Pearl Harbor Project

Alright my friends, this is it. I am going to attempt to tackle the entire Pearl Harbor Project in 1 blog post. Of course, I won't be able to do it justice, but I can try.

To make this easier, I will merely insert my commentary and pictures into the itinerary for the trip. Hopefully this will make things a little bit easier and I won't forget as much stuff.

Itinerary items will show up in blue.

First of all, leading up to the trip were fourteen months of preparation. This was definitely not a spur of the moment thing. The entire band studied a lot of history in order to be able to do this. We memorized the Gettysburg address, the preamble to the constitution, and a few songs; we took history tests; we watched movies and read books about pearl harbor, such as Pearl Harbor Ghosts, which is quite an amazing book that I recommend highly. I learned a lot from that. We listened to veterans lectures, we researched veteran relatives, and we all wrote a research paper. It was extremely neat and special to learn about Pearl Harbor and what happened prior to, during, and after the attack. 

After over a year of early morning rehearsals and learning and studying and practicing and performing, it finally arrived. 

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22

6:15am                  Final early morning rehearsal

You know, in a way, the rehearsals were really fun. I immensely enjoyed playing and listening to the fabulous music, even if it meant no sleep.

2:30pm                  Set up chairs in the commons after school

6:15pm                  Band meets in bandroom for warm-up in full uniform

7:00pm                  Farewell Concert/Lecture presented in the THS Commons

I really love our tribute that we put together. All of the music was beautiful and extremely meaningful. We started out the program with the Star Spangled Banner, followed by Triumphant Fanfare, which we also played in the fall show. I was on a different drum for Pearl though, so I had to learn a whole new part for that. It was pretty hard to not get them mixed up. After Triumphant, the band would play Eternal Father, which the percussion did not play in, but we sang the words to. Next in line was Semper Fi, which was also the march that we played in parades. Following that was my very favorite song ever, Hymn to the Fallen, by John Williams. After that we played the Armed Forces medley, then Eternal Father, and last of all came America the Beautiful.

8:00pm                  Concert ends; All students must complete the following before going home:

·         Pack instruments securely and tape cases closed (use gaffer’s tape only)

·         Attach a Gateway ID tag to instrument

·         Get second Gateway ID tag (to attach to suitcase at home)

·         Get Dr. McKee Hawaiian shirt

Oh, how I love the McKee Hawaiian shirt. It was really fun to have the entire band wear that bright blue all at once. We must have been quite the sight.

·         Check out w/ Section Leader before going home

·         Section Leaders check out w/ Dr. Fullmer before going home

9ish pm                  All students must complete the following before going to bed:

·         Triple check items to pack (especially uniform parts)

·         Be completely packed

·         Attach Gateway ID tag to suitcase

·         Set out Hawaiian shirt to wear on travel day (no exceptions)

·         Tell your mother you love her and you’re sorry you’ve been rotten

Yes, I actually did this.

11:00pm                               Lights Out (Bao & Nicole will come around to your homes for room check)

They never did come around. That's probably why I stayed up too late packing. :)

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 (Everyone wears the Dr. McKee Hawaiian Shirts today)

6:30am                  Bandroom open; set suitcase and instrument in designated areas (not on the bus yet)

7:00am                  Take Roll in Timpview Bandroom

1)       Silently make contact with your chaperone (YOU find THEM)

Rob was a good chaperone. He's a good guy.

2)       Silently make contact with your section leader

Mallory is the best sectional leader in the entire world. No joke.

7:01am                  Meeting in Bandroom

7:15am                  Begin loading by assignment. Every suitcase and instrument must have a Gateway

tag before being loaded on the bus. SEE your bag and instrument get on the bus.               

7:45am                  Leave Timpview

9:00am                  Arrive Salt Lake City Airport; leave nothing on the bus

·         Find Dr. Fullmer at Delta group check in

·         Government ID required for all passengers 18 years of age and older

·         Timpview goes through security together

·         ABSOLUTELY NO NONSENSE IN SECURITY. Keep your mouths closed (stealth mode) and your manner serious. Move directly to your gate for roll. Get permission from your “parents” to leave the gate area. No one goes anywhere alone. Lunch ($)

11:15am                               Take Roll at the gate. Begin boarding Delta #1105. PLEASE KEEP VOICES LOW (WHISPERS)

ON BOARD THE PLANE. If you let your excitement and enthusiasm carry to your voice, it can

be overwhelming and annoying to others. Please be courteous towards the other passengers.

12:05pm                               Depart SLC. Reset watches to Honolulu time (back 4 hours).

This was my first plane ride that I can remember that was longer than a couple hours. It was quite enjoyable! The little movie screen in front of me was pretty nifty, and I liked the random snacks that those cool people would bring to us. I wish I could've had a window seat, but such is life. It was still awesome. I was very excited.

3:55pm                  Aloha! Timpview Pearl Harbor Band arrives in Honolulu after 14 months of preparation

Oh, sweet mystery of life at last I've found thee! Hawaii was just so perfect!!! Everything I dreamed and more. 

 Finally arrived in Hawaii, and they even gave us fancy leis!

·         Did you see Pearl Harbor from the air?

Of course I did!

·         Say hello to our tour coordinator Kelli

She was really nice.

·         Baggage Claim; Find your bag; Put it where Kelli says; You won’t see it for a few hours. (This is why you don’t pack anything you will need for the first day)

·         Find your instrument. Check for damage while still at the baggage claim (It is nearly impossible to claim damage if you leave the area). Put instruments under the bus.

Tada, time to find the instrument, and I couldn't find mine. It's a bass drum, it's pretty big, shouldn't be too hard to spot, right? Well, I waited until all the other band kids left with their instruments and discovered that there was a tenor player and three sousa players who also could not locate their instruments. We waited there for a bit until finally a nice Polynesian man brought out the rest of the instruments on a cart. Except mine. 

So, the last of the people left, except for me. The man said he thought that was the last of the instruments, but he would go back and check. After five minutes of nervous waiting, he finally came out with my drum. The handle was snapped off the case, but other than that it was fine. I was very worried for a bit though.

The buses for the entire trip were yellow and happy looking. I liked 'em.

 Awesome party on the bus. 

We got our first views of the amazing sunshine and greenery of paradise.

5:30pm                  Enter the Doubletree Alana Waikiki Hotel in stealth mode. Please be courteous to our hotel staff.

1956 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96815, 1-800-230-4134, alana-doubletree.com.

Take your instruments to the Alema Room for storage and then proceed to the Security Briefing.

I really liked this hotel. It made me happy. They gave out free cookies and they were all super nice. I stayed in room 905. Not that that's really important to know or anything, but by the end of the week I could push the 9 button in the elevator blindfolded with both hands tied behind my back. I loved my room. It was big, it had nice furniture and adequate lighting, a beautiful balcony overlooking Hawaii (Which was wonderfully warm, even in the middle of the night so we could keep the balcony door open and feel the breeze and hear Hawaii), and it was clean. The perfect place to relax after a perfect day of relaxing. 

6:00pm                  Dinner ($) and “free” time options

At this point it felt like it was time to go to bed, but instead there was more awesomeness to enjoy. Most of the band (myself included) went to the international market place. I adored this mysterious market. This was my first experience with haggling, so I wasn't very good at it at first, but I got to be a pro by the end of the week. It's a very enjoyable thing to do, and I think I'm going to have to try haggling in Utah at some point. I had a tasty Asian dinner here, I looked around in some of the shops, and I got to watch a cool guy with a beard play a set of steel drums. After watching him for a good 5 minutes he asked me if I wanted to try. Of course I did! Playing the steel drums was the best thing of my life, and I plan to do so many more times in the future. One day I'm gonna be a pro.

See? There I am, jammin' on the steel drums.

 Yes, this is the view from my balcony at night.

I have decided that this Tiki man is the incarnate of Philip, my rock which had mysteriously gone missing. Now I know that he stands happily in Hawaii.

10:00pm                               In rooms

11:00pm                               Lights Out

 Man, I was tired after this day, but I was still perfectly happy. Best day of my life.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24      HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Group A (41)

Group B (41)

I was in group B. A Mighty fine group if I do say so myself.

Group C (40)

6:00am                  Group A Breakfast at Waikiki Cheeseburger (P)

6:30am                  Group B & C Breakfast at Waikiki Cheeseburger (P)

Oh, I soon was very familiar with the Waikiki Cheeseburger breakfasts. (Random Fact: Waikiki Cheeseburger was a semi-sketchy restaurant with a bar. I'm not sure how I feel about it.) Anyway, the breakfasts always consisted of minimally decent scrambled eggs, french toast and bacon or pancakes and sausage, slightly greasy tater tots with cheese, and a fruit mix of melons, grapes, strawberries, and fresh pineapple. After a few days I decided that the eggs weren't worth it, and I don't really like bacon or sausages, so by the end of the trip I was eating only the pancakes/french toast, a few tots, and a whole lot of that yummy fruit. They also served this strange guava-kiwi-mango-pineapple-who-knows-what-else juice drink that I really liked. Hawaii fruit doesn't disappoint. 

7:15am                  Group A Leaves hotel for Hanauma Bay (everyone needs $7.50 cash)

8:45am                  Group B Leaves hotel for Hanauma Bay (everyone needs $7.50 cash)

Oh Pierre! Hanauma Bay is a marvelous place. At first I was slightly nervous about the whole snorkeling business, but after I got used to it it was my favorite thing ever! It was quite the experience to swim through coral mazes while fish dart about you. I saw three sea turtles (they're so big and majestic!) and I even got within a foot of one of them (on accident of course, you're not allowed to touch them.) I saw one really cool fish that was gigantic and all rainbowey. After a little while I convinced myself that I was a fish; after all, I was breathing and seeing under water and swimming with a school of them! (Ha, to think I went all the way to Hawaii just to go back to school. Of fish.) Well that was quite glorious. After we left Hanauma Bay, Asher Bay--one of my very favorite people ever--said, "You know, Hanauma Bay is actually my cousin. 

I didn't take these pictures, one of the band parents did, but I did see this kind of amazing stuff and much more.

10:15am                               Group C Leaves hotel for Hanauma Bay (everyone needs $7.50 cash)

11:15am                               Group A arrives back at the hotel; Lunch ($); “free” time options

12:30pm                               Group B arrives back at the hotel; Lunch ($); “free” time options

Tasty Hawaiian sandwich. Their vegetables are almost as good as their fruit. 

1:45pm                  Group C arrives back at the hotel; Lunch ($); “free” time options           

2:45pm                  Take Roll in front of the hotel; Everyone wears Dr. M aloha shirts for the evening

3:00pm                  Leave hotel for Thanksgiving Celebration. Take the time to get to know kids from:

Burlington Teen Tour Band, Burlington, Ontario, Canada 

This was a good band. These Canada people were nice and funny! What do you know, there's more in Canada than snow and maple syrup. Funny story: A couple days after this, Dr. Fullmer told us that he talked to the Canada band director, and he said that all the kids in his band kept asking if they could "chill with the blue band" again. The Canada director was confused until Fullmer explained about our super stylish matching blue shirts. But I'm glad people want to party with us blue band kids.
Carl Sandburg High School, Orland Park, Illinois
Danvers High School, Danvers, Massachusetts
Dover High School, Dover, Pennsylvania
Greenbrier East High School, Lewisburg, West Virginia
Jefferson High School, Bloomington, Minnesota
Liberty High School, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Mountain Ridge High School, Glendale, Arizona
O'Fallon High School, O'Fallon, Illinois
Pope High School, Marietta, Georgia
Powell High School, Powell, Tennessee
Slinger High School, Slinger, Wisconsin
Stephenson High School, Stone Mountain, Georgia 

These guys were pretty awesome too.
Timpview High School, Provo, Utah
Walton High School, Marietta, Georgia                                 

                        Thanksgiving dinner buffet & welcome activity with the other bands.

Thanksgiving dinner was nothing at all like my Mother's amazing thanksgiving dinners, but it was fun to have thanksgiving with a bunch of band kids from all over the U.S. and Canada. I was very thankful for Hawaii.

We got this trophy for some random band activity that we won after the sweet dance party.  

Cowabunga, Miss Norling!

8:00pm                  Return to the hotel; “free” time options

I'm already missing those days when I could just stroll down to the beach with some friends and play in the warm water and sand. 

10:00pm               In Rooms

11:00pm               Lights Out

In short, best day of my life.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25            

6:10am                  Bus 1, Breakfast at Waikiki Cheeseburger (P)

6:55am                  Bus 2, Breakfast at Waikiki Cheeseburger (P)
I was on bus 2. We basically had the best bus ever. It was Percussion, Flutes, Baritones, Sousas, and Trumpets. So basically it was amazing. I got to shill with some of my favorite people ever (Asher Bay, Derek Hill, Christian and Allison Garrett, Wendy Nelson, Hannah Johanson, Mallory Jones, Asher Bay, Nate Francis, Nicole Hopkinson, Jared Larkin, Andrew Peatross, Megan Crookston, Justin Dunkley,  and basically everyone else on the bus.)

7:30am                  Bus 1 takes Roll in lobby

7:45am                  Bus 1 leaves hotel

8:00am                  Bus 1 arrives at Kewalo Basin

8:15am                  Bus 2 take Roll in lobby
It's nice to get to sleep longer than bus one.

8:30am                  Bus 1 begins Makani Catamaran Cruise

8:30am                  Bus 2 leaves hotel for Diamond Head

8:45am                  Bus 2 arrives Diamond Head
Diamond Head was good stuff. It was funny how all of us Utah people were expecting a hike, and it just turns out that we have to climb up a couple staircases and a switchbacks for less than half a mile. Other people who hiked it were tired and stuff at the end, but our band was just thinking "That was a hike?" Advantages of living in Utah. The view from the top of Diamond Head was spectacular. I even took a couple pictures, but trust me, it's much better to see it for real. 

 This is me and my bro Jared at the top.

 Just look at this view. Cool stuff.

 Oh, how I do miss the ocean.

 This looks really cool to me. How the city goes up the hill and just disappears when the land becomes too steep.

 There was a happy little tunnel on the way up. 

10:00am                               Bus 2 leaves Diamond Head ; Lunch ($)
After we got back down from Diamond Head I had a yummy smoothie. I want another one of those right now. That'd be great. 

11:30am                               Bus 1 leaves Kewalo Basin; Lunch ($)

11:30am                               Bus 2 meets in hotel lobby for Kewalo Basin;

11:45am                               Bus 2 leave hotel for Kewalo Basin

12:00pm                               Bus 2 arrive Kewalo Basin

12:30pm                               Bus 2 begins Makani Catamaran Cruise
I could live on a sail boat for the rest of my life and not complain once. It was truly terrific. We started out by sailing out into the open ocean, the cool wind calmly sweeping past our faces as the ocean spray created rainbows all around us and the sun smiled down over the whole scene. Dozens of dolphins popped up out of the water to say hi to us as we went along our way, and the greenery of Hawaii greeted us from afar.
 When we were out a good distance we got to swim around in the ocean. This was really cool because gigantic sea turtles would often surface around us to get a good look at us (and probably also to breathe.) We weren't allowed to touch the sea turtles, but one of them ran into me and scared me half to death. It was extremely epic. I got a leg cramp while I was swimming around, so I headed back to the Makani Catamaran to chill for the remainder of the voyage, and life was perfect. When the wind picked up I got to raise the sail, (it got really heavy by the time it was almost all the way up, so I needed assistance.) The wind whipped us through the waves and we bounced up and down in an exciting manner. And no, I did not get sea sick. In fact, I think I got the opposite; I just wanted to go faster and bounce more!

 Jus' Chillin'

 You have to admit, this is pretty epic!

 I became the ship's official hair stylist because I can fishtail.

 And I drove the ship. 

 And I took a random picture.

I love this boat!

1:00pm                  Bus 1 meets in the hotel lobby

1:15pm                  Bus 1 leaves hotel for Diamond Head

1:30pm                  Bus 1 arrives Diamond Head

2:45pm                  Bus 1 leaves Diamond Head

3:30pm                  Bus 2 leaves Kewalo Basin

4:00pm                  Dinner ($)

4:30pm                  Change into uniforms.

5:00pm                  Take Roll in full uniform in conference room in hotel. Meeting

6:00pm                  Begin warm up at Fort DeRussy Park 
This warm up was very interesting. There were lots and lots of different bands there, and it was very loud.                             

7:00pm                  Timpview Band performs a Veterans Tribute in the Waikiki Parade. The parade begins at Fort DeRussy Park and ends at the Queen Kapiolani Park Zoo. There is a reviewing stand at the Royal Hawaiian Center.
Here's a little bit of footage of the parade. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtBYQ1BJFV4&feature=relmfu
It was quite a tiring parade.

8:00pm?                                Band bussed back to hotel. “free” time options
It was actually like 9 by the time we got back, so I just went straight to bed. 
It was the best day ever.

10:00pm                               In Rooms

11:00pm                               Lights Out

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26  (Everyone wears the Dr. McKee Hawaiian Shirts today)
I love these shirts. 

6:25am                  Breakfast (P) for everyone at Waikiki Cheeseburger
I believe this was a french toast day.

7:45am                  Take Roll, Load instruments onto truck  
Loading the instruments was always fun. It's a great experience to take a bass in a case with no handle from the instrument storage room all the way to the truck in front of the hotel. You learn some tricks. Like dragging it.                                    

8:00am                  Leave hotel

9:00am                  Arrive LDS Hawaii Temple grounds; self tour
The Laie Hawaii temple is absolutely gorgeous. I might want to get married there. One of my favorite parts of band tours is that we always get to see the temples.

10:00am                               Arrive BYU-Hawaii campus; tour by Dr. Duerden, BYU-H Music Department
This was amazing. We learned Tahitian drumming from Dr. Duerden, and I've been drumming it non-stop ever since. Tahitians know how to jam. 

 All us percussionists with our Tahitian drums.

 It's basically just a log with a slit in it, but it sounds really sweet.

There's also video of this stuff on Facebook, but I can't get it on my blog. I'm technologically impaired.

And then the best part... I got to see Amber Blair!!!

 She's one cool person.

11:30am                               Lunch ($) at BYU-H student center.
I don't really like the BYU Hawaii cafeteria though. It was pretty sad. 

12:30am                               Arrive Polynesian Culturan Center
The Polynesian Cultural center was beautiful. Definitely one of the most fun things that I did in Hawaii. The first thing I did was mosey on down to this place where a happy old guy was giving free ukulele lessons. I've got to get myself a ukulele now, I'm a pro! (okay, not exactly) But playing one is a party. After that I  nonchalantly strolled down to Samoa, where I watched a hilarious show being put on. The Samoan there was uproariously hilarious, as well as super skilled. He started a fire by rubbing two sticks together; he husked, cracked, shredded, and milked a coconut in a very short amount of time, and he spoke (or pretended to speak) like 20 languages, all while making very funny jokes. My personal favorite: "You can tell this coconut is not ripe yet. When a coconut is ripe, it turns brown. Like... me. Some of you are not ripe yet!"
After Samoa I watched the canoe parade or whatever it's called with Bao, Wendy, and Maren. That was nice. We sat on the ground by the water. 

Until the water overflowed...

That was an interesting moment.

 After the canoe parade I went to New Zealand and Hawaii, both of which were interesting, but not quite as funny as Samoa.

Following that I went to Tahiti. Here's a quick recap of what happened in Tahiti in 2001 when Timpview did the first Pearl Harbor Project:

Yes, that is Dr. Fullmer.

This time, Tahiti was much the same as last time, only Fullmer didn't drum. Instead there were a bunch of random people that went up there. None of them were as skilled at the actual drumming as Fullmer, but all of them were absolutely hilarious to watch. Especially this Chinese guy who didn't speak much English. This was one of the most--if not the most--hysterical things that I have ever seen in my life. It was too perfect.

·         Polynesian Villages (Tonga, Tahiti, Marquesas, Samoa, New Zealand, Fiji, and Hawaii)

·         Imax movie
There was no Imax movie.

·         Buffet dinner (P)

·         Ha-Breath of Life evening Show

5:00pm                  Timpview Band performs inside the Main Entrance of the Polynesian Cultural Center.

6:00pm                  Buffet dinner (P)
This buffet dinner was actually pretty tasty. It's always fun to eat stuff that you've never heard of before. Really helps you get a taste of Hawaiian culture. 

I also got to drum on a gigantic Tahitian drum. 

7:00pm                  Take Roll; move together to the Pacific Theater for the Ha-Breath of Life evening show.
If you want to see a fantastic show, go see Ha: Breath of Life. It has a cute little story line, a lot of cool Polynesian dancing and drumming, and some insanely skilled fire twirlers. The pyrotechnics of this show just blew me out of the water. Plus they sold some really delicious ice cream pineapple treat at intermission. 

9:00pm                  Leave Laie for hotel.
Our tour guide was named after Laie, except he spelled his name Lahie. He told a lot of great stories and jokes about Hawaii. The funny thing was that he was Samoan. 

10:30pm                               In Rooms

11:30pm                               Lights Out                                            

This was definitely the best day ever.

SUNDAY,  NOVEMBER 27  (Everyone wears Festival Dress today) 

6:25am                  Cheeseburgers for Breakfast!  (P)
Except not.

8:15am                  Take Roll, Load instrument truck

8:30am                  Leave hotel in Festival Dress (Sunday best, not optional)

9:00am                  “Free” time (Services at the Honolulu LDS Tabernacle are optional).
Hawaiian churches are very pretty.

It's a very happy thing to go to church in Hawaii.

10:30am                               Leave Honolulu Tabernacle for Punchbowl Cemetery. Stay in festival dress.

11:00am                               Timpview Band performs at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
There is a little video that KSL did of our trip and it shows a bunch of scenes from the punchbowl cemetery.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=18273115
Although there's no way that it could do it justice.
It was so incredible to be able to perform a tribute here. Especially when we played Hymn to the Fallen, because this is where the fallen are. You could feel the spirit strongly there. 

·         Load instruments directly following performance

·         Final History Lecture

·         Individual time in the Punchbowl Cemetery
This was a great experience. Probably the time where I could feel those who fought for us and our country the strongest. My tributes were for them.

12:30pm                               Leave Punchbowl Cemetery

1:00pm                  Arrive Pearl Harbor. Lunch (P)
This is where it happened.

1:30pm                  Meet the education director of the USS Arizona Memorial Visitors Center

1:40pm                  Individual time at the USS Arizona Memorial Visitors Center
I took a lot of pictures. This is something that I think everyone should see at some time or another. These stories should never be forgotten.

 It's amazing to hear to Pearl Harbor Survivors talk about their time in Pearl Harbor

This talks about after the attack.

2:15pm                  Take Roll outside the visitor center theater

2:30pm                  All attend the USS Arizona Memorial Film
If you don't know the full story of the Arizona, you need to look it up.

3:00pm                  Board the shuttle boat to the USS Arizona Memorial (must attend film to get on the boat)

3:15pm                  Wreath laying ceremony on the Arizona Memorial
We actually didn't go out to the Arizona at this point due to high winds that prevented shuttle boats from taking people out there, so went out the next day instead of spending more time at the visitors center.

4:00pm                  Leave Pearl Harbor

4:45pm                  Arrive at Queen Kapiolani Park for a traditional Hawaiian dinner (P).

6:00pm                  Return to hotel; “free” time
I love chillin' with amazing people like Maren Christensen, Wendy Nelson, etc..

10:00pm                               In Rooms

11:00pm                               Lights Out


Best day ever.

MONDAY,  NOVEMBER 28  (Everyone wears the Timpview Band Uniform today)

IMPORTANT NOTE: Pearl Harbor is an active military base. They strongly enforce the following:

No purses, handbags, fanny packs, backpacks, camera bags, diaper bags, luggage or other items that offer concealment are allowed in the visitor center or on the memorial. Strollers with pockets and compartments must be emptied before being allowed in the visitor’s center. Personal cameras (out of their cases) are allowed, but camera cases are not. Baggage storage is not available and there are no alternatives in the local area for bag storage. You may not leave any items on your motorcoach.

6:15am                  Load instrument truck

6:25am                  Take Roll in front of the hotel; Breakfast (P) at Waikiki Cheeseburger

7:30am                  Leave hotel

8:20am                  Arrive Pearl Harbor; set up for performance

This is us getting ready to perform.

9:00am                  Timpview Band performs at the USS Arizona Memorial Visitors Center
It felt so beautiful to perform our tribute to those who fought for us in Pearl Harbor. I don't know of any way to adequately describe it. We prepared for this and learned about it for so long.
9:45am                  Individual time at the visitor’s center
This is when we went out to the actual Arizona memorial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgVm9XHu-mk&feature=channel_video_title

This was so very special. 

 Oil still leaks from the sunken ship. It's shedding black tears over the terrible loss.

I wish there was a way I could pay them back. 

I want you to take a moment right now and think about what happened on Dec 7, 1941. Think about what was done for you; think about all that was accomplished before you were born; think about the privileges that you have because so many died for you. Pearl Harbor must not be forgotten. Please learn about it, think about it, remember it; for it is worth it.

10:30am                               Leave visitor’s center for Ford Island

10:45am                               Arrive USS Utah Memorial; set up for performance

11:05am                               Timpview Band performs at the USS Utah

11:25am                               Wreath Laying at the USS Utah Memorial
It was amazing to do this at the Utah as well. The Utah is another of the 3 ships that never went back into service after the attack, and it also remains in its watery grave in Pearl Harbor.

11:40am                               Leave USS Utah

12:00pm                               Arrive USS Missouri; Lunch (P)

12:45pm                               Group Photo at the USS Missouri

1:00pm                  Self tour of the USS Missouri (look for the surrender deck)
We actually did this after the performance, but it was very amazing to walk around a real battleship. It helps you to realize the enormous extent of the damage of the attack.
I took half a million pictures of the ship, so I won't put them all on, but here's a bushel of 'em.

 The view of the Arizona memorial from the Missouri

 It's a pretty cool ship

 Here's all of the knots they used

 Pretty classy

 I think I'd fail at driving a battleship

 I just took of picture of this because we marched through there before our performance, and it was epic.

 DF has a tube on the Missouri

I found it!

 That is sweet.

2:35pm                  Set up for performance

3:10pm                  Timpview Band performs at the USS Missouri
Our final tribute in Hawaii.                          

3:40pm                  Flag presentation

3:45pm                  Load instrument truck

4:00pm                  Leave Pearl Harbor

4:45pm                  Arrive Iolani Palace, the only royal palace on American soil. Get a photo with King Kamehameha.
I somehow imagined in my mind that a palace would be bigger.

 I think it would'a been cool to get out and look at it, but whatever.

There's King Kamehameha

5:00pm                  Leave the palace

5:10pm                  Arrive at the hotel. Unload the instrument truck. Change out of uniform.

5:30pm                  Dinner ($) “free” time

10:00pm                               In Rooms

11:00pm                               Lights Out

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29 

6:40am                  Take Roll and say “Cheese” (P)

7:15am                  Leave packed suitcase just inside your hotel room door.

PACKING NOTE: No perishable foods or plants are allowed off the island unless they have been inspected and tagged with permission to leave the island.

7:45am                  Take Roll and load buses

8:00am                  Leave hotel

8:30am                  Arrive Nuuanu Pali Lookout
It was extremely windy up here, and freezing (50 degrees?), but the view was absolutely incredible. Once you've been away from Hawaii for a week, you start to really remember how beautiful it is. When's the next time I'll get to go back?

8:45am                  Leave Pali Lookout

9:15am                  Arrive at Secret Island
Secret Island was the epitome of paradise. I took a couple pictures, but mostly I just enjoyed it. I got to play in the sand (which is something that I really haven't spent a lot of time doing in my life time.) Kayak and paddle boat around in the deep blue sea, ride a canoe over to a sand bar, play with a bunch of sharks, relax in the sun, chill with my awesome band friends, eat a delicious lunch, I was kidding about playing with the sharks, and just have a good time. I guess it was just one last chance to soak up Hawaii. Unfortunately, it's about worn off by now, so I want to go back. :)

11:30am                               Lunch (P)

2:30pm                  Leave Secret Island

3:00pm                  Arrive Macademia Nut Farm
Macadamia nuts are actually Australian.

 David Bean bought me a box of chocolate covered macadamia nuts. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay him.

You can eat them right out of the shell and they still taste good. No need to cook them. It makes me want to plant a macadamia nut tree.

4:00pm                  Leave Macademia Nut Farm

5:25pm                  Take Roll in front of the hotel, WEAR NEW POLO SHIRTS cheeezbehrgehrpepsi for dinner (P)

6:45pm                  Load luggage on luggage truck; Load instruments on Bus; Keep carry on with you at all times

7:00pm                  Leave hotel

 I am missin' those days.

I have no complaints about spending all of every day with fellow band members. These people are all so good!

7:30pm                  Arrive Honolulu Airport; check in Return on Delta #1104 10:15pm (arrive 11/30 7:22am)

10:00pm                               Depart Hawaii on Delta #1104; Arrive SLC 7:05am on November 30 
I got an awesome window seat on the plane ride back. Riding on a plane is relaxing. I like it.
  No bus is provided. Everyone is responsible for getting their own ride home from the Salt Lake airport.  




Today is December 7th, 2011, the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Today the Pearl Harbor Project performed our final tribute in salt lake. For us seniors, it was our last ever performance in a Timpview Uniform.

I am going to miss these people so much. I just love them!

I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to participate in the Pearl Harbor Project. The things that I learned and the friendships I made are absolutely priceless. I will never forget that I have been able to learn from actual Pearl Harbor survivors. Thank you to everyone who made this possible, thank you those who participated with me, thank you especially to Max Burggraaf and Ken Potts, and finally, thank you more than I can say to all of those who died for our country. I will remember.

"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."  --Abraham Lincoln