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One thousand one hundred and seventy-seven souls rest beneath the clear waters of Pearl Harbor. Sixty-five years ago, they perished onboard the Arizona which lies below the Memorial. I stared into the water at the outline of the battleship corrosion slowly melting the thick haul. Two tropical fish idly searched for food. It was the event that changed my father’s life as it did every single person in the United States on that day December 7, 1941.

In the darkened theater we watched a brief video of the attack. It was impossible to keep tears from falling. Few spoke on the boat ride to the white building that seemed to hover above the blue waters. I could not comprehend the brave, heroic acts of many young men in the midst of chaos and confusion spawned by the surprise attack that Sunday morning. How could I ever thank the men who paid for my freedom with their lives? By paying silent respect to their resting place. By remembering, never forgetting. I wondered how we can so easily place 9/11 in a distant place, the event removed from our present threat.

I spotted a young man who wore a ball cap with the campaign of Iraq. I asked him if he served in Iraq. He said yes. I shook his hand and thanked him for his service. Freedom is not free and the greatest achievements of our nation occurred because young men went to war to fight.

At lunch we shared a table with a gentleman from San Francisco who had toured the Missouri that morning. He suggested we take the guided tour, as he had an excellent guide who had served as the steward for the captain. I don’t think we had any intention of taking a guided tour, but when I was asked at the gate if we liked to have a guide I said, “Only if our guide is the gentleman who served onboard.” Turned out that gentleman happened to be standing there. Of course they wanted to know how we knew of Toby.

Toby greeted Dad as a special guest once he learned that Dad had been a World War II prisoner of war. Dad’s celebrity status got us into a couple of places that only few get to see (Dad got to sit on the captain's bed.) Since Dad knows someone who served onboard the Missouri when Japan surrendered, Toby gave Dad his card since Dad's friend has some Missouri memorabilia.

Toby was full of stories about being onboard the great battleship. If you ever get to Honolulu and decide to take a tour of the Missouri, ask for Toby. It will be a memorable expereince.