Pearl Harbor Day: My Experience as a Female Boatswain's Mate in the Navy

Today is the anniversary of my blog. One year ago today, I posted my experiences as a tour guide for the USS Arizona Memorial. Visit my FIRST BLOG ENTRY -

A Day in Pearl Harbor 

for Pearl Harbor stories and my experience as tour guide.

A Brief History of Ford Island

Ford Island sits in the middle of Pearl Harbor and has played an important role in Hawaiian and American history for more than a century. During World War II, the island was at the center of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Battleships were moored nearby, aircraft operated from the island's airfield, and military personnel worked throughout the harbor.

By the time I was stationed there in the 1980s, Ford Island remained an active military installation. Access was still largely dependent on boats and ferries, since the bridge connecting the island to the mainland had not yet been built. Working in the Water Transportation Division gave me a unique perspective on daily life in Pearl Harbor and the historic waters that surrounded us.

I dusted off a couple of my old pictures...

 
This is one of the girls I had trained. I'm standing on the bow. Beyond the stern of the boat, you can see the ship channel. This is where I kept a look-out for incoming ships and submarines. Whenever crossing the harbor, I'd have to radio each incoming ship to ask for permission. We were called, Whiskey Tango, which stood for Water Transportation.

The boathouse in Ford Island. If I wasn't training others, I was running boat shuttles, doing tours for the Arizona Memorial, or radio dispatching at the boathouse.

A Unique Thing About Ford Island

One thing many people don't realize is that when I was stationed at Ford Island in the 1980s, there was no bridge connecting the island to the rest of Pearl Harbor. Boats and ferries were a way of life. Military personnel, civilian workers, visitors, and supplies all depended on water transportation to move around the harbor.

Because Ford Island sits in the middle of Pearl Harbor, our crews were constantly navigating among warships, submarines, tugboats, and visiting vessels. Every crossing required radio communication and coordination with incoming ships. It was a unique assignment and a daily reminder that Pearl Harbor was not just a historic site, but a working military harbor.

Ford Island is one of the few places in the United States where visitors can stand in the middle of one of the most important locations of World War II history. During the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, battleships lined the waters surrounding the island, including the USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, and other vessels that became part of American history.

More on Pearl Harbor - 

Remembering Pearl Harbor: Then and Now

Marching the Tangerine Bowl Parade in Orlando 1981 - Triple Threat Drill team

Fresh out of bootcamp- wearing basic training tee shirt - KO73