Pearl Harbor History & Latest News
Ships of Pearl Harbor: USS Tern
Launched in March 1919 and commissioned into service on May 17 of the same year, the Lapwing-class minesweeper USS Tern (AM-31) was first assigned to Train Squadron 2 of the Fleet Base Force, at the US Navy installation at Pearl Harbor. After several years operating...
Can I Visit Punchbowl Cemetery?
During a visit to Pearl Harbor, there's no shortage of opportunities to memorialize and honor the over 2400 Americans who died on December 7, 1941. From the USS Arizona Memorial program, which is included in all Pearl Harbor tours, to the USS Oklahoma Memorial, you...
The Most Worry-Free Pearl Harbor Tour
When you book a tour or other adventure in Hawaii, it’s easy to find yourself overwhelmed by details. What about food? How are you going to get to your destination? Will you get to see and do everything you want? These questions can be especially important when you're...
The Brothers of USS Oklahoma
During the 1930s and early '40s, with jobs scarce and tensions rising in Europe and the Pacific, many Americans turned to military service. At the time, it wasn't uncommon for family members who had enlisted together to wind up serving in the same unit, and sometimes...
Ships of Pearl Harbor: USS USS Macdonough
The keel of the destroyer that would become known as USS Macdonough (DD-351) was laid down at the Boston Navy Yard in May of 1933, eight years before the outbreak of World War II in the Pacific. Construction on the new Farragut-class destroyer was completed in August...
What Does it Mean When a Ship is Listing?
Understanding the events of December 7, 1941 doesn’t require you to be an expert in naval or technical terminology. The memorials, museums, and other attractions provide a historical overview of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the things you need to know, such as the...
Wreckage of USS Wasp Located
In the month of February, 2019 alone, the expedition organized by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen found the wreckage of three World War II warships at the bottom of the Pacific ocean. In 2018, they had found more than half-a-dozen, while 2017 proved fruitful...
Is Pearl Harbor Worth a Repeat Visit?
There are many places around the world that honestly aren’t worth putting the time, money, and effort into seeing more than one time. Then there are those that absolutely warrant a second, third, or fourth visit. If you’ve already been to Pearl Harbor, you may be...
Pearl Harbor Welcomes USS Zumwalt
More than 77 years ago, the American naval base at Pearl Harbor was the site of a devastating surprise attack that launched the United States into World War II. In the years since, parts of Pearl Harbor have been dedicated as a national memorial while the rest has...
The Heroism of YG-17 at Pearl Harbor
Naval ship categories often have names that sound important to wartime efforts. Destroyers, aircraft carriers, battleships, minelayers – they’re all very clearly involved in some form of naval combat. Some, however, aren't so obvious. What, for example, are garbage...
Pearl Harbor Tours from the Neighbor Islands
If you’re staying on Maui, Kauai, or the Big Island of Hawaii, you may be wondering whether you'll be able to fit a visit to Pearl Harbor into your vacation. The answer is yes, but before you jump headfirst into booking a flight to Oahu for your Pearl Harbor tour,...
Pearl Harbor and Circle Island Combo Tour
Not everyone can take more than a few days off to enjoy the Hawaiian Islands. Most of us are at the mercy of jobs and other responsibilities that keep us tethered close to our home base. With available time at a premium, it can be tricky to try and fit as much as...
USS Oklahoma Survivor Celebrates 101st Birthday
Each passing year brings the loss of more and more survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack, so when one of these heroes celebrates a birthday, it’s cause for celebration. One of these survivors is Colorado resident Bernie Weber, who celebrated his 101st birthday on March...
Ships of Pearl Harbor: USS Cachalot
The submarine USS Cachalot (SS-170) was laid down at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in October of 1931, the eighth of nine so-called V-boats to be produced for the United States Navy. The vessel—which was named for the sperm whale—was launched exactly two years later. Just...
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum Curator Passes Away
Arising from the devastation of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, there grew a sense of community around those involved in the deadly assault. In the aftermath of World War II, that community grew even larger, to encompass many others who recognized the...
Pearl Harbor Sites Get a New Name
Since 2008, many of the Pearl Harbor memorials and exhibits have been administered by the US National Park Service under the blanket of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. Then-President George W. Bush issued an executive order, creating a new...
Wreckage of USS Strong Located
Paul Allen passed away in 2018, but the expedition team he once spearheaded is still going strong, carrying on his legacy of uncovering important pieces of history in the Pacific. In the first few months of 2019 alone, the ship he sponsored, R/V Petrel, uncovered the...
Ships of Pearl Harbor: USS Schley
USS Schley (DD-103) was laid down on October 29, 1917. The new Wickes-class destroyer was equipped like other destroyers of the time: with an arsenal that would make her a formidable presence on the high seas. USS Schley was commissioned into service on September 20,...
Closing In: The Battle of Saipan
From the moment the United States decimated the Imperial Japanese Navy at the Battle of Midway, every decision was crucial. The war had reached a turning point and one wrong move could put victory back in reach for Japan. Even in the summer of 1944, as the war entered...
The Best Way To Get to Pearl Harbor
Whenever you're travelling out of town, one of the most pressing issues is how to get around your destination. For example, you’re traveling to Oahu and need to find transportation for your visit to Pearl Harbor. You’re probably wondering if some options are better...
Pearl Harbor Survivor “Uncle Al” Rodrigues Dies at 99
Kauai native Alfred B. Rodrigues, Sr., known to everyone he met as "Uncle Al," passed away on February 24, 2019. The 99-year-old World War II veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor was a husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather who was always eager to share his...
Ships of Pearl Harbor: USS Ramsay
USS Ramsay (DD-124) was laid down as a Wickes-class destroyer at Newport News, VA in December of 1917, and launched on June 8, 1918. She was commissioned into service in the US Navy on February 15, 1919, under the command of Cmdr H. H. Norton. Early Service of USS...
Hawaiian Oysters Return to Pearl Harbor
Scientists at the University of Hawaii–Manoa, the United States Navy, and Oahu Waterkeeper have joined forces in an effort to clean up Pearl Harbor. Not the memorials and exhibits that thousands of people visit daily, preserving the memory of December 7, 1941, but the...
Wreckage of USS Hornet Located
On October 26, 1942, during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) was lost to the Pacific. In January of 2019, just a week after confirming the discovery of the first Japanese battleship sunk in World War II, the crew of the...
What’s Not Included with Pearl Harbor Tours
Tours of historic Pearl Harbor provide access to the incredible sites and locations affected by the events of December 7, 1941. Depending on your interests and the time you have available, there is a wide variety of Pearl Harbor tours, from a brief excursion that only...
