewriter.

 

Left rudder and right rudder controls in front of the steering wheel. 

 

I am mesmerised by all the brass which shimmers in the light. The submarine is immaculate, and so well cared for, it looks ready for action at any moment. 

 

 

 

 

Until we took this tour I must confess that I hadn’t realised that, when Bowfin was submerged she was powered by huge batteries. Of course, that makes sense as an engine just wouldn’t be viable. It would have been essential to pass through the water as swiftly and silently as possible as any sound could alert the enemy.

 

 

This shows the name ‘General Electric.’ The Bowfin is an extraordinarily complex war machine. 

 

 

 

Interesting to see all of those keys. I’ll see if anyone knows what all of those keys might be for. 
My best wishes for your husband & that he has a speedy recovery. My prayers are for both of you. 
 

Tom🙏

Edited January 11, 2021 by trbarton

[cr8tiv1]

Each "ship" has its own sound that can identify them, like a fingerprint.  Hence the saying "Run Silent, Run Deep".  When a ship is Christened and launched into the water for the first time (from the shipyard), the propellers are covered.