The Mighty Mo!

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to take a step back into our military history. Anyone who knows me, knows I love to study and learn about WWII. It was the war that changed everything. So this weekend I decided to visit the USS Missouri.

If you don't know about the USS Missouri, here's a little history lesson for you. (It's really interesting, I promise!)

The USS Missouri, also known as the "Mighty Mo," was built during WWII in a Brooklyn shipyard. She was launched on January 29, 1944 and was commissioned as the USS Missouri on June 11, 1944. It is an Iowa class battleship.

On April 11, 1945 the USS Missouri was hit by a Japanese "Zeke" aircraft northeast of Okinawa. A fire erupted on the plane but no bomb exploded which meant no loss of American lives. It's no secret that Kamikaze pilots were a big part of WWII. But this story isn't finished with just the death of the pilot. In fact, I never knew the rest of the story. I'm sure most people don't. So I want to share this super IMPORTANT story.
The crew of the USS Missouri pulled the body of the Japanese pilot from the wreckage. The officers and crew created a Japanese flag and paused the next morning to pay their respects to their fallen enemy. They stood at attention and offered a salute for the fallen pilot. The Marine Honor Guard fired a three rifle volley and the Chaplain on board said "Commend his body to the deep."
When I heard this story while visiting the Mighty Mo, I couldn't help but tear up. People tend to forget that the pilots of these Kamikaze missions were people who were doing their duty to their country. In fact, the youngest Kamikaze pilot was only 17 years old.

Years later, a couple of WWII vets were visiting the USS Missouri from Japan. They made it a point to learn the identity of the pilot who was honored by the sailors and marines that were aboard on that fateful day. They did just that.

His name was Setsuo Ishino. Please remember that name. So many lives were lost on all sides of WWII and many of them have been forgotten.

On September 2, 1945, representatives from the Allied and Axis powers met aboard the USS Missouri, in Tokyo Bay to "conclude an agreement by which peace can be restored." It was aboard the USS Missouri that the Empire of Japan signed the two copies of Instrument of Surrender. General MacArthur signed on behalf of the Allied nations that were in attendance.

The exact spot of surrender

In 1955, the USS Missouri was decommissioned.

In 1984-1986, the ship was modernized and reactivated.

May 10, 1986 the USS Missouri was recommissioned.

September- November 1987 the ship was underway in the Persian Gulf as part of the Operation Earnest Will.

January 17, 1991 the USS Missouri was the first battleship to fire Tomahawks as the start of Operation Dessert Storm.

March 31, 1992 The USS Missouri was decommissioned again.

Overall, my trip to visit the Mighty Mo was a success. I had a great time and learned so so much. If you're ever visiting Hawaii, please be sure to stop by.

Have you ever visited the Mighty Mo?

Queen Emma's Summer Palace

Over the weekend I got to visit Queen Emma's Summer Palace. I've been meaning to go for quite a while now, but I haven't had the chance.

The back of the palace

The palace was a place of retreat and comfort for Queen Emma Kaleleonalani Rooke, King Kamehameha IV and their son Prince Albert between 1857-1885.

The house was built in 1848 by John Lewis. The house was sold to Queen Emma's uncle, John Young II for only $6,000. The house was then given the name Hanaiakamalama which means foster child of the moon. In 1857, John Young II left the house to his niece, Queen Emma, in his will.

In 1885, after Queen Emma's death, the home was bought by the monarchical government and leased. In the early 1900's it was bought by the Daughters of Hawai'i and was restored, in an effort to preserve a piece of Hawaiian history.

Upon entering the palace, you are asked to remove your shoes. Photos are allowed, but don't use flash.

The house is filled with beautiful portraits of the royal family. About 80% of the furniture in the house is original and belonged to the royal family, many of which were gifted to the family by other royalty throughout the world.

The Front Bedroom

The entry hallway

The beautiful 3 tiered cabinet in the Edinburgh Room

The Edinburgh Room

In the back bedroom, there is a tall glass display case. In the display case is a small fireman's jacket. It belonged to Prince Albert, who died at the age of 4 due to sudden illness. He became an honorary member of the Honolulu Fire Department.

The house is filled with so much history and it was a great honor to be able to see the furniture that the royal family had and to be able to walk in the rooms that they once filled.

If you're ever in Hawai'i I recommend visiting.

2913 Pali Hwy
Honolulu Hi 96817

What's your favorite museum you've visited?

Kaniakapupu Ruins

The Kaniakapupu Ruins are nestled deep within a bamboo forest on the island of Oahu. It holds a lot of meaning and history to the island.

The bamboo forest 

It was the summer home of King Kamehameha III and dates back to 1847. King Kamehameha III ruled the Kingdom of Hawaii between 1825 and 1854. Kaniakapupu was built as a place of relaxation for the king. No one knows the exact reason that the palace fell into disrepair.

We made the short trek through the bamboo to the "old ruins." There were a few people present, even one doing a photoshoot. We explored the area some while waiting for the people to clear.

There was a nice little hike to a waterfall nearby. Definitely take the time to visit the falls, if you can.

Part of the falls 

TheKaniakapupu Ruins

The remaining structure is absolutely beautiful and the area is breathtaking. You can really understand why King Kamehameha III decided on this location to build his summer palace.

Can you imagine what it looked like when it was first built?

If you decide to visit the Kaniakapupu Ruins please be respectful. Do not leave anything behind and don't climb on the building itself. Let's all work together to preserve this piece of history.

Have you visited the Kaniakapupu Ruins? Do you want to?

Oahu's Hidden Bunker

One of my friends told me about this hidden bunker that they found one day while running. I, being the history buff that I am, had to find it and see for myself. So, of course, I did just that.

We walked back into this lightly wooded area and there it was. The Battery Hasbrouck, buried beneath mounds of sand and grass.

A Little History: 

The Battery was built  between 1909 and 1914. It was used to protect Pearl Harbor and Hickham Air Base. It got it's name from General Henry Cornelius Hasbrouck.  

The battery was divided into two mortar pits, with four mortars in each pit. They would wheel shells and powder from magazine to the loading platforms on shot carts.

Currently, there are no mounted weapons at the battery, but trust me when I say it's still a super cool exploration. 

The Exploration:

The battery was dark. I mean eerily dark. Duh, right? I mean it's underground. So if you happen to decide to explore, be sure to bring flashlights. I actually recommend headlamps, that way you have your hands free. And bug spray. Definitely wear bug spray.

Anywho, we made our way through the dark rooms and let me just say, it was so cool! It was crazy to think that our military would navigate these halls and rooms. I got turned around quickly inside. So I wonder if any of the military personnel did also? Maybe they had maps drawn up of the interior (probably not, but hey! I can imagine.)

The first room we walked into had some super eerie paintings inside. Imagine how startled we were when the light shined on these silhouettes.

One room was a bathroom. I mean, it makes sense that they'd have a bathroom inside for people to use who were working there. But I never really thought about it. 

Can you imagine showering in this? 

There were tons and tons of other rooms. One room even had the tool storage outlines still up. 

The shop guide

Outside you could go up on top of the battery. 

Being on  top was pretty cool. It gave you a new view of the area. It makes it even cooler if you just imagine what it looked like back in the early 1900's. 

The top of the battery

There was this walkway that led to this shower looking thing. I couldn't understand why there would be a shower on top of the battery, out in the open. So I decided to take a closer look.

Turns out it wasn't a shower at all. It was actually an old spot light. 

Pretty cool, huh? 

Instead of scaling the mounds to get back to the other stairs, we decided to take these. Trust me, it was a lot more nerve wracking in person.

There were so many more rooms that we explored. There were way too many for me to post. So if you want to see them, I highly recommend taking the trip. 

A couple things to note: 

Battery Hasbrouck is located on Hickham Airfield. 

If you're terribly afraid of spiders DO NOT GO. There are thousands of spiders on the ceiling inside (I wish I were exaggerating), most dead. None fell on us while we were there though. 

Also, as I said before Bug Spray is important! 

And, as always, be respectful. 

Have you been to Battery Hasbrouck? Do you plan on going? Have you every been to a different bunker or battery?