Our Anniversaries Trip - Day 3

9/25/13  Wednesday

After a miserable night at the Navy Lodge on Ford Island we drove a few hundred yards to the USS Missouri and began a tour of the ship.  Visiting this ship was the only thing that I really wanted to do in Hawaii. I was so excited to see it up close and then actually get to tour it made the entire trip worthwhile for me.  This ship not only made history, it is history.

USS Missouri entrance

A look along the port (left) side of the ship

Once we paid our entrance fees we boarded the ship and were met by Doc Simpson, one of the tour guides.
We boarded at just the right time so Doc became our own private tour guide.  The highlight for me was to stand at the very spot where World War II ended.

Everything else on the ship was extremely interesting and just plain awesome to actually see.  Look at the size of these guns.

Here is a 1000 pound 16" diameter projectile that is shot up to 26 miles

 Since we had our own tour guide and our group was so small Doc allowed us into

the XO quarters for a photo op.  

Photo op on the Executive Officer's bed.  

As we toured the ship I took many more pictures and we were all awed by the size.  When the ship was first commissioned it was crewed by 3000 men.  The mess decks were in operation 24 hours a day.  The men had to share berthing bunks (one at a time, of course).  Here are a few more photos of the ship.

Laying in one of the crew's racks.  I was able to stretch out.

View forward from the flying bridge

Mess Hall

Crew berthing

Doc is showing us the powder wads that are used to fire the 16" guns. Six of these were used to shoot one bullet.

 

Main deck, made of teak wood

Stan and Stephanie standing under the rear turret guns.

 
After spending four hours on the Missouri we went to downtown Waikiki for lunch and visited the Hale Koa Hotel.  A luxury hotel that is open only to military personnel.  The amazing thing about the hotel was the trees.  I don't know what kind of trees there are but they are native to Hawaii.  The trees here are huge and beautiful.

 Then after a stop at Walmart for groceries we headed to the other side of the island for the Bellows Air Force Base where we reserved a 2 bedroom bungalow right on the beach.  Ah peace and quiet for at least two days.  We still don't have any accommodations lined up for Friday, Saturday and Sunday yet.  It is going to be an adventure.  But  thank the Lord that we had not "disasters" today.  Except for my aching back.  But tomorrow is another day!