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crowdvscritic · 1 year ago

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round up // JULY 23

Spies! Josh Hartnett! Perfect 10s! They all made multiple appearances in July. This summer has churned out one of the best crop of blockbusters in years, and even though this Round Up is a bit shorter than usual, it’s a stacked lineup. Whether you’re looking for big thrills, big emotion, or big art, July had it all.

July Crowd-Pleasers

1. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

A redux of the 1996 original Mission: Impossible in all the best ways. Whatever you think of Tom Cruise, you can’t deny his commitment to the audience experience. Crowd: 10/10 // Critic: 9/10

2. Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023)

This is the kind of movie that you can tell within in three minutes isn’t totally working but it’s hard to tell why. It looks pretty good! There’s loads of style! Jason Statham is one of the best action leads in the biz! Every actor is doing something fun! (Especially Josh Hartnett, validating my major crush in his Pearl Harbor days.) But not a single character has an arc, and we should’ve opened on an action sequence introducing our heroes and villains so we don’t need so much dialogue to explain our characters or the inciting incident. But you know what? Call the butcher because I love a good ham! I had a great time with this cast doing the Guy Ritchie thing, which means I am gonna watch this so hard again on cable.

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3. Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift (2023)

My attempt to swing last-minute tickets to the Eras Tour in Denver for less than $1000 was a no-go, but the treats that are “When Emma Falls in Love,” “Timeless,” and a Taylor Lautner music video cameo softened that blow. The article “The Unprecedented Weirdness of Taylor Swift” in The Washington Post captures some of the unique joys of her re-recordings.

4. Barbie (2023)

Is Barbie an instant classic? Perhaps it’s too of-this-moment for that kind of longevity, but it’s a comedy that made me laugh so hard I cried and also just that made me cry, which I don’t remember ever happening to me within a single movie before. Read my full review for ZekeFilm, and then be sure to listen to the soundtrack after seeing the movie. Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, Tame Impala, Haim, Billie Eilish, and Ryan Gosling(!!) made some bangers! Crowd: 10/10 // Critic: 9/10

5. Do You Like Apples Podcast

I’ve recommended the Do You Like Apples newsletter, and now I’m recommending Billy Rock and Drew Wendt’s new accompanying podcast. I may be biased since they invited me to join their Barbie discussion, but because I like filling my earbuds with thoughts on Wes Anderson’s oeuvre and the best of Harrison Ford’s career, I’m a regular listener beyond our collab. Listen to our discussion of Barbie and then browse through their rapidly growing feed about the world of movies.

More July Crowd-Pleasers: Airport (1970), Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023), Zoey 102 (2023)

July Critic Picks

1. The China Syndrome (1979)

Another ‘70s conspiracy thriller FTW! Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas, and Jack Lemmon are getting suspicious at a nuclear power plant, and their investigation lands on my lists of favorite journalism films and movies that have made me cry. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9/10

2. BlackBerry (2023)

Product-inspired films are still rocking and rolling in 2023, and BlackBerry is one of the best. It owes a lot to The Social Network, but it learned all the right lessons. I would love to see this cast in conversation for Oscars this winter, but until then, the rage-at-the-corporate-machine soundtrack is keeping me going. Crowd: 8/9 // Critic: 9/10

3. Oppenheimer (2023)

On average, me every 7 minutes in this movie: "Oh hey, I love that guy!” This cameo-packed historical epic/biopic is a clearer-eyed version of A Beautiful Mind, and perhaps most impressively doesn’t feel three hours long. The review in The Federalist and Vox’s analysis of the history of nuclear cinema are excellent companion pieces. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 9.5/10

4. Suddenly by BØRNS (2023)

Like the rest of us, it sounds like BØRNS has been going through some stuff in the last few years. After a five year hiatus, he’s back with his lachrymose synth-pop in a six-track EP. My only complaint? I’m ready for a full album!

5. The French Dispatch by Wes Anderson (2021)

Haven’t I already recommended The French Dispatch as the best film of 2021? Yes, but because I’m a woman of limited interests, I’m now recommending the published screenplay. If you’ve ever wondered just how Anderson and his collaborators create their idiosyncratic stories, reading the complex script gives a new insight into their overlapping minutiae, much of which I missed just by watching.

More July Critic Picks: The Merry Widow (1934), Christmas in July (1940), Some Came Running (1958)

Also in July…

At the start of July, nine writers for ZekeFilm picked our top five movies of the year so far. You can read our individual lists as well as our aggregate top five in our “Best of 2023 (So Far)” piece.

I checked out Haunted Mansion, which was…at least better than the Eddie Murphy version? Read my review for ZekeFilm, which turned into a long list of theme park-inspired films for Disney, and watch more on KMOV to see me correctly predict that Barbie would dominate the box office yet again.

Thanks to a holiday break, I had a little time to finally add a few Best Picture Project pieces. Keep scrolling on the home page to read reviews of The Apartment (1960), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), Rain Man (1988), Dances With Wolves (1990), Million Dollar Baby (2004), and 12 Years a Slave (2013)

Until August wraps, you can follow what I’m watching on Letterboxd and the site formerly known as Twitter

Photo credits: BØRNS, DYLA, The French Dispatch. All others IMDb.com.

#Round Up #Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One #Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre #Barbie #Taylor Swift #Speak Now #Speak Now (Taylor's Version)#Do You Like Apples #The China Syndrome #The French Dispatch #BlackBerry #BØRNS #Suddenly by BØRNS #Oppenheimer

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orebic-travel · 4 years ago

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Honolulu, Oahu Things to Do | Expedia

Powerful surf crashes on North Shore beaches, vibrant schools of colorful fish teem in the coral gardens of Hanauma Bay, and fire knife dancers enchant Mai …

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#Expedia (Website)#Hawaii (US State)#Honolulu (City/Town/Village)#Honolulu activities #luau #parasailing #Pearl Harbor tour #sightseeing by boat #swim with sharks #things to do in Honolulu #things to do in Oahu #Tourism (Interest)#Tourist Destination #USS Arizona Memorial #water park tickets

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aintnolionpridelands · 3 years ago

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[Streaming+] Musical "Allegiance"

August 11, 2021 (Wed.) - August 17, 2021 (Tue.) Tickets available until August 15, 2021 (Sun.) 23:59

Musical "Allegiance" will be streamed globally with an after-talk show and a special backstage video!

The musical "Allegiance", which was performed at Tokyo International Forum Hall C in March 2021, has been decided to be streamed online. This is the first performance with a Japanese cast of the Broadway musical about a Japanese-American family living in the United States during World War II. In this memorable Japanese premiere, Megumi Hamada and Naoto Kaiho, who are leading figures in the world of musicals, played the roles of a Japanese-American sister and brother, and the talented cast included Masataka Nakagauchi, Mayuko Kominami, Tsunehiko Kamijo, Tomohiko Imai, and Toru Watanabe. One day, the Japanese-Kimura family, living as Americans in the land of the free, were suddenly declared enemies of the state just because they were "Japanese-Americans" and were transported to an internment camp. Who do you pledge allegiance to and what do you believe in? The story draws people who are denied their identity, but still struggle to find hope and move forward. The Kimura family is at the mercy of the turbulent times. It is a moving story that depicts the division and rebirth of the family who stick to their beliefs. In addition to the main part of the performance, there will be an after-talk show of Megumi Hamada, Naoto Kaiho, Masataka Nakagauchi, and Mayuko Kominami, and a backstage tour video with commentary by Naoto Kaiho and the stage director.

[Regarding Streaming] Producer's Comment This work is based on the history of 120,000 people of Japanese descent who were labeled as "enemy aliens" and forced to live harsh lives in internment camps due to an executive order signed by U.S. President Roosevelt in 1942. Although it is still fresh in our minds that President Biden issued a statement in February of this year apologizing again for the Executive Order, it is also a page of history that is not widely known. In this year that marks the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, we have decided to stream the stage with the sincere hope that people will feel it as their own story, as a message that can be understood even today, aiming for a world without discrimination. Furthermore, as a universal family story, the stage will be streamed not only in Japan but also overseas. At this time of the year, which also coincides with the anniversary of the end of the war, we hope that people will watch this stage that portrays the importance of freedom, peace and family bonds, and pass it on to future generations.

Comment by Megumi Hamada I am pleased to announce that "Allegiance", which was performed this spring, has been decided to be streamed online. This time, not only in Japan, but also many people overseas can watch it. I hope you will take this opportunity to enjoy it.

Comment by Naoto Kaiho "Allegiance" is a work that contains a very big theme of "division" that is still accelerating all over the world. Even if we know about it from the news, it is hard to feel it in our daily life. This work appeals to the hearts and minds of audience through the experiences of Japanese Americans during World War II, interweaving beautiful yet powerful music and spectacular dance scenes to convey such a universal theme in human society. This time, the Japanese company took over this idea and tried to create "Allegiance" that can only be expressed by Japanese creators. I hope you will enjoy it.

[Contents] about 210 minutes in total ・Main performance video (about 160 minutes) (Cast) Megumi Hamada Naoto Kaiho Masataka Nakagauchi, Mayuko Kominami Tsunehiko Kamijou, Tomohiko Imai Toru Watanabe, etc. ・After-talk show video (about 25 minutes) ・Backstage tour video (about 25 minutes) ・Comments by Megumi Hamada and Naoto Kaiho

Official Website

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The proshot video of the original Broadway production is also available on BroadwayHD all the time!

#allegiance #allegiance musical #asiantheatrenet #megumi hamada #naoto kaiho #george takei #japanese theatre #allegiancejp #allegiancejp2021 #japanesetheatre #linkpost #newpost #best worst queue #( if you haven't watched this show yet at all I recommend to watch the original Braodway production first #proshot is on BroadwayHD #and maybe other places

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kyber-crystal · 4 years ago

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Set Up

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Words: ~3.3k

Summary: In which the Avengers are relentless in their attempts to get you and Steve together. If this means going great lengths such as sending you off on a mission-disguised romantic getaway to make you realize your feelings for one another, they’ll seize the chance at the very moment it’s presented to them.

Warnings: None. Just tooth-rotting fluff bc I’ve really been needing it ahaha

A/N: Set in an AU 2017 timeline in which they reunite a year after the whole Accords situation so that everyone’s happy :)

"Rogers. Parasite. Stop watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine and get up, you need to get to the meeting room ASAP," Tony stated.

"Says the one who leeches off my granola bar supply," you grumbled as you shot him a death glare. "You've been doing this to me since I was a toddler. A helpless, two-year old against a 16 year-old demon always hungry for everyone's food but his own."

"Still holding the Full House cereal incident against me? Geez, woman, do you ever release your grudges against anyone," he sighed, rolling his eyes. "Now come on, let's go."

Exchanging a confused look with Steve, you stood up and followed Tony down the hallway to the meeting room, where Fury was with the rest of the team, waiting.

"Captain Rogers, Agent Y/N," Fury nodded curtly. "I presume you know what's going on?"

"No, sir."

"I need you two to track down a group of mercenaries in downtown Tokyo. You'll be flown out commercially so you can maintain a low profile. The whole process should take no longer than ten days," he explained as Natasha handed him the printed out flight details. "Further information will be given to you upon arrival."

"If it's just the two of us, then why is everyone here?" you pointed out.

"Barton and Maximoff will be checking in with you regularly; and if backup is necessary, I will fly one of them out to meet you. If you don't have any more questions, this meeting is now dismissed. You'll be departing late tonight so if I were you, I'd get to packing right about now."

...

Soon enough you were all packed and ready to go. Because you were too lazy to reach back into your suitcase and grab a sweatshirt, you took Steve's Dodgers hoodie and slipped it on, along with a pair of your favorite sweatpants.

"See you in ten days, okay?" Natasha pulled you in for a tight hug. "Make sure to keep Rogers company, it's a long flight. This is also the perfect opportunity to grow closer...literally."

"Oh shut up, Nat," you scoffed. "We're not...you know."

"Sure you aren't."

"Tony, why don't you get some good rest for once," you turned to your brother, "alright?"

"As long as you admit you're in love with Capsicle," he whispered into your ear.

"I can't admit what's not true."

"Yeah yeah, I can't understand bullshit."

"Tony."

"Y/N," he mocked. "Anyway. Have a safe trip, don't die, yada yada yada."

"Yeah yeah, got it."

A few more rounds of goodbyes later, you and Steve were in the elevator with your luggage, heading down to where Phil was waiting to drive you to the airport.

Your flight was scheduled to take off at 1:45 in the morning, and it was close to 11 p.m when you arrived.

"Your tickets, please," the lady asked as you were about to board the plane. You took them out from your purse and handed them over to her. "Thank you."

"How long's the flight again?"

"Uh...about 14 hours. Pretty long," you replied, as you walked down the aisles, looking at the overhead letters for your seat. "24A, 24B...there we go. Wait, have you been to Japan before?"

"No, I haven't."

"You're gonna love it. They have the best, I tell you, best ramen, and curry, hands down. When Nat, Wanda, and I went on our girls' vacation last spring we wouldn't stop eating for two days straight. I know we're tracking down cold-blooded killers and all, but, it won't hurt to let loose a little, you know?"

"Yeah, definitely," Steve couldn't help but smile at how happy you looked while speaking. "You gotta be our tour guide. I'm trusting you'll lead us to the best ramen hotspots?"

"Oh yeah, I will."

After putting your things into the overhead bins, you settled into your seats. The armrest between you could be lifted convert the seats into a double bed, you quickly found out.

Shortly after taking off you felt yourself grow rather tired. Noticing your sleepiness, Steve raised the armrest and pressed the button to make the seats recline backwards, your head immediately falling against his broad chest. He smiled again, brushing stray hairs away from your forehead before pulling the blanket over your bodies and falling asleep as well.

Little did either one of you know, you were being sent off to Japan for a completely different reason that had absolutely nothing to deal with tracking down mercenaries.

...

The smell of food wakes you up several hours later. You stretched your arms up and ran a hand through your hair as you sat up, adjusting your neck pillow.

"Hey uh, how long were we out for?" you asked, voice still thick with sleep. Steve was already awake, in the middle of watching a movie on his TV.

"4 hours. You knocked out for 5. It's time for lunch...or dinner?"

You tapped your screen a few times to pull up the map of your flight's route. "Right now it's 7:30 p.m. in Tokyo. We're arriving at 4:45 in the morning, so I'd say dinner."

"You sleep okay?"

"Hm? Yeah," you yawned, rubbing your eyes and adjusting the sleeves of Steve's hoodie. "You make a good pillow."

"No problem," he chuckled. You then turned to the flight attendant, who handed you your meals.

"Fancy," you nodded in approval as you passed Steve's tray over to him. "First class sure has its perks...oh yes, miso soup."

You binged your way through several episodes of Pretty Little Liars, I Love Lucy, and Star Wars: A New Hope together. Afterwards, you purchased Wi-Fi so you could update the team on your status.

CHATROOM - AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

Natasha: Morning, lovebirds. You guys in the air already?

You: Yeah, we're eating dinner right now. What time is it back home?

Tony: 6:45 a.m. Pulled an all-nighter binge-watching The Office.

Bucky: Totally worth losing an entire night's worth of good sleep.

Y/N: But I still don't get why we couldn't take the Quinjet?

Steve: ^

Rhodey: Do we tell them now, or wait until they land in Haneda?

Wanda: I'd say now.

Pietro: NO NO NO MAKE IT A SURPRISE

Steve: ...What's going on?

Tony: There's no mission.

Y/N: Wait, what? Then what are we going to Tokyo for?

Tony: I purchased a romantic ten-day vacation package so that you two will hopefully realize your feelings for each other along the way. Thank me later.

Y/N: SCREW YOU

Tony: Enjoy eating all the ramen you want!

Natasha: We're so good at matchmaking.

Thor: May I suggest a virtual high-five?

Peter: VIRTUAL HIGH-FIVE :))

Thor: :))

Y/N has left the chat.

Steve has left the chat.

Tony: They're gonna thank me when they see the penthouse I bought.

Tony has left the chat.

"Well, guess we're going on vacation. At least there's more opportunities to eating good food," Steve shrugged.

"Yup." You felt your heartbeat pick up speed at the thought of being alone with him, for ten days, in a country that was considered both futuristic and romantic at the same time. "Plenty of time to eat ramen and sushi."

Deep down, he was glad that there wasn't any mission. And so were you.

You took an hour-long catnap before waking up again and playing a few rounds of Uno with him, then stayed up for the rest of the flight. You both knew you'd regret doing so because of the 13-hour time difference between NYC and Tokyo, but you were too excited to care at that moment.

You were dazed and still slightly tired when you disembarked the aircraft, so you didn't have any energy to question how you and Steve ended up with your fingers intertwined. Besides, you liked the way it felt.

At close to 5 in the morning, Haneda International was relatively quiet and not too busy, so immigration didn't take long. You didn't have to worry about being bombarded by fans, aside from the occasional foreign fan recognizing you two and asking for a quick autograph or picture.

Since you wanted to explore the airport a bit before taking the train downtown, you looked around at the various shops.

Being a former spy alongside Natasha before joining the Avengers, you were fluent in multiple languages, including Japanese, Russian, French, Spanish, and German. And despite having developed the habit of always preparing for what was to come, you were completely shocked hearing a perfect Japanese sentence roll out of Steve's mouth as he spoke to the cashier.

You practically swooned at how smooth his voice sounded.

"Kore wa ikuradesu ka?" He gestured to one of the kokeshi dolls on display dressed in a sapphire colored kimono with cherry blossom embroidery. (How much is this?)

"3500 yen," the lady replied, "Hatsubai-chū, 3000. Kōny�� shimasu ka?" (On sale, 3000. Would you like to buy it?)

"Hai, kōnyū shimasu." (Yes, I'd like to buy it.)

"Kanojo no tame ni?" (For her?)

"Hai." (Yes.)

She nodded, and Steve handed over several folded bills from his wallet after she finished bagging the item.

"Arigato, gokigen'yō," he thanked her. (Thank you, have a nice day)

"Anata modesu," she smiled warmly. (You too)

"Holy crap, you didn't tell me you were fluent in Japanese, Rogers," you gaped as you walked out of the store together. "When did you have the time to learn it?"

"Back during the Pearl Harbor bombing, Buck and I were sent off with the 107th to Hawaii. Figured it'd be useful if we learned a few phrases."

"Few?" you raised an eyebrow at him. "What you just did back there, that was not just a few phrases! That was fluency!"

"What can I say, I pick up on language quickly," he grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. He then handed you the bag with the doll inside. "Here, for you."

"You didn't have to—"

"Consider it my thank-you in advance for taking me to a good eatery," Steve explained.

After grabbing a quick breakfast of coffee and pastries, you took the elevator down to the train station.

You let out a sigh as you sat down, the cool air inside the train loosening the tension in your shoulders a bit. A short fifteen minutes later and you were back in one of your favorite cities in the world.

Steve took a picture of you as you were distracted from looking all around at the skyscrapers and people milling around, face lit up by all the bright and colorful signs, sending it to the chat.

Steve: Just arrived downtown. Got out of the airport half an hour ago.

Tony: Honeymooning Avengers, how cute

Sam: That's hot.

Steve: What time is it over there?

Wanda: We just finished eating lunch. You?

Steve: 7. Going to check into the penthouse. Talk to you guys later.

Wanda: Alright.

Sam: Have fun, lovebirdssssss

Steve has left the chat.

"So," he breathed out as he slipped his hand back into yours and you exited the station, "you ready to go check out where we're staying?"

"Yeah, definitely. You wanna take the subway again, or a taxi?"

"Subway. Actually..taxi. You sound nice when you speak in a foreign language."

"That's the only reason why you want to take a taxi?"

"Yeah, obviously," you scoffed. "I mean, why else?"

"Alright, if you insist," the super-soldier laughed.

A few minutes later, you'd called a taxi over and climbed into the backseat, strapping your seatbelts on.

"Ohayögozaimasu," (Good morning) the man greeted. "Ogenkidesuka?" (How are you) "Īdesu, anata wa?" Steve replied. (Good, and you?)

"Watashi mo jōzudesu. Doko ni ikitai?" (I am good, too. Where would you like to go?)

You looked at your phone, reading out the address of Tony's penthouse to the driver.

A few minutes passed in silence before he spoke up again. "Watashia wa anata-tachi o shitte imasu. Anata wa abenjãzudesu," the driver smiled, glancing at you two from the rearview mirror. (I know you two. You're the Avengers)

"Watashitachidesu," he returned his friendly grin. (We are!)

"Tōkyō ni kuru kikkake wa nanidesu ka?" (What made you come to Tokyo?)

"Chōdo kyūka no tame." (Just for vacation.)

"Nokori no taizai o o tanoshimi kudasai," he said as you were getting out of the car after paying. "Sayonara."

"Sayonara," you and Steve responded before closing the car door behind you.

"Wow," your jaw dropped as you took the elevator up, arriving at the top floor. "Tony actually bought...this...place?"

"Apparently," Steve shrugged, "we could come back and forth between here and the compound as often as we wanted."

The penthouse had a nice, dark aesthetic feel to it, with giant panoramic views of the entirety of Tokyo and modern furniture and spots of dimmed white lights in the ceiling to give off a relaxed vibe.

After unloading your things, you sat down at the giant couch together and decided to plan out the rest of your day.

"When CoCo Curry opens at 11, we can go eat there," you explained as you typed up the plan in a new note. "Tony also snagged us tickets to Tokyo Tower at 3 p.m, so we have a few hours to spare after lunch."

"We can explore the gardens," he suggested. "I know you love doing that. There's a botanical garden in Shinjuku we can go to."

"Oh, that one! I didn't have the chance to go last time, so that's perfect," you added 'Shinjuku Gardens' to your list.

Soon enough you had your entire day planned out, and were ready to head out once again.

CoCo Curry was a quaint, little restaurant that hit you with a wave of tantalizing scents as soon as you walked through the doors and sat down at the bar-style seating area where you could watch the chefs cook your food.

"Gonichiwa," you greeted the chef standing behind the counter.

"Gonichiwa," he smiled back. He asked for your orders, and since Steve wasn't sure what to get you had two orders of your favorite dish.

Besides another couple sitting a few seats away, the restaurant was empty so you got your food in under ten minutes. The steaming hot plates of curry rice were set in front of you, and you felt your mouth water as you inhaled the rich aroma.

"This is so good," Steve spoke in between bites. "I'm literally in love."

"Told you I knew my stuff."

You eventually finished eating, and after getting into a small argument with Steve over who would pay (He ended up winning). "It's payback for ordering me good eats," he explained.

"You said that when you bought me the kokeshi doll," you pointed out.

"Still."

This time you decided to go by foot instead of taking the taxi, as the gardens were only a half-hour or so walk from where you were.

"Right in the middle of cherry blossom season," you sighed as the sweet smell of cherries drifted through the air. "Perfect timing."

You walked around the entire place, stopping every so often to admire the various colorful plants or look up at the pastel pink cherry blossom trees, gravel crunching underfoot with each step you took.

The mid-April breeze lightly fanned your hair around your shoulders. Birds chirped out a delightful melody, flying around the cornflower-blue sky. It wasn't too hot or too cold, and that was one of the many things you loved about visiting Asia during the springtime; the weather was bearable, compared to New York City's below-freezing temperatures in winter. You vividly remembered visiting the botanical gardens in upstate New York on a school trip once, and from then on you'd grown attached.

In the centre of the garden was a large lake with flowering lily pads and on the other side of the bank stood a quaint little temple, with a wooden bridge across the middle so visitors could cross over and look at the koi below.

"It's beautiful here," Steve commented as you made your way down the sidewalk, "I wish they had places like this back home."

"Yeah it is, isn't it," you breathed out, unable to tear your eyes away from the lovely sights. "I could do this all day."

"Hey, that's my line," he joked. You chuckled quietly, slipping your hand into his. He laced your fingers together in response, and you felt the butterflies flutter around in your stomach again the longer he held on, and those butterflies turned into hummingbirds as you looked up to meet his piercing gaze.

You're not sure how long you stay like that, gazing into each others' eyes, but it's only when a little girl stops and asks to take a picture that you pull away.

"Captain America and Agent Y/N!" Judging by her looks, she seemed like she came from the US as well. "Can I get a picture with you guys?"

"Of course, sweetie," you smiled. You brushed off the weird feeling you got when your skin made contact with Steve's, and gestured for her to come closer.

Steve scooped the girl up into his arms as she held your hand, and the mother snapped a few quick pictures before he let her back down.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed before skipping away.

At 2:20 you decided to leave and head out to the Tokyo Tower early so you would be avoiding any possible long lines. You were up at the observation deck within twenty minutes.

"This is just....wow," you breathed out, in awe of the breathtaking view you got as you stared out the panoramic windows, the reflective walls casting thin rays of light onto your faces.

If you thought the view from your penthouse was nice, this was a hundred times better. You had almost nothing preventing you from being able to see the entire city in all directions. The sun was hanging high in the sky, the skyscrapers piercing the horizon like pins and needles.

Steve couldn't help but let his gaze linger on you, the way your face brightened up at the sight of Tokyo's stunning view, the way you laughed and smiled more than you ever did back home. It was a rare sight, and he wished he could see you in this state more often. Oh, the things he'd do to keep hearing your musical laugh and million-dollar smile.

...

The next day was jam-packed with activities. You took a two hour train ride down south to Osaka, exploring the cup noodles museum, shopping downtown in Dotonbori, and stuffing yourself with delicious pastries along the way. Before you headed back, you decided to stock up on groceries at the local market.

You fell asleep almost as soon as your head hit the pillow that night, waking up to somehow finding yourself in Steve’s arms. You both woke up at the same time, confused as to how you had gotten yourselves into this position, but were too embarrassed and tired to ask.

This time, you decided to stay within Tokyo, immersing yourselves in going to as many districts as you could and doing as much as possible.

After a long day exploring the city, you were rather exhausted. With a cup of freshly brewed matcha in hand, you stayed quiet for a while as you soaked in the scenery, watching the city come alive late at night.

When Steve woke up from his nap a few hours later, he found you standing by the window. Smiling to himself, he got up, approaching you and wrapping his arms around your waist from behind, resting his chin atop your head.

"Hi," you greeted, setting your mug down on the coffee table besides you.

"Hey," he murmured into your ear. You closed your eyes and hummed quietly in response, letting your bodies rock back and forth to the rhythm of your steady heartbeats together.

"Watashi wa, anata o aishiteimasu," (I love you.)

A small smile tugged at the corners of your lips. "Watashi mo anata o aishitemasu, Cap." (I love you too, Cap.)

You stepped away so you could turn around to face him, and he pulled you back towards him and pressed his lips to yours.

He couldn't help but smile into the kiss, pulling you closer against him.

#avengers imagines #steve rogers x reader #avengers x reader #captain america imagine #captain america x reader #avengers fanfiction #steve rogers one shot #captain america one shot #captain america fanfiction #steve rogers fanfiction

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aion-rsa · 3 years ago

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Clark Gable and His WW2 Death Wish

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Clark Gable did not intend to see action when World War II came to America. Which is not to say he ignored the war. Gable was there that day in 1940 when President Franklin Roosevelt gave his famous “Arsenal of Democracy” speech from the Oval Office. And, indeed, the first thing the movie star did when he heard about the Pearl Harbor attack was cable FDR to offer his full support—and, tellingly, the besieged president promptly answered right back.

But then in the 1930s and early ‘40s, Gable was “the King of Hollywood;” the reigning movie star who could sell more tickets than anybody this side of Shirley Temple, and he didn’t have to sing or dance to do it either. He was a mustachioed and muscular alpha who appealed to everybody, even presidents, and was one of the few leading men who would tell Louis B. Mayer no (at least until casting for Gone with the Wind came along). The government saw the value in that kind of celebrity when the dark storm clouds of war gathered over Europe and the South Pacific, and so did Gable. Still, he was practically 41 when the bombs fell in Hawaii and more than happy to support the war from afar.

As he told fellow MGM stablemate Jimmy Stewart at the latter’s going away party in 1940—Stewart had just happily joined the Army—“You know you’re throwing away your career, don’t you?” When Stewart answered yes, Gable added, “You won’t catch me doing that, but I wish you godspeed.”

Gable had success, Gable had power, and for the first time in his four decades on this earth, Gable had something approaching peace thanks to his marriage to Carole Lombard, the firecracker screwball star. Yet in less than a year, all of those things turned to ash following Lombard’s violent death. When her plane went down in a fiery blaze, it was treated as a national tragedy around the country, and for her husband it was the beginning of the end.

The King became broken, despondent, and finally disillusioned enough to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Corps. To this day, some say he went to Europe with a death wish, and on at least one bombing raid, Capt. Gable almost had it granted as a Luftwaffe shell passed right between his feet.

Clark Gable and Carole Lombard posing for photographers shortly after their marriage in 1939.

The King and Queen of Hollywood

Women were always easy for Clark Gable, and for a time so were wives. The first Mrs. Gable was Josephine Dillon, 17 years his senior, and she was introduced to him as an acting coach by another woman who was his then-fiancée. As a handsome, if unrefined son of an Ohioan farmer, the 23-year-old Gable was perfect clay for Dillon. She turned him into her greatest student, teaching him how to lower his voice and hold your attention. As his patron and wife, Dillon also introduced Gable to all her Broadway connections and the adjacent stock companies. It was even as the star of one of those companies that he met Maria Langham, a wealthy widow and oil heiress who was also 17 years his senior.

As the second Mrs. Gable, Ria introduced Gable to Manhattan’s high society and exquisite living, teaching him social etiquette and the value of a finely tailored tuxedo. One wife taught him how to play at being an actor, and the other taught him how to play at being a gentleman. They served their purposes and they were both brushed off.

But Lombard? He couldn’t brush her off ever.

The first time Clark met Carole, it was a surprisingly chaste affair. The two were cast as the leads of 1932’s No Man of Her Own. Unlike many of his leading ladies in the 1930s, Gable made no passes at Lombard, who was married to movie star William Powell at the time and intended to remain that way. Nevertheless, they hit it off, as the breathlessly quick-witted Lombard did with almost everyone.

Gable wasn’t yet “the King of Hollywood” then, but he was well on his way. Two years later, he’d star in the film that popularized screwball comedies, It Happened One Night (1934), which won him an Oscar for Best Actor, and two years after that he would lead the granddaddy of all disaster movies, San Francisco (1936). By ’38, he was already Tinseltown royalty when then-gossip columnist Ed Sullivan overheard Gable’s drinking buddy and sometime-rival, Spencer Tracy, affectionately refer to him as “King.” Sullivan immediately lit upon the idea of holding a national poll for the “King and Queen of Hollywood.”

More than 20 million people voted and, by a huge majority, Gable was crowned “King” for the rest of his career. Meanwhile, Myrna Loy was elected “Queen of Hollywood.” The fact they were then filming MGM’s Test Pilot (with Tracy) certainly suggests the results might’ve been tampered with. It also likely struck Loy as ironic since her first encounter with Gable ended with her pushing him into a hedge bush after he drunkenly bit the back of her neck while his second wife, Ria, was sitting in a nearby car. Gable refused for years to talk to Loy socially after that rejection, including between takes on film sets.

So yes, the King was a womanizer—complete with a secret baby born out of wedlock to co-star Loretta Young—in a sham marriage at the beginning of his reign. But things began changing when he finally ran into Lombard again, and at last he found his matching monarch.

It was at the White Ball in 1936 that the pair’s paths crossed a second time. By now, Clark was fully estranged from Ria, and the two lived in separate houses. Lombard, meanwhile, had risen to her own stardom by bringing her transgressive life-of-the-party persona to recent screwball comedies directed by Howard Hawks and Ernst Lubitsch. Vivacious, whip smart, and an eventual inspiration for Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lombard was a hard-drinking and giddy star with her own orbit.

According to Clark Gable: A Biography by Warren G. Harris, when Gable saw Lombard on the dance floor, he went up and said, “I go for you, Ma.” After a moment’s confusion, Lombard realized he was quoting their characters’ nicknames for each other in No Man of Her Own from four years earlier. She responded, “I go for you too, Pa.”

For the rest of their lives, they’d always refer to each other as “Ma” and “Pa.”

Clark Gable and Carole Lombard play with horses at the Encino ranch in 1939.

The Love of His Life

That first night on the dance floor actually ended in the pair’s first of many fights. But in a trick that would come to define the pattern of their relationship, Gable woke up the next morning in his hotel room with two doves sitting on his chest. They’d been secreted there with a note on one’s leg: “How about it? Carole.”

Unlike Gable’s other romantic entanglements, Lombard always controlled the tone and tempo of their courtship while Gable offered Lombard an escape from the glamour goddess, society girl image she’d molded herself to in Hollywood. She was an athlete growing up and, alongside Pa, she picked up outdoor-living again.

Clark taught Carole rifling, skeet-shooting, and camping. In ’38, she joined what had up to that point been Gable’s all-male hunting club with fellow actors and Hollywood talent. When the other men complained about a woman being present and sharing their bathroom, she brought along her own trailer with a private bathroom—taunting Clark and the others by then keeping him out. She crawled in the mud next to the dudes, and would soon be on all of the Gables’ hunting trips.

The pair eloped in ’39 after three years of courtship. This occurred in large part because Photoplay magazine revealed the two were living in sin (Gable was still married and too chintzy to get a divorce). Shortly after the embarrassment, however, Gable paid off his second wife and Lombard became the third Mrs. Gable.

“I just think of that husband of mine all the time,” Lombard once said with her usual candor. “I’m really stuck on the bastard. And it isn’t all that great lover crap, because if you want to know the truth, I’ve had better. No, I’m nuts about him and not just about his nuts.”

When the two moved into their Encino ranch, Gable made his gun collection the centerpiece when you walked in the front door, and Lombard began raising chickens and cattle. It was about as far from Beverly Hills as you could get, or as Lombard enthused, “The best little shit house in the San Fernando Valley.”

It was here that Lombard planned to soon retire, beginning with a one-year sabbatical in an effort to have children. Yet after a year of trying, they only had two miscarriages to show for it. They agreed to keep trying, but they’d soon run out of chances.

Clark Gable and wife Carole Lombard circa 1940.

The Loss of His Life

When the bombs fell in Pearl Harbor, it was Carole who urged Clark to telegraph Roosevelt as soon as possible. She was also in the White House for the president’s fireside chat in 1940. And unlike Gable, she was furious when the president responded, “You are needed where you are.”

With the war finally here, Lombard urged Gable to join the Army in December 1941 while she hoped to join the Red Cross. For Christmas, instead of her usual lavish presents she sent all her friends engravings announcing she’d made a donation to the Red Cross in their name. And when she got wind of MGM publicity chief Howard Strickling trying to position Gable for a safe desk job in Washington D.C. for the course of the war, she told both men, “The last thing I want for Pappy is one of those phony commissions!”

Gable preferred helping the war where FDR told him he should—from the comfort of Hollywood. On Dec. 22, 1941, he presided over the first meeting of the Screen Actors Division of the Hollywood Victory Committee as its newly appointed chairman. The committee functioned as a way for Hollywood stars and leaders to organize all activities in support of the war effort. His wife was the first at the meeting to pledge her cooperation in donations, bond rallies, and touring the troops.

When a request came from the Treasury Department for the Victory Committee to launch Indiana’s participation in the national campaign of selling war bonds on Jan. 15, 1942, Gable recognized his Indiana-born wife as the perfect talent to send along. Carole was thrilled to go, although apprehensive about leaving Clark behind.

Gable couldn’t join his wife on her journey by train because he was about to start work on Somewhere I’ll Find You: his second film with Lana Turner. Up until then, Carole had been very open-minded about Gable’s continued infidelities and little affairs, even after they were married. She turned a blind eye to more than one rumor of him sleeping with a co-star here, or a starstruck journalist there, because she assumed you had to let Clark Gable be Clark Gable. But she drew the line over rumors about Clark and Lana, the latter of whom was infamously dubbed the “Sweater Girl” when she was discovered at a soda fountain at age 16. Blonde and buxom, Turner was 20-years-old when she first worked with the 40-year-old Gable. These stories did get to Lombard.

The evening before she left for Indiana, the couple had a huge blowout during which Clark failed to convince his wife he never slept with Lana Turner. The last night Gable and Lombard were under the same roof, they slept in different beds. The next morning, he did not see his wife off to the train station.

As with many of their fights, things cooled almost immediately. Before she left, Lombard still delivered a pack of handwritten love letters to her live-in secretary Jean Garceau to deliver to Clark, one at a time, everyday she was away. She also had the prank she planned before their fight still be delivered, so when Gable returned home from work that night he found a naked blonde dummy in his bed with a note. “So you won’t be lonely.” Gable reportedly laughed until he had tears in his eyes.

According to Garceau when the two talked by phone the next night, they sounded like “lovebirds” again. And according to the You Must Remember This podcast, Gable had Carole’s hotel room in Indianapolis be covered in red roses when she got in. But before even then, Lombard’s train stopped in Salt Lake City where she saw the troops marching and immediately telegraphed her husband, “HEY PAPPY, YOU’D BETTER GET INTO THIS MAN’S ARMY.”

On Jan. 15, Lombard intended to raise $500,000 in war bonds. Instead, she raised over $2 million. Afterward, she was so eager to get home to Gable following their fight that she decided she’d fly back to California instead of returning by train. This was expressly forbidden by the Treasury Department. Commercial travel was still relatively dicey, and they feared she’d be a target for Nazi saboteurs. Additionally, she was traveling with her mother Elizabeth Peters, a superstitious woman who’d never flown and was deathly afraid to start now. She was also there with Otto Winkler, Gable’s publicist and buddy who was best man at their wedding.

The morning their flight was to leave Indianapolis, Otto got Carole to at least agree to a coin toss. Heads they fly, tails they take the train. Carole won. From Indianapolis, they would make multiple stops, including Wichita, Albuquerque, and Las Vegas. TWA Flight Number 3 never reached Burbank.

That night Gable arranged a surprise party to welcome the three heroes back—as well as a surprise male dummy with an erection waiting for Carole upstairs. He was reportedly giddy waiting for the phone call from limo driver Larry Barbier, who was supposed to report when they landed. Instead, Clark got a call from MGM fixer Eddie Mannix.

“Can I get back to you?” Gable asked. “I’m expecting word on Ma’s arrival any minute.”

Mannix cut him off. “King, that’s why I’m calling. Larry Barbier just phoned from the airport. Carole’s plane went down just a few minutes after it left Las Vegas.” She was gone.

Clark Gable stands next to co-pilot Lt. Col. Robert W Burns beneath B-17 “The Duchess” after bombing raid in September 1943.

Clark Gable Goes to War

The fallout from the literal wreckage of Lombard’s flight was national news. A bewildered Gable joined Mannix and other MGM brass for their own chartered flight to Vegas. He could see the burning debris that Lombard’s flight smeared across Table Rock Mountain from the air. Locals in the city described it as “apocalyptic” and like an “inferno.”

Mannix refused to let Gable go on the rescue party climbing the mountain—convincing him Carole, Otto, and Bettie might have survived and were now walking to the city. So the star stayed behind and drank. The next morning, he received a cable from Mannix. “NO SURVIVORS. ALL KILLED INSTANTLY.”

In truth, the bodies of Lombard and everyone else on board had been more or less cremated by the fire after impact. And while Mannix couldn’t be certain, he believed he found what was left of Carole: a decapitated, charred body with a few blonde strands of hair and the remnants of a ruby and diamond pin Gable had given his wife the year before. He never told Clark about what he saw, but brought back the hairs and piece of ruby.

The next day, FDR sent Gable private condolences and publicly awarded Lombard a medal as “the first woman to be killed in action in the defense of her country in its war against the Axis powers.”

The official and (likely) reason for that flight’s crash is it was overloaded with servicemen and movie star luggage, and the pilot failed to see the mountain in front of him, on which all lights had been turned off to preserve wartime power. Although, according to Orson Welles (as per You Must Remember This), Hollywood and government insiders all knew Nazi saboteurs did in fact bring down the plane, and Roosevelt covered it up to prevent a nationwide panic.

In the months that followed, Gable grew quiet and despondent, losing 20 pounds despite drinking untold amounts of Scotch every day. He dined alone for all meals and began wearing a locket with Carole’s hair and ruby remnants within. According to household staff, he rarely slept and stayed up all hours of the night watching 16mm prints of Lombard’s old movies he had sent over (she’d given him the projector as a Christmas present). Now he had time for no woman except the one he lost.

When he discovered MGM was still trying to keep him from being drafted—with the age range now being raised to 45—Gable grew furious. A scriptwriter pal put him in touch with Col. Luke Smith of the Army Air Corps, who told Gable he should consider applying for training as an aerial gunner since it’s one of those jobs no one seems interested in.

“Everybody wants to be a pilot,” Smith told Gable. “Your becoming a gunner would help to glorify the plane crews and the grease monkeys.” Gable made up his mind to enlist in spite of the wrath of MGM head Louis B. Mayer. He also defied the constraints of his age of 41 by passing the physical—save for the need of getting triplicates of his new dentures (Gable had false teeth his whole career).

On Aug. 12, 1942, Gable enlisted into the Army air force. Right beforehand he told Jill Winkler, Otto’s widow, “I’m going in, and I don’t expect to come back, and I don’t really give a hoot whether I do or not.”

Capt. Gable posing for the press with a gunner’s weapon in June 1943.

The Aerial Gunner with a Death Wish

There is still much speculation over whether Gable actually wanted to die in World War II. His superiors eventually reached that conclusion based on his cavalier attitude, and he at least seemed ambivalent about the whole affair. However, it is interesting he joined the air force considering that, after Lombard’s death, he developed a fear of flying for the rest of his life. Following the war, he would always prefer to make his transatlantic crossings by ocean liners instead of planes.

But during the war? Frankly, he didn’t seem to give a damn one way or the other.

Gable’s biggest fear during the whole conflict was his struggle to pass officer’s training in a 90-day course stateside. A high school dropout, Gable was challenged by the academic course work, which he ultimately got around by treating each textbook like a script he needed to memorize.

Once he was an officer (and allowed to grow back his trademark mustache), he seemed in relatively good spirits for the first time in months. Before going overseas, he told Garceau, “I have everything in the world anyone could want, but for one thing. All I really need and want is Ma.”

In April 1943, Gable was shipped off to join the 351st Heavy Bombardment Group in Peterborough, England, about 80 miles north of London. Gable also received an automatic promotion to the rank of captain, although this had as much to do with the heavy losses of Allied officers as it did with Gable’s leadership.

In truth, Gable likely enjoyed playing the part of officer more than he entirely became it. The military loved letting him pose for the press as a gunner with a bombardier’s bullets wrapped around his neck, but that wasn’t his actual job. While Gable did on at least two occasions take on the role of aerial gunner in combat, his official role was as an observational gunner—he was there to pick up the weapons in the side or rear of a B-17 if the gunner operating it was injured or killed (which did happen).

Otherwise, Gable was there because the Army wanted him to film footage they could use as propaganda, glorifying the role of gunners. While in officer’s school, the Army reunited Gable with cinematographer Andy McIntyre, who would become his sidekick and cameraman in the air. And after his graduation, Gable arranged the transfer of his scriptwriting buddy John Lee Mahin, then a lieutenant serving as an instructor in Combat Intelligence, to join them. In all, Gable and McIntyre built a film crew of six men to film the other fliers on B-17 missions. They were called “the Little Hollywood Group.”

More than twice the age of many of the pilots and gunners he flew with, Gable found himself facing heavy skepticism in his early training.

“None of the kids believed he was going to do anything at all,” Mahin recalled in Warren’s Clark Gable biography. “They never thought he was going to expose himself to any kind of danger. They said it was all a lot of bullshit. It really killed Clark that the kids shunned him.”

The brass, however, loved Gable at first. Many of his superiors invited him nearly every night to dinner, an annoyance he’d soon relegate to one evening a week. And while he welcomed the press to photograph him at the planes, he also refused the special treatment of having private quarters set up, which earned him more respect from the young fliers.

He’d also soon prove himself as a member of Col. William Hatcher’s Chickens (a nickname for his bombing group) when he went up in the air on May 4, 1943. Hatcher was onboard the same B-17 that day as group commander and co-pilot; the 351st were tasked with taking out several factories in Nazi-occupied Antwerp, Belgium.

During Gable’s first combat mission, flak from ground defenses took out one of the plane’s four engines and its stabilizer. More unnervingly, after delivering the plane’s payload, a German’s 20mm shell pierced the center of the plane, with the corner of the shell passing through the heel of Gable’s boot—lifting it clean off—and then exiting the aircraft inches above Gable’s head.

On another mission, Gable took over for gunners who were wounded or killed (there was at least one of each that day). Fifteen holes were found in the fuselage. For Gable, such horrors were also a vindication, as he fully won the respect of the kids around him.

“They adored him,” Mahin recalled. “They couldn’t stay away from him. And he was proud that they accepted him.”

Portrait of Capt. Gable after arriving in England in 1943 as part of the the 351st Bombardment Group.

Hitler’s Prize

At Peterborough, Gable grew increasingly chummy with the other fliers serving. He bought a used motorcycle and would make small talk on trips around the base. And on more than a few weekends, he would head to London to screen at MGM offices some of the footage he shot in the air. He also would meet with his pre-war Hollywood chum, David Niven, who was serving as an instructor for British Commandos and had recently married and had a son.

“From then on our cottage became Clark’s refuge from military life,” Niven recalled. “With Carole’s death, he had been dealt the cruelest of blows, but on the surface at least, he was making the best of it. In his own deep misery, he found it possible to rejoice over the great happiness that had come my way, and he became devoted to my little family.”

Niven added, “Clark’s personal wounds seemed to be healing, but Carole was never far from him, and the very happiness of our little group would sometimes overwhelm him. [My wife] found him one evening on an upturned wheelbarrow in the garden, his head in his hands, weeping uncontrollably.”

Movies

Audrey Hepburn: The Secret WW2 History of a Dutch Resistance Spy

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Jimmy Stewart and the WW2 Mission That Almost Broke Him

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Still, Gable seemed to be settling into a new happy rhythm of camaraderie on the base, frequent trips to London, and even playing the field. He renewed an affair with a pre-Lombard paramour in London, the English (and now married with children) Elizabeth Allan. Nonetheless, he may have been enjoying himself too much for his superiors’ liking.

Robert Matzen, author of Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe and Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3, told me he believed Gable had a death wish.

“Carole Lombard, his wife, wanted him to go fight and she’s killed,” Matzen said. “So he then decides, ‘Alright, I’ll go fight and hopefully I’ll be killed too.’ That’s why he wanted to be in the Eighth Air Force, because he wanted to die in a plane crash.” Also, unlike Stewart, Matzen stressed, Gable never fully adapted to military culture.

Said Matzen, “Gable was much more interested in being Clark Gable in England than Jim Stewart was interested in being Jimmy Stewart in England.” This weighed on the mind of Col. Hatcher, as did the growing understanding that every B-17 Gable was on became a prize for Nazi Germany.

The day the 351st arrived in England, Nazi radio propagandist William Joyce, aka “Lord Haw Haw,” broadcast from Berlin the following: “Welcome to England, Hatcher’s Chickens. Among whom is famous American cinema star, Clark Gable. We’ll be seeing you soon in Germany, Clark. You will be welcome there too.”

Adolf Hitler apparently adored Clark Gable, considering him his favorite American actor. A movie nut with a love for British and Hollywood cinema, Hitler even allegedly smuggled a film print of Gone with the Wind before it opened in the UK. Hitler therefore marked Gable as one of the most prized “war criminals” in the Allied Forces, offering a handsome reward to any German soldiers who can bring Gable to him alive.

The actor was terrified of being paraded through Berlin like King Kong and was only half-joking when he told a friend, “If Hitler catches me, the sonofabitch will put me in a cage like a gorilla and send me on a tour of Germany. If a plane that I’m in ever gets hit, I’m not bailing out.”

While his superiors might’ve appreciated the sentiment, they feared the humiliating spectacle of one of their gunners becoming a Nazi political tool—or the actor putting a bigger target on their bombing group. Additionally, Gable didn’t follow protocol as intended, at one point threatening a military doctor after the physician apparently said nonchalantly that Gable’s pal had hours to live while the young man was awake and listening. And, again, the opinion became that he wanted to be shot down.

So it was in October 1943, after only five combat missions, Capt. Gable was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal for “exceptionally meritorious achievement while participating in five separate bomber combat missions.” Hatcher apparently pulled the strings to get Gable out.

Clark Gable in 1960 on the set of his last film, The Misfits, with Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift.

The End

Even though Gable’s time in combat ended in October of ’43, he still wound up with 50,000 feet of film at his disposal. He was apparently shocked when he learned the air force really didn’t care what he did with the footage since gunner recruitment was up. So he returned to Los Angeles, having been reassigned to the city’s photographic division. Allowed to cut the film at MGM, Gable put together five short films that could be used for instruction on operating B-17s. But by the time it made its way through the Pentagon’s chain of command… the war was over. The footage mostly still lies unused in government archives.

After finishing the films, Gable had expected to be assigned to a new bombing division in the Pacific Theater. As he waited months for the orders to come in, he found out on the news about the D-Day landing in Europe on June 6, 1944. Feeling forgotten and discarded by the Air Corps, he requested to be discharged on June 12, which was his right as a volunteer over the age of 42. A captain named Ronald Reagan granted Gable his discharge after 670 days of service.

Clark eventually re-acclimated to Hollywood and restarted his career, but by 1945 his days as “the King” were waning, and he saw more flops accompany his diminishing hits. He also had many more affairs with leading ladies, extras, and socialites. But for years he refused to marry, telling friends, “It wouldn’t be fair. I have nothing left to give.”

For the rest of his life, Clark mourned Carole, including on Jan. 15, 1944 when he was on hand for the launch of the SS Carole Lombard. Gable was supposed to speak at the event. Instead, he mostly cried.

Eventually he did remarry, twice, and finally had one child who wasn’t disowned in secret. But after the star died of a heart attack at age 59 in 1960, his fifth wife, Kay Williams, honored his final wishes: Gable was interred at Glendale’s Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Next to Ma.

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How to Choose the Best Pearl Harbor Tour

Introduction

Few experiences compare to visiting historic Pearl Harbor, Oahu, the location of the December 7, 1941 attack by the Japanese that ultimately drove the United States into WWII. This compelling destination—home to Pearl Harbor Historic Sites that include the USS Arizona Memorial and other poignant memorials—is the most popular place to visit on Oahu. With so many tour companies competing for your business, it’s key to choose the tour operator that best meets your needs and those of your fellow travelers.

Consider the following as you do your research. How much time do you want to spend at Pearl Harbor? Do you want to make a day of it or just visit the places that most interest you? While it's possible to visit all four of the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites in a span of roughly nine hours, the best way to experience Pearl Harbor is to choose the sites you want to visit. Are you traveling with children or teens? What’s your budget? Are you staying on Oahu or will be you flying in from Maui, Kauai or Hawaii Big Island for a one-day tour? When considering companies, look at their tour itineraries, their tour guides’ training, and the type of vehicles they provide. Do you want to be on a tour bus, a small van, or an SUV?

Here are a few things to keep in mind while planning your trip.

Pearl Harbor Historic Sites

Pearl Harbor is a majestic destination long recognized for both its beauty and strategic value. Long before it was a naval base, Native Hawaiians called the harbor Wai Momi or Waters of Pearl for its wealth of pearl-producing oysters. Today, Pearl Harbor is a National Historic Landmark, a Heritage Site of Hawaii, and the home base of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Pearl Harbor Historic Sites encompasses four distinct attractions:

1. WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument

USS Arizona - USS Oklahoma - USS Utah Memorials

USS Arizona: For many visitors, the USS Arizona Memorial is the first stop at Pearl Harbor Tours. On December 7, 1941, the USS Arizona was bombed and sank within minutes, taking with her 1,177 crewmen, a staggering loss representing over half the Americans killed during the worst naval disaster in U.S. history. The experience starts with a poignant 23-minute documentary film dedicated to the attack. A 150-passenger U.S. Navy operated boat then takes visitors to the USS Arizona Memorial, the iconic, white structure suspended over the remains of the ship. The Shrine Room features the names of the seamen who perished that day. This room also includes the names of survivors who lived out their lives, were cremated after death, and whose remains were placed in the ship’s hull in private ceremonies. Look down into the water and you may see drops of oil—often referred to as “Black Tears”—still oozing from the sunken ship. Plan for a two- to three-hour visit.

USS Oklahoma Memorial The Memorial honors the 429 men who lost their lives aboard the USS Oklahoma on December 7th, 1941. The monument consists of 429 white marble columns symbolizing a serviceman in pristine white dress uniform inspired by the naval tradition of “manning the rails” when the crew stands at attention along the rails or in the ship’s rigging to show respect and honor. The memorial’s black granite walls suggest the once formidable hull of the USS Oklahoma. Plan for a 15-minute visit.

USS Utah Memorial This Memorial honors the 64 men who lost their lives aboard Utah on December 7th, 1941. It only can be visited if you have a valid US military ID.

2. Battleship Missouri Memorial

The Battleship Missouri Memorial, just a ship’s length from the USS Arizona Memorial, completes a visitor experience that begins with the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and the ending of WWII aboard Missouri. On September 2, 1945, WWII came to a close when Japan signed its official and unconditional surrender on the decks of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. USS Missouri—the “Mighty Mo”—had an astounding career spanning five decades and three wars, from WWII to the Korean War to Operation Desert Storm. Plan for a two-hour visit.

3. USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park

The USS Bowfin, nicknamed the “Pearl Harbor Avenger,” was launched on December 7, 1942, exactly one year after the attack on pearl harbor tour.This fleet attack submarine completed nine successful patrols before arriving at her final, peacetime berth. The Bowfin is a National Historic Landmark and museum ship that showcases what it was like to live and work aboard a WWII era submarine. The Bowfin Submarine Museum features over 4,000 submarine-related artifacts and the Park’s Waterfront Memorial pays tribute to the 52 American submarines lost during WWII.

Plan for a one-hour visit.

4. Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor

Pacific Aviation Museum is housed in two historic seaplane hangars and the control tower on Ford Island that survived the December 7, 1941 attack. The museum showcases the vital role aviation played in America’s victory during WWII and its continuing importance. Hangar 37 features a 12-minute film about the attack along with authentic aircraft from the day of infamy and fascinating exhibits. At each end of Hangar 79, the doors’ blue glass windows are still riddled with bullet holes left by the attack. This hangar holds many modern jets and historic helicopters. Plan for a two-hour visit.

The Battleship Missouri Memorial, the Pacific Aviation Museum, and the USS Oklahoma Memorial are located on Ford Island and are accessible to the general public via an official shuttle bus departing from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center every 15 minutes. The USS Utah Memorial is not accessible to the general public. Visitors with a valid military ID may access Ford Island directly with their car.

There is no charge to visit the USS Arizona Memorial; the other historical sites charge admission.

Pearl Harbor Tour and Transportation Options

There are a variety of tour companies, tour guides, and transportation options when it comes to visiting Pearl Harbor.

Tour Buses

While many companies offer tour services and bus transportation to Pearl Harbor, not all operators offer the same caliber of service. Many companies that provide transportation are not necessarily providing professional tour guides with knowledge of WWII or the history of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Many companies may just provide a driver and no guide. The issue here is that you may be paying a premium price for a tour product that is not at all premium.

Personalized Tour Services

There are a few personalized small group tour operators specializing in Pearl Harbor. They provide friendly, personable, and knowledgeable tour guides who are experts on Pearl Harbor and WWII and a selection of well-appointed deluxe minibusses, private sedans, or SUVs to transport you in comfort and safety. You’ll enjoy a memorable and comfortable tour experience with a company that is licensed and insured to operate at Pearl Harbor. There is no better way to visit the USS Arizona Memorial and the other Pearl Harbor Historical Sites.

Taxis, Uber, Lift, and Limousine Service

There is also the option of hiring a taxi, Uber, Lift, or a limo as transportation to Pearl Harbor. While you may achieve your goal of reaching Pearl Harbor, you certainly won’t learn anything about Pearl Harbor or the history of this amazing destination. Hiring a limousine is generally the most expensive of these options.

Shuttle Services

Most companies providing shuttle buses are just providing transportation between Waikiki hotels, the airport, and Pearl Harbor. Their staff is not usually qualified to provide professional tour guide services.

Freelance Tour Guides

Freelance Pearl Harbor tour guides are becoming more and more popular because of many charges very little for their services. You can find them in the streets of Waikiki selling their Pearl Harbor tours. These freelance tours guides are not trained or licensed to operate at Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. Furthermore, they use their personal cars to transport you. This poses a risk to you because these freelancers do not carry the proper insurance or licenses. Furthermore, the quality of the tour will be very poor.

Pearl Harbor Tour Prices and Values

Your vacation is an investment in both time and money. If you choose a licensed, insured tour operator offering Pearl Harbor tours, you stand a higher chance of enjoying excellent customer service, an exceptional tour and vacation experience, and a great value for your vacation investment. Start your tour experience off right by purchasing your tour directly from a licensed, insured, locally owned Pearl Harbor tour operator and not a third party tour reseller or tour promoter. Here are the advantages of buying a tour directly with a Pearl Harbor tour operator.

Savings & Value

Purchasing your tour directly from the local Pearl Harbor tour operator will save you at least 30 percent. Many of the Pearl Harbor tour websites are third-party tour resellers and tour promoters who are not tour operators. Rather, they are selling Pearl Harbor tours for a profit and a commission. The legitimate Pearl Harbor tour operators are locally owned and operated companies authorized by the State of Hawaii to operate tours and will give you the best prices if you call them directly or purchase a tour directly on their websites.

Professionalism, Personalized Service, and Exceptional Choices

Licensed, insured Pearl Harbor tour operators will provide you and your family with memorable tour experiences. The online or phone agents are local experts will help you select the right Pearl Harbor tour for you. They can even help you select additional tours and activities that meet your interests such as such as the Road to Hana Tour on Maui, eco tours, volcano tours, cultural activities, luaus, and much more. Many of these activities can be combined with your Pearl Harbor experience. Well-trained, courteous, and knowledgeable guides will make your tour experiences unforgettable. And you’ll be transported in comfort and safety in well-maintained tour vehicles. Your satisfaction, happiness, safety, and well-being are of paramount importance to these companies.

Conclusion

Oahu is one of the most popular places to visit in the United States and Pearl Harbor is one of the most popular destinations on the island. You deserve a tour company that has your best interests at heart and will ensure that your visit to Oahu is all it can be. Choose a company that will take care of you and your group. Select a tour company that specializes in small group tours with expert guides who will bring the history of the attack on Pearl Harbor to life with passion and expertise. Discover Hawaii Tours are one such company. Locally owned and operated, Discover Hawaii Tours offers a multitude of Pearl Harbor tour experiences along with a range of other tours and all-inclusive vacations across Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii Big Island.

#pearl harbor tour tickets #pearl harbor tours #pearl harbor tour #pearl harbor tour honolulu #pearl harbor tours oahu #pearl harbor tour from kauai #pearl harbor tour ticket #hawaii pearl harbor tour #pearl harbor tours on your own #pearl harbor tours reviews

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shelleyseale · 5 years ago

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Six of the best museums in the USA to celebrate Veteran's Day

When it comes to honoring the men and women who have served in the United States military, there's no better way than learning some of the history and their stories.

The U.S. has a wealth of incredible history museums, but I've chosen these six that I've personally visited within the last few years, to recommend as top places to immerse yourself in military/war history, learn their stories and commemorate our veterans.

The National WWII Museum - New Orleans, Louisiana

I just visited this incredible museum earlier this week. Since its opening in 1991, this has been the preeminent collection focusing on World War II history; in fact, it's been designated by Congress as the official WWII museum of the United States. Located in downtown New Orleans on a six-acre campus, five soaring pavilions house historical exhibits, on-site restoration work, a period dinner theater, and restaurants. The museum tells the story of the American experience in the war that changed the world—why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today—so that all generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn. They do this through immersive exhibits, multimedia experiences, and an expansive collection of artifacts and first-person oral histories, taking visitors inside the story of the war that changed the world. If you go, do not miss the film Beyond All Boundaries. Narrated by Tom Hanks, this is a 4D experience that fully engages all your senses and emotions through the United States' participation in the war. INFO: 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 www.nationalww2museum.org/visit [email protected] 504-528-1944

National Museum of the Pacific War - Fredericksburg, Texas

Just an hour and a half west of Austin, this recently expanded museum in the charming town of Fredericksburg (a great place to spend a fun weekend!) extensively covers everything to do with the Pacific Theater of World War II. Discover the human story of WWII in the Pacific in more than 55,000 square feet of exhibit space spread over three galleries located on six acres in the heart of Fredericksburg, Texas. The National Museum of the Pacific War is the only museum in the continental U.S. solely dedicated to telling the story of WWII in the Pacific. Spanning six acres and more than 55,000 square feet, the National Museum of the Pacific War through multiple galleries, Nimitz Education & Research Center, Plaza of Presidents, Japanese Garden of Peace and a memorial courtyard. There's also an incredible outdoor live-action living history amphitheater, where reenactments take place seven times a year (tickets are separate from the museum and are recommended to be purchased online ahead of time, as they often sell out). I just visited this museum a couple of weeks ago for the third time, and got a tour of the living history theater and its educational program, which is quite impressive. INFO: 340 E Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624 www.pacificwarmuseum.org/visit/ (830) 997-8600

Pearl Harbor National Memorial - Honolulu, Hawaii

If you find yourself on the beautiful island of Oahu, you won't want to miss a visit to the Pearl Harbor memorial, which commemorates the attack by the Japanese on December 7, 1941 that launched the United States into WWII. I visited this site last year, and here you can not only learn of the history of Pearl Harbor, the invasion and the war; but you can even take a boat tour that departs from the site and takes visitors out into the harbor to view some of the sunken battleships and memorial markers for the ships that were sank, and the thousands of lives lost, on that fateful morning. View my full post about Pearl Harbor here. INFO: 1845 Wasp Blvd. Bldg. 176 Honolulu, HI 96818 www.nps.gov/valr/planyourvisit/index.htm (808) 422-3399

The National D-Day Memorial - Bedford, Virginia

This museum and memorial is dedicated entirely to D-Day, the June 6, 1944 Allied invasion of Germany-occupied France along the Normandy coast that was the largest amphibious military operation in history. It also was the turning point in the war for Germany's ultimate defeat. This memorial is especially meaningful to me because of a personal connection; my grandfather, E.F. Smith, Jr, was one of those soldiers in Operation Overlord (as the D-Day series of invasions was called). His unit went on to liberate St-Lo, and then to the famous Battle of Mortain, where my grandfather was captured by the Germans. He spent the rest of the war in a POW camp in East Germany until the Russians liberated it.

One incredible local story, and why the memorial is located where in this town, is that of the "Bedford Boys." They consisted of 30 National Guard soldiers from Bedford who landed on the shores of Normandy on D-Day. By day's end, 19 Bedford soldiers were dead. Four more died later in the Normandy campaign. Proportionately, the town of Bedford, then about 3,200 residents, suffered the nation's most severe D-day losses. I actually wrote a story about this for the LA Times, which you can read here. INFO: 816 Burks Hill Road, Bedford, VA www.dday.org/visiting-info/ 800-351-DDAY

Yankee Air Museum - Belleville, Michigan

This Smithsonian-affiliated aerospace and science museum with rare historical aircraft ranging from World War I to the Vietnam era. The exhibits include hands-on interactive STEM exhibits, science-based camps, educational tours, unique aviation artifacts, and more. For me, this museum had two really unique, cool aspects that I particularly enjoyed.

First of all, this is home of the Willow Run bomber plant, built by Ford Motor Company to produce fighter planes for the Allies' war efforts. The factory was three-and-a-half million square feet — the largest factory under one roof in the world — and the assembly line was over a mile long. Willow Run began producing B-24 Liberator bomber planes, making one every 55 minutes. By the time the Allies declared victory on May 8, 1945 more than 86,000 airplanes had rolled off the assembly line. It's also the place where the iconic Rosie the Riveter worked — read my story about that here. Second, you can actually take a ride in an original WWII-era plane! This was one of my most thrilling visits to a museum anywhere in the world, and the only place where you can do something like this. INFO: 47884 D St. Belleville, MI 48111-1126 yankeeairmuseum.org/tickets-hours/ 734.483.4030

Smithsonian - Washington, D.C.

Last, but certainly not least, is the extensive collection of Smithsonian museums and institutes in our nation's capital. Particularly the National Air & Space Museum is great for Veterans Day and war history visitation, with its one-of-a-kind artifacts such as Flak-Bait, the only World War II bomber of its kind to retain the original insulating fabric panels lining the interior of the forward fuselage. They also pay homage to units like the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, the only unit that stormed the beach at Normandy on June 6, 1944, and was comprised entirely of African American soldiers.

The National Museum of American History also has exhibits about military history. INFO: 655 Jefferson Drive, SW Washington, DC 20560 https://airandspace.si.edu/visit 202-633-2214 Read the full article

#history #military #MuseumofthePacificWar #museums #NationalD-DayMemorial #NationalWWIIMuseum #PearlHarbor #Smithsonian #veteransday #worldwartwo #WWII #YankeeAirMuseum

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karmatourshawaii · 1 year ago

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Embark on an unforgettable journey through our guide: "Top Things You Must Do During Your Hawaii Vacation." Dive into the beauty of Hawaii’s beaches, indulge in local culture, and experience thrilling adventures. From exploring Pearl Harbor to relaxing on pristine shores, find your dream vacation activities. Join us on this tropical odyssey!

#Private Pearl Harbor Tours #Pearl Harbor Hawaii tour #Pearl Harbor tickets #Pearl Harbor tours

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barclaybadger · 2 years ago

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Memorial Day Opportunity : Visit A Iconic Control Tower That Has Been Closed For Decades

For the first time in decades, a WWII icon opens; Tickets are on sale now. On Memorial Day, the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum plans to reopen the historic Ford Island Control Tower, which has been closed for decades. The Top of the Tower Tour, a new guided tour that includes access to the historic Operations Building, the Firehouse Exhibit, and an elevator ride to the upper cab of the control…

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desertsafaridubaiuae · 3 years ago

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Adventure Activities to Enjoy on Your Desert Safari in Dubai

"Desert Safari Dubai" is a professional company. Which offers the best Desert Safari packages and tours. Above all we aim at putting together the most memorable desert adventures for our valuable clients so that they carry with them, everlasting memories to enjoy and adventures. In short, our services have extended to the teams of thousands.

The adventure tours take you to the Desert safari of Abu Dhabi on a gondola ride over the Intouchables. You are welcomed by the flora and fauna of this most fragile environment. They lead you through the gardens of the world's tallest building and into the underground chambers of the world's first skyscraper, the Emirates Tower. At the conclusion of your unforgettable experience you are brought back on the gondola to take a refreshing dip in the refreshing waters of the Gulf of Aqaba. Each day has its own activities and you will be taken to a different location each day with a different theme and activity.

Morning Desert Safari:

For example, the morning desert safari takes the visitors to the desert of Sharjah where a traditional Bedouin village is situated. In Sharjah the visitors can participate in the traditional Bedouin lifestyle and also learn about their culture and traditions. The Sharjah tour also takes participants to other charming locations of the UAE. At the end of the day the tour takes the visitors to Dubai, which is considered as the jewel of the Persian Gulf. Dubai hosts some of the most amazing and luxurious hotels and attractions.

This is followed by an exciting camel trekking tour in Al Hajar Mountains. This adventure allows the visitors to see snow-capped mountains, dense forests, rolling plains, sand dunes and beautiful villages. After this desert safari in Sharjah the tourists can go down to the southern part of the UAE, where they can see pearl beaches, beautiful islands and breathtaking scenery. There are various tour operators who offer these four tickets booking pages, which are the first priority of the Dubai tourism industry.

The four-day Al Hajar Mountain tour starts with a visit to Sharjah's Old Town, which includes a visit to the tomb of the founder of Sharjah, King Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz. Then a trip to Al-Gabel and Al-Hafez Mosque is organized which witnesses the establishment of Islam's Holy mosques. The Sharjah tour also takes participants to the desert pass and takes them on a Jeep safari into the Thula Himyarite Waterfall and to the Al Hajar Mountains where there is a view of the rushing Thula Himyarite River. This Al Hajar Mountain tour is one of the most popular tours that takes the travelers through some of the most remarkable scenery in the UAE.

City Tour:

The Sharjah tour also visits the desert of Abu Dhabi, which is home to numerous shopping malls, restaurants, and luxury hotels. There is a leisurely drive along the coast from Sharjah to Satwa and then on to Fujairah. The drive covers the four regions of UAE that has its own share of adventure activities such as desert safaris, quad biking, snake charmers, desert camping and dune bashing. The trip ends in Al-Gabel and Al-Hafez. All these activities make the desert safari in Dubai, an experience of a lifetime.

Dune Bashing - this desert safari in Dubai makes the tourists take a" Picturesque Henna Experience" wherein they are transported to the world's oldest National Park. The participants are transported by a camel ride on the flat sands of the endless desert. The tour ends with a return journey to the camel ride location.

Another adventure tour that is arranged through the adventure tour company of Dubai is the hot air balloon trip. On this tour, participants take a ride to the sky and can view the magnificent cityscape of Dubai. This exciting tour is the ideal way to enjoy the beauty of Dubai. It is also ideal for the individuals who want to feel the touch of the sand on their skin.

A Wonderful Desert Safari

Desert safari is the perfect escapade for anyone who loves to explore new horizons and experience thrilling adventures. One can spend his entire lifetime touring the magnificent range of sand dunes, checking out the undulating waves of the Arabian sea, viewing the sun setting down on the Indian Ocean, while riding on camels and roaring through the rolling alleys of the ancient city. This safari is indeed an unforgettable experience. A tour to any of the four corners of the world is indeed incomplete without a desert safari trip. So, if you are also looking for an experience that will make your life long adventure into a memorable one, then make a Desert Safari a reality.

A desert safari can be made more exciting by adding some high speed activities such as desert safari cruising, sand dunes biking and quad biking. These can really make the trip all the more exciting. On a desert safari, one can visit places which are rarely visited by tourists and remain unknown. Some of the well-known destinations of a desert safari include Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Sahara Desert, China, Egypt, Sinai and many more.

The best part of a desert safari is the morning Safari where you can take a comfortable bed and start to explore the amazing scenery of the place. You may begin your tour in Cairo, where you can sight see the Pyramids from the harbor. The most famous attraction of Egypt is of course the Egyptian Museum where you can view Egyptian artifacts.

After Cairo, you can travel towards Amman, the capital of Jordan. Here, you can witness the religious awakening of the people who have adopted Islam. You may also opt for the camel trekking tour of the desert and can travel to Nuweiba, the oldest city in Jordan. Besides camel trekking, you can enjoy an adventurous sand boarding session at the Dead Sea. And if you want to go for a luxurious Amman hotel, then it is highly recommended that you book an adult ticket booking page.

Dune Bashing:

Next on your desert safari adventure tour, you can travel towards the Dune Bashing area where you will be treated to the exhilarating activity of dune basking. The cool breeze of the dunes will caress your body and refresh your spirit. Apart from dune basking, there are other activities to enjoy during your adventure tour of Israel. The adventure tour of Israel offers exciting tours like the Israel Electric Company tours, Haifa's Light Stick Tour, or the tour of Eilat. No matter what you want to do during your adventure tour, you can definitely enjoy a great desert safari and experience the thrill of nature.

There are two types of desert safaris - the overnight safaris and day-trip tours. Overnight safaris cover longer distances and provide you with a chance to see the sites more than once. The sites covered in overnight safaris include Asolo Gores Reserve, Beit Oehlon and the Wadi Rum National Park. Day trip tours are shorter and aim to give you the chance to see only a few places. The sites visited in day trip tours can be Asolo Gores Reserve, Haifa and Eilat.

Each desert safari Dubai tour package has its own highlights. It is highly advisable that you read the tour package details before you make your choice. It is advisable that you choose the tour package that covers all the destinations and activities you would want to see. If you are planning to visit many different destinations and activities during your desert safari Dubai tour, then it is advisable that you make a tour plan, before buying your tickets.

Dubai desert safari starts at the Al-Badirah National Camp on the outskirts of Dubai. Here you will be treated to some spectacular views of the red dunes of the UAE. From here, the safari travels towards the Haifa port to reach the city. At the Haifa port, you can visit the many beaches of the emirate including its famous beach - Jumeirah.

Reference Links:

https://desertsafaru.wordpress.com/2021/06/30/adventure-activities-to-enjoy-on-your-desert-safari-in-dubai/

#desert safari

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parksandheroes-blog · 6 years ago

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What to Know About Pearl Harbor Tours from Maui

Pearlharboroahu.com is definitely the most searched for after Gem Harbor tours from Maui in Hawaii. We supply you with the chance to vacation ever and live that fateful morning of December 7, 1941 once the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. We've planned our tours in a way that it's possible to focus on all of the four Pearl Harbor sites per day. Our friendly guides be sure that the whole travel experience last with you for any lengthy time.

Upon reaching the Pearl Harbor sites, the USS Arizona memorial is the initial place you'll visit where you'll be watching a 23-minute documentary recounting the way the attacks unfolded. Following this, you'll board a Navy vessel to reac the USS Arizona Memorial. At that time when Japanese Forces attacked the USS Arizona, total 1177 crew members died because it required only minutes to sink. You may still begin to see the hulk from the USS Arizona lies submerged. What they are called from the brave crew members which were martyred in Arizona are created in stone at one finish from the Memorial. You may still begin to see the drops of oil still leak in the shell of USS Arizona despite 70 many years of the attack. That's the reason it's known as the Black Tears from the Arizona.

Another significant memorial near by may be the USS Missouri, also known as because the “Mighty Mo” the Iowa-class battleship on whose deck the Empire of Japan surrendered, on September 2, 1945 once the ship is at Tokyo, japan Bay, Japan. Thus the The Second World War had formally ended. However, there are more historic sites in Gem Harbor that you could visit like the Off-shore Aviation Museum, the USS Oklahoma Memorial, and also the USS Bowfin Submarine.

We are recognized to present self-led Pearl Harbor tours from Maui. Vacationers from all across the globe call us once we take down to searching in the end your requirements for that tour for example tickets, bookings, an experienced guide, as well as admission to all of the battleships, museums, along with other Pearl Harbor historic sites. We'll also take you to view the museum exhibits and also the bookshop in the Gem Harbor Customer Center. Then you'll continue with your tour by next going to the Historic Downtown Honolulu. With the help of our skilled and expert guides, you're going to get to understand about Hawaii’s royal background and begin to see the popular landmarks related to islands’ time like a kingdom.

Highlights of Pearl Harbor Tour:

· Pearl Harbor Museums & Memorials

· Dole Plantation

· Polynesian Cultural Center Tour

· Historic Honolulu City Tour

· USS Arizona Memorial

· Aloha Stadium Swap Meet

· Pacific Aviation Museum

· Oahu Circle Island Tour

· USS Oklahoma Memorial

· USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park

· World War II Historic Narration

· Authentic Film Footage of Attacks

· Unique Displays of War Memorabilia

· Historic Downtown Honolulu City Tour

· Hawaii State Capitol Building

· Iolani Palace and Kawaiahao Church

· King Kamehameha the Great Statue

· Historic Ali’iolani Hale

· Punchbowl National Cemetery

#Pearl Harbor Tours from Maui

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bigjohnsadventuresintravel · 5 years ago

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Remembering Pearl Harbor

On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service launched a surprise, preemptive strike on the US. Pacific Fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor Hawaii. All around the island of Oahu, other US military bases and strategic locations of defense were simutaneously attacked by Japanese aircraft. The attack began at 0748 hrs., when the first of 353 Imperial Japanese aircraft , (consisting of two waves of fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo planes), broke through the clouds and began wreaking havoc on their unsuspecting targets below.

A japanese bomber soars up and over battleship row after releasing its payload.

In the aftermath of the Sunday morning attack, all 8 US Navy battleship were damaged with 4 sunk. The Japanese also sank 3 destroyers, 3 cruisers, 1 minelayer, and an anti-aircaft training ship. 188 US aircraft had also been destroyed in the attack; 2,403 Americans were killed, and another 1,178 others were wounded. By attacking the US Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor, the Japanese had hoped to prevent the United States from interfering with its planned military campaigns in Southeast Asia and elsewhere. One day after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States declared war on the Empire of Japan.

Big John at Pearl Harbor Memorial, Hawaii

Blessed with the opportunity to spend a considerable amount of time on the island of Oahu, I made it my priority to explore the Pearl Harbor Memorial, as well as other areas directly affected by the December 7 attack. These are just a few of the photos I captured along the way. It was my intention that these photos cause readers to pause and reflect on this momentous event that led the United States into World War II.

Although some of the sites at the Pearl Harbor Memorial are paid attractions, the USS Arizona Memorial is entirely free. If you plan on visiting the site, I highly recommended that you get there as early in the morning as possible as the tickets to the USS Arizona are all on a first come – first serve basis. The later it is that you reach the park, the longer it is that you will most likely have to wait. While waiting your turn to see the USS Arizona, there are a number of museum-quality displays to explore, as well as the USS Bowfin submarine, and a gift shop and cafe.

Going out to the USS Arizona is a very solemn experience. First visitors will be ushered into a theater where they will watch a moving documentary of the Pearl Harbor attack on a large screen. After the film, visitors will board a boat where US Navy sailors will take them out to the wreckage. During the entire tour of the USS Arizona, all talking and texting is highly discouraged. Photographs are encouraged and permitted.

US Navy sailors ferry visitors to and from the USS Arizona

Battleship USS West Virginia sunk and burning at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. In background is the battleship USS Tennessee.

The USS West Virginia was hit with seven type 91torpedoes on her port side while bombers struck her with a pair of 16 in (410 mm) armor piercing shells. The ship was sunk but did not capsize. The crippling damage to the USS West Virginia caused it to sink upright to the harbor floor During the attack, 106 sailors lost their lives. The USS West Virginia was eventually repaired and saw action during many World War II battles in the Pacific.

Survivors of Pearl Harbor described the scene as a literal hell on earth. Everywhere there were explosions, screams and fire. Sailors jumped from their ships into the harbor, covered in oil and fully engulfed in flames. All the while, Japanese planes continued their onslaught while brave sailors, Marines, and aviators tried to repel their attack.

The USS Arizona (BB-39) explodes violently as a Japanese bomb detonates inside a powder magazine.

For 1,177 officers and crew of the USS Arizona, there would be no future war stories to be told. For the men that died aboard the USS Arizona, the war ended even before it had begun. Unlike many of the other ships that were sunk on December 7, 1941, the USS Arizona was well beyond repair. The wreckage of the ship, along with her valiant men, still lie at the bottom of Pearl Harbor.

The USS Arizona Memorial with USS Missouri in the background.

The USS Arizona Memorial is an actual gravesite as many sailors are still entombed inside the hull of the ship. The memorial was designed by Alfred Preis, an Austrian-born architect who was sent to a US internment camp after the Pearl Harbor attack.

Although the memorial is positioned directly over the wreckage of the USS Arizona, no part of its structure actually rests on the ship.

To this day, considerable amounts of oil from the ship still seep to the water’s surface.

The names of all lost who served aboard the USS Arizona and lost their lives on December 7, 1941.

An actual anchor belonging to the USS Arizona that was recovered in Pearl Harbor.

The USS Bowfin (SS-287), a Balao-class submarine, saw action in the Pacfic and is now moored at Pearl Harbor, HI.

The lone sailor now stands watch over Pearl Harbor and is a tribute to all those who served in the sea services.

A WWII era torpedo

Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, American Naval Command believed that Pearl Harbor was too shallow for a successful torpedo attack. In planning their operation, the Japanese modified their torpedoes to operate effectively in only about 40 feet of water. The Type 91 torpedo, which was deployed in the attack, was an aerial torpedo designed to be launched from an airplane. The torpedo’s wooden stabilizers were shed from the tail fins immediately upon water entry and the weapon power-glided towards its target just below the water’s surface.

Map showing the December 7, 1941 attack on the island of Oahu.

The Pearl Harbor Naval Base wasn’t the only thing on Oahu attacked on December 7, 1941. The Japanese also struck Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield, Hickam Airfield, Bellows Field, Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, and Ewa Mooring Mast Field. Along with the numerous military personnel killed and wounded, there were also 49 civilians who lost their lives that day.

A restored Japanese Zero at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum on Ford Island, Hawaii.

Many Japanese pilots carried these “good-luck” banners with them inside the cockpits of their planes.

Actual wreckage from a Japanese fighter plane.

On December 8, 1941, Sakamaki became the first Japanese prisoner-of-war as he stumbled out of his beached mini-submarine at Bellows Air Station, Hawaii.

Sakamaki was commanding a 79-foot submarine armed with twin 18-inch torpedoes. His mission to destroy the USS Pennsylvania was cut short when it got stuck on reefs at Belllows Air Station and them bombed by US piloys patrolling the area.

My son, Jonah, stands in the same spot the Japanese submarine washed to shore.

This map was found in the beached submarine showing the entrance to Pearl Harbor.

The big barracks at Hickam Field was set ablaze after being strafed and bombed by Japanese aircraft.

During the attack on the barracks, a bomb directly struck the mess hall during breakfast and killed 35 men. In total, the casualties on Hickam Field totaled 121 men killed, 274 wounded and 37 missing.

Today, the Hickam barracks serve as the Headquarters for the Pacific Air Force.

This flag, which once flew proudly over Hickam barracks, was rescued from destruction on the day of infamy.

The Courtyard of Heroes inside the courtyard of the Pacific Air Force Headquarters Building (formerly Hickam barracks).

Those that view the bullet holes and shrapnel damage to these walls are reminded to always stay vigilant.

A wall of remembrance at the Pacific Air Force Headquarters Building

A Japanese dive bomber aims for the runway at Ford Island and Battleship Row.

Tora! Tora! Tora! (Photo courtesy of www.worldwar2database.com)

This view was captured from from the top of Ford Island’s control tower as Hangar 6 burned after being struck by multiple bombs. Men can be seen pushing planes away from the carnage while trying to fight back the flames. Imperial Japanese Navy Captain Mitsuo Fuchida broadcasted the words, “Tora! Tora! Tora!” (Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!) to signal a successful surprise attack. Captain Fuchida later recalled, “When Lieutenant Commander Takahashi and his dive-bombing group mistook my signal and thought we were making a non-surprise attack, his fifty-three planes lost no time in dashing forward.”

The tower on Ford Island as it appears today.

These glass panes still carry bullet holes from the December 7, 1941 attack.

The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum on Ford Island houses a Boeing B17 Flying Fortress. Visitors to the museum can see this heavy bomber, along with many other planes that helped America win the war in the Pacific.

The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was one of WWII’s most famous fighters.

This Douglas SBD (slow-but-deadly) Dauntless was the navy’s premier dive bomber of that day.

This massive burial ceremony was performed for the men killed at NAS Kaneohe Bay during the December 7th attack.

This signpost represents the crossroads to war in the Pacific.

Following the vicious attacks on Pearl Harbor, nearly every able-bodied American rushed to the recruiting office to do their part for the war effort.

My maternal grandfather, Robert Triebull, (on the right), crouches for a snapshot outside the Lan Ting restaurant, Waikiki, Hawaii.

Robert Triebull enlisted in the navy. He drove Marines to shore on landing craft (LCVP) during seven major battles in the Pacific. Click on the following link to read more of his story:

Diary of a Higgins Boat Sailor in the Pacific

My paternal Grandfather, Richard Cutler, serving as a Marine in the jungles of the Pacific.

Richard Cutler joined the Marines when the war broke out. He served as a rifleman and also played the saxophone in the Marine Corps band. Read more of his story by clicking this link:

A Leatherneck with a Saxophone Takes to the Pacific

Many scenes from the Pacific Theater can be revisited at Pearl Harbor Memorial.

The USS Missouri (BB-63) is now permanently moored at Ford Island, Hawaii, USA.

Signing an end to WWII aboard the USS Missouri Battleship.

On September 2, 1945, the Japanese joined with allied forces aboard the battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) to sign the Instruments of Surrender. This event marked the allies’ victory over Japan and the ended the war.

Big John takes his mother to meet Sterling Cale, one of the last remaining survivors of the Pearl Harbor Attack.

Sterling Cale is a true American Hero. He went on to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor, only to serve again in both the Korean War and Vietnam. On the day of our visit, Sterling Cale was at the park signing autographs for his inspiring autobiography.

Remembering Pearl Harbor

Through the passing of time, historical events can become so distant that they adopt an almost abstract quality to them. In remembering Pearl Harbor, I hope we always remember that the men that died there, and those men and women that ultimately served and sacrificed in the Second World War, were not some abstract figures in some bygone, abstract event. The attack on Pearl Harbor – the day that will live in infamy – involved the very heart of America, our very own families and friends.

Happy travels,

Big John

#Hawaii #Oahu #pearl harbor #WW2

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