Tip 1: If you visit the USS Arizona Memorial, book tickets weeks in advance. They sell out faster than Taylor Swift tickets.
Tip 2: Bring a jacket. The harbor breeze is deceptively chilly, even in Hawaii. You don’t want to shiver through history.
Pearl Harbor Ships Sunk
Tip 3: Don’t ask the ranger “How many ships sunk?” without a follow-up question. They love talking about the Nevada’s escape. Trust me.
Fun Facts to Sound Smart
Only two ships from the attack are still afloat today: the USS Oklahoma? No—wait, she sank and was sunk while being towed. Nope. Actually, the Oklahoma was raised and sold for scrap but lost at sea in a storm. That ship just couldn’t catch a break.
The Pennsylvania, the flagship, was in dry dock and escaped major damage. She went on to earn eight battle stars. Talk about karma.
And here’s the wildest bit: the Japanese thought they sank the entire Pacific Fleet. They didn’t. The carriers were out at sea. That mistake cost them the war.
