Remembering The Sacrifice

December 29, 2008 (Manila, PI): This trip has stirred up a great sense of gratitude for all that we have! Those feelings were stirred again as we paid a visit to the American Cemetery in Manila. I have to admit, I don't know a lot about World War II. But what I do know is a lot of people sacrificed their lives for freedom!

The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial is located in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City in Metro Manila, Philippines. The cemetery is 152 acres and has a total of 17,206 graves, it is the largest cemetery in the Pacific for U.S. personnel killed during World War II, and also holds war dead from the Philippines and other allied nations. Many of the personnel whose remains are interred or represented were killed in New Guinea, or during the Battle of the Philippines (1941-42) or the Allied recapture of the islands. The headstones are made of marble which are aligned in eleven plots forming a generally circular pattern. On rectangular limestone walls are inscribed the names of 36,282 of the Missing who gave their lives in the service of America and who rest in unknown graves. Carved in the floors are the seals of the American states and its territories. (Wikipedia)

Liberation of the Philippines

Names of the missing

Rows of marble crosses

The grounds are meticulously kept

"Here rests in honored glory a comrade in arms known but to God" (inscription on the cross).

I was fascinated with how perfectly straight the rows were.

December 29, 2008 (Honolulu, HI): After a LONG wait in the airport and a LONG flight to Hawaii we weren't about to sit in the Honolulu airport for 10 hours!!! We rented a car (see Amy's post "Hello Hawaii") and headed to Pearl Harbor. Arriving at Pearl Harbor at 2:00 pm made it too late to get tickets for the boat ride over to the USS Arizona Memorial. We were disappointed but figured there was still a lot to see. As we stood there trying to decided what to look at first, a worker approached us and asked if we had just arrived. We said we had. She then confirmed our situation, "You're too late, the tickets for the boat are were gone early this morning." She then continued, "You'd like to go, wouldn't you?" We said yes and she pulled two tickets out of her pocket and gave them to us. We paid $5.00 for the Audio tour, which walked us through the museum and gave us details about the attack on Pearl Harbor.

USS Arizona Mural

USS Arizona Model

Model of the USS Arizona Memorial

USS Arizona Memorial in the background

Our first glimpse of the Memorial from the boat

At the boat dock

Names of those who are entombed in the USS Arizona and their shipmates who gave their lives in action on December 7, 1941.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

USS Arizona Remains

Battle Ship

USS Arizona Marker

USS Arizona flying the flag