USS Arizona Memorial - Articles - Zimbio

Runt Rants - Dog Tags - Remembering Pearl Harbor Day

Wed, 6 Dec 2007 18:52:29 GMT

posted by HomeAppraiser

I’ve recently reached a milestone in life. Both Elsie and I registered for Social Security retirement benefits this week. We both passed our 65th birthday earlier this year, and as the arcane rules go we waited until this month to do the paperwork, timed with her impending retirement from the school system next February.

Elsie is a stickler for detail; a bulldog on matters like this. Problem is she also worries them death! Three or four months she’s been working on this stuff. Thank goodness she’s doing it…I’d have never bothered.

The process was complicated by the even more arcane retirement and pension benefits for Texas school employees. No social security deductions from the payroll, so no social security eligibility. She’s just eligible for half of mine. Yet the school retirement program is reduced dollar for dollar for the amount of social security benefit she gets from me! That certainly doesn’t seem fair or right, but that seems to be the case.

Click here to continue reading . . .

We were lucky. We arrived for our Social Security appointment a tad late…Elsie worrying all the while in traffic…but they took us right away. The lady we drew was so knowledgeable and articulate and organized! Elsie with her meticulous files kept pulling out each document the lady requested, and all questions were answered promptly.

After an hour we had both of us completed, benefit amounts estimated, and two loose ends to complete. First, some obscure document from the school system to be signed. The second, my Veterans DD 214 was required. We had brought my discharge, but not the DD 214.

A return to the Galactic HQ of Acorn, a few clicks of the keyboard at the VA web site, and I was ready to request the proper form. Whoops! They need my service serial number! It’s not on the discharge document.

Hmmm. Wait! Didn’t I remember seeing my Dog Tags tucked away 35 years ago into the back of my dresser drawer? Sure enough. There they were, my serial number waiting to be entered. Click, click, it’s done! Boy the internet has made things simpler.

I started to return the Dog Tags to their back drawer place. Then I thought…my American Flag flies outside our house 24/7, and it will remain so until the last service man and woman return home. Which means the Flag flying is permanent.

So how should I mark the special days of the year when we honor our country and our service men and women?

The Dog Tags! I can wear the Dog Tags!

Instead of placing them in the back drawer, I hung my Dog Tags around my neck. I’ll wear them for another week….Pearl Harbor Day is approaching…and then I’ll haul them out from the dresser each national holiday.

Few will know that I’m wearing them, but all my fallen comrades will.

The author is the owner of Acorn Appraisal Associates, a 22 year old firm offering a wide range of quality appraisal services to the Financial and Business Communities. kverrett@oak-acorn.com
I have the right to remain silent. Anything I say will be misquoted and used against me

USS Arizona Memorial and Picnic in Georgia

Thu, 30 May 2008 15:19:04 GMT

posted by tammy1999

Blog Prompt: On May 30, 1922, The Lincoln Memorial is dedicated today in Washington, D C, by Chief Justice William Howard Taft. What is your favorite historical monument and why?

While my dad was stationed in Hawaii, back in the 60’s, I went to the USS Arizona a couple times when my grandmother’s came to visit us there.

Even though I was young, I remember standing there and looking at all the names of the men that died on the very spot I was standing. I would stand there and look in the ocean where you can still see the ship and the oil still leaking from it. I remember how it bothered me so much that some of those men were “daddy’s” and that my daddy was doing the same kind of job and he worked on a ship at that time.

To this day, I will never forget what all those “daddy’s” sacrificed for our great country and how proud I was of my daddy for being so brave.
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One of the lazy days we had in Georgia was spent at a really nice park. The kids got to play all afternoon, grandpa got to play ball with his grandson and son and we also had a nice picnic.

The playground they have was for all different ages. The little one just had a ball on the slides and equipment for his size. The two older ones were able to play on equipment made for their size. There is also a great walking trail that you can walk your dog on. Ernest would love that for sure.

Great park for everyone and we all had a great time!

Grandpa playing ball

Loved all the playground equipment

Visiting Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial

Wed, 22 May 2008 10:56:00 GMT

posted by Going2Oahu

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial are both very popular tourist destinations on the island of Oahu with over 1,500,000 visitors every year. The addition of the USS Battleship Missouri along with the 1999 opening of the USS Missouri Memorial has even further enhanced the tour.

The Arizona Memorial

The Arizona Memorial is open daily from 7:30 am to 5:00pm. Most of the educational programs like the 23-minute documentary film about the attack and the boat trip to the USS Arizona Memorial begin at 8:00 a.m. (7:45 a.m. in the summer). The last program begins each day at 3:00pm

If you plan to visit the USS Arizona, then my suggestion is that you arrive super early. The ticket office opens at 7:30 and the first tour is at 8:00 so I would plan to be on site at 7:00am at the very latest. Once you get into the theater, the movie is chillingly good. After the movie, a boat takes you across to the USS Arizona Memorial - a very somber and moving experiece.

I would definitely recommend this to all visitiors to Oahu!

Aloha ~

Ali

Oahu Top Ten List #10 - Visit Pearl Harbor

Fri, 10 Nov 2007 14:48:00 GMT

posted by Going2Oahu

Visit Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial

December 7, 2007 marks the 66th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and
The United States' entry into World War II. Because of the historical significance of this event,
Pearl Harbor definitely makes my list of things you must do when visiting Oahu.

Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial are top tourist destinations in Hawaii with over
1,500,000 visitors annually. The addition of the Battleship Missouri and the 1999 opening of
the USS Missouri Memorial has further enhanced the tour.

The Arizona Memorial

The Arizona Memorial is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Interpretive programs, including a
23-minute documentary film about the attack and the boat trip to the USS Arizona Memorial, begin
at 8:00 a.m. (7:45 a.m. in the summer). The last program each day begins at 3:00 p.m.

If you plan to visit the USS Arizona, then my advice is to arrive EARLY. The ticket office opens at
7:30 and the first tour is at 8:00 so I would plan to be there at 7 or 7:30. Once you get into the theater,
the movie is amazing. After the movie, a boat takes you out to the Arizona Memorial, which is a very somber and moving experiece. I would definitely recommend this to all visitiors to Oahu!

Notes

Just a couple side notes to consider... Due to very tight security, you will not be allowed to carry anything with you that doesn't fit in your pockets except a camera - no purses (billfolds and wallets are okay), no camera bags, no diaper bags, no fanny packs, no backpacks or bags of any kind. Don't leave valuables in your car however - better to just not bring them.

The Arizona Memorial is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.

Aloha ~

Oahu Hawaii Webcams

Fri, 17 Nov 2007 10:54:00 GMT

posted by Going2Oahu

Aloha ~

Hawaii Webcams: Oahu Webcams

City and County of Honolulu Webcams
Five webcams are available: Duke Kahanamoku Statue, Waikiki Beach, Kuhio Beach in Waikiki, Maunalua Bay in Hawaii Kai, and Downtown Honolulu's Chinatown.

Honolulu's Traffic Camera System
The camera system currently includes 90+ traffic cameras located throughout Honolulu along the H1 Freeway and major adjoining roads.

Interstate H3 Freeway Traffic Cameras
Eleven images along Oahu's H3 Freeway from Halawa Valley, through the H3 Tunnel to Kailua and Kaneohe are available

Moana Surfrider LiveCam
Cool! Allows you to control the camera for up to three minutes, panning east and west along Waikiki Beach with zoom in and out ability.

Pearl Harbor Cam
Webcam of Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial.