Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
1 Arizona Memorial Place
GPS coordinates: 21.3648,-157.9499
Take a photo of your rally flag with the above image.

On December 7, 1941, during a surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy, four of the eight largest U.S. naval battleships were sunk in Pearl Harbor. The other four suffered major damage. Eight other naval vessels were sunk or badly damaged. 188 aircraft were destroyed at nearby airfields. 2,402 people died, 1,247 were wounded. Two of the battleships, one being the USS Arizona, still lies on the bottom along with the 1,177 bodies of sailors caught below deck that day.

In spite of all what’s written about Pearl Harbor, nothing comes close to a visit in person to this world-renowned memorial and Hawaii’s largest tourist attraction. Anyone with the slightest interest in military history should make a trip here at least once.

Pick up a free ticket and then board a Navy tender that ferries visitors to the monument straddling the USS Arizona. Once there, visitors are free to walk about, take in the exhibits, smell the still-leaking fuel after 65 years and talk with the docents. One elderly docent claims, “It’s the best job I’ve ever had and I don’t get paid for it.”

One story he talks of regards what happens when a Pearl Harbor survivor passes away. The family is given the option of a military ceremony on the memorial complete with 21-gun salute. If the honoree was cremated, a team of two Navy divers hold the urn aloft for a last chance for the family to see it, then dives down to place it into the ship’s hold, a permanent resting place alongside his comrades. Ask the docents about the only woman's ashes placed there. Or about the outdated anti-aircraft guns that caused the civilian casualties. So many stories...

Get there early because the tours fill up fast. Also includes an excellent video program on the events leading up to December 7 and how the surprise attack shook America to it’s core. An auditory tour is available, narrated by Ernest Borgnine. Removal of hats is advised on the memorial site.

Bonus stops: One can spend hours in the gift shop itself, or visit the many outdoor exhibits around the nearby USS Bowfin Submarine Museum. Nearby is a memorial with 52 plaques honoring the downed submarines from World War II, and the names of each of the submariners. Outdoor exhibits include examples of torpedoes used in the war, including steam-driven, electric, harpoon and missile-torpedos.

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Hawaii is a place like no other for motorcycle riding: excellent year-round weather, the scenery, good roads, all converge to offer motorcycling paradise. Tour of Honor participants can get a motorcycle rental discount by showing their rally flag at Cruzin Hawaii. Also ask them about group discounts, up to 25% off.