A continuation of my (Cam’s) time in Pearl Harbour
July 4th – the United States Holiday
July 4th fell on the harbour phase and that was a “day-off” for most people. We were told to enjoy the local area because when the exercise started we would be 24/7 with very little time off. Hawaii is a special place, however they have many of the similar issues every other community has. As we were shy of things to do on July 4th, we reached out to a number of local organizations and asked if they had any need for a large work party. In the end we spent ½ a day at Maunawila, which is a traditional Hawaiian place that had fallen into disrepair.
About 25 of us drove an hour north to the small village of Maunawila. We were given a tour of the ancient grounds, then learned some of the traditions and cultural beliefs. After doing this, we pitched in and spent 2 to 3 hours, moving a load of gravel and rebuilding a wall in a traditional house. It was a lot of physical work but an truly amazing experience and extremely rewarding. The head of this organization told us it would’ve taken them two months or more to complete what we did and they were most grateful for our efforts. The picture is of me sitting on the wall we built from scratch that morning. I did ask and it was perfectly fine to sit on the wall.
Stopping to enjoy the ocean
On the way back to the base, we stopped on the North Shore and went swimming in the ocean. We were back on the Base in the evening, and of course, the fireworks on the military base were exceptional. It was a great way to spend the Fourth of July as a guest in America.
RIMPAC goes “Live”
The operational tempo picked up after July 4th, and did so daily work load. We went through a “crawl, walk, run” program that allowed us to develop the skill set needed to accomplish our mission. On July 8th the ships started to sail, it took three days for all 39 military vessels to leave Pearl Harbour, including the aircraft carrier with its 60+ combat aircraft.
I managed to get a few days off during my time in Hawaii. Snorkelling, hiking and wandering were the ways I found to pass my days. There is usually someone around who will also be looking for something to do, so finding a friend to tag along with is pretty easy. I was able to tour the Battleship USS Missouri, which is docked along Battleship row. The Missouri is docked in front of the USS Arizona memorial. The Arizona was the only Battleship not raised after the Japanese surprise attack of December 7th, 1941.
It wasn’t always fun and games…
Now, before you judge and think “wow, that’s a paid vacation”, I should point out some of the not so glamours things that took place. My normal start time was 06:00, however that got changed after a few days when things were adjusted. My new starting time was 05:30 which means a pretty early start to the day. I would usually be done by 1 PM, however sometimes I was there as late as 4PM. During the day I was working on Ford Island, the focal point of the December 7th, 1941 attack.
The Pacific Warfare Centre was my workplace and I was inside a large building with no windows. Cellular phones and other similar devices such as smart watches, iPads, cameras, etc. were not allowed inside due to security. I would sneak outside once in a while to see the sunshine and the water around Pearl Harbour. Our location provided a first-class view of ships entering and leaving harbour when we could get outside.
Evening relaxation
In the early evening, I would often go for a swim at the outdoor pool or the beach on Hickman side of the base. The beach may not have had the views of Waikiki, but it lacked the throngs that were on Waikiki and was safer than being on a military base.
Having a sunset dinner on the beach at Pearl Harbour
In less than a week, my time in Hawaii will come to a close for this trip. I can’t believe I’ve been here for over five weeks already! I’ve learned a lot but I’ve also missed a lot. Summer is the best time to be on Vancouver Island. Missing the festivals, concerts and outdoor activities was not ideal, but necessary to be on this deployment.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned. Our fall trip is coming up where we’ll be heading to some fantastic international destinations!
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