Remembering the Day of Infamy

Since my semester abroad in Florence, I've preferred urban Europe to the tropics, so when I learned that I'd be spending a week in Hawaii, I was excited to see the cities and towns of this remote and diverse island chain. My must-see list soon became populated by historic sites and architectural landmarks in and around the capital city of Honolulu, like Iolani Palace, the State House, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (known locally as the Punchbowl), the Bishop Museum and the Honolulu Academy of Art. Plus the world-famous Waikiki, a bit of Miami Beach on the Pacific.

However, the only place that was a must must must see - and if you visit Oahu it should be at the top of your list too - was the USS Arizona Memorial, part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Memorial. The reimagined Pacific National Memorial has recently reopened as a generous harbor-side park with small buildings and extensively scripted grounds. Its easy to be put off by the gift shops and vendors, but the memorial site commands attention. It is Hawaii's most popular attraction, with 1.6 million annual visitors.

The Arizona Memorial is itself 50 years old this year. It was designed by Honolulu architect Alfred Preis who ironically had been detained at Sand Island at the start of the war as an enemy of the country because of his Austrian birth. Proof that our national immigration policies are, and have long been, a work in progress.

Below are two collages, or "memory theatres", that I made to help me remember the day of my visit, the place, the event, the war.

The Date of Infamy was December 7, 1941.

If you can, visit the Memorial with a Veteran, preferably your dad. As I was lucky enough and honored to do.