This memorial was by far the most beautiful and most meaningful for me. Being from Hawaii, Pearl Harbor “hit home” in more ways that one because the attack was in our backyard. The Freedom Wall, on the west side of the memorial, has 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100 Americans who died in the war. In front of the wall lies the message “Here we mark the price of freedom”. I literally got chicken skin when I read this and realized just how many people died in World War II.
My mom and I made a point to take a picture under our state’s pillar. There was a pillar for each state that had soldiers that fought and died in the war. In the middle of the memorial is a reflecting pool with numerous fountains. Ke’alohi was especially interested in the water and the fountains but mostly because there was a duck hanging out in the pool near us. No one could break her attention from the little duck and given the chance, I’m sure she would have drove right into the pool to play with it. My brother, being the dare devil that he is, actually got the duck to come out of the pool and sit with us by giving it some of Ke’alohi’s snacks.
It is hard to describe the feeling when you are at all of these memorials seeing the names, numbers and pictures of people who paid the ultimate sacrifice for your freedom. All I can say is thank you.
