One morning in Oahu, I went to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Park. This was the site of the terrible 1941 attack on the US military by Japanese armed forces which brought the involvement of the United States into World War II. Pearl Harbor was also the setting of the equally terrible 2001 movie of the same name. Admission into the park itself is free, and you can visit the USS Arizona Memorial for free as well, but you need a reservation (which I did not have). There are other things you can experience on the Memorial grounds as well, for an admission fee.
The park itself was busy in the morning that we went, but the park felt clean and well-kept despite the foot traffic. There were several statues and memorials of groups of crew-people who lost their lives in the attack, as well as memorials for each ship that sank in the attack. I wish I can tell you some deeper meaning of how I was feeling walking in a place as important to American history as this, but for me, it felt like walking in an outdoor war museum.
I did pay for admission to visit the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum. There is a building with a museum inside, as well as an outdoor area with a gift shop and a place to eat. The outdoor area had displays of various submarine and ship weapons, including mounted machine-guns and torpedoes. The most memorable attraction of this museum was exploring the USS Bowfin, which is a decommissioned WWII era submarine. The USS Bowfin conducted war patrols in the Pacific Ocean from 1943-1945 and is now at the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum on display.
I have never been inside a submarine before. Prior to entering the submarine, I knew it was going to be a bit cramped, but I did not realize how cramped the submarine was going to be. The USS Bowfin is a WWII-era submarine and people were mush smaller back then, and I am over 6 feet tall. People like me were not meant to walk through a submarine. Imagine my shock when I had to get myself through submarine doors (such as these). Other than that, exploring the submarine was interesting. Crewmen had to fit themselves in beds that looked to be only about 2 feet in height. Inside the sub, there were your typical amenities such as a kitchen and a mess hall, and then we got to see the engine and the communications equipment. On top of the submarine, there were mounted guns you can sit in and pretend to shoot down a plane. The top of the submarine had some nice views of the surrounding area as well.
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