Forgotten Heroes... by velocicrapper
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No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.
Description
Forgotten Heroes...
This is a shot I took in Oahu at the USS Utah memorial on the other side of Ford Island, Pearl Harbor (from the USS Arizona). She was a Target ship during WW2, and was sunk earlier on if memory recalls during the attack. The Utah quietly sits day in and day out, with very few visitors per year. In my opinion, she's much more out of the water than the Arizona, and tilted on her side as attempts to right her failed. She contains the souls of some 100+ men. I was fortunate enough to get a full tour of Ford Island with a PAO escort. I knew that the Utah would be a moving experience, but not even as moving as when I was there. She sits, silent. No sounds but the distant seagull and the soft clapping of the flag line hitting the flagpole in the wind could be heard. Occasionally a small wake will cover the rocks and make the sounds of small ripples.
In the distance across the channel is the Oahu Island, but nothing can be heard this far. When we arrived, we were the only ones near the memorial. Occasionally we would see a military officer far in the distance, jogging past. We were the sole visitors to the lonely memorial, a stark contrast to the constant flow of people through the more popular USS Arizona memorial.
It was... peaceful. Quiet and alone she sits, a tomb for those who were silenced in the early morning of December 7th, 1941. Thinking about this and seeing her sitting there made it all become clear. The silence. The stillness of the area around her. It

Comments (4)
As a picture the composition and technique are superb but your words add so much more. The two should not be seperated.
Excellent work all the way around. I doubt I shall ever find myself in Oahu, but if I ever do, I won't forget this.
This photograph of the American flag at half mast made such a statement alone ... your thoughts put to words gave the photo true meaning ... Thank you!
December 7, 1941 - September 11, 2001, may we never forget.