On April 9, 2024, the sophomore class went on a social studies field trip to visit the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, the USS Missouri and the USS Arizona Memorial.
Social Studies teacher Zachary Markwith believes that field trips to historical sites are key to helping students learn lessons from the past. He explained, “We must go to those sites in historical places for us to really understand and learn what occurred, what happened, and what took place.”
Onboard the USS Missouri, the students gathered for a service to commemorate the soldiers who lost their lives in the Pearl Harbor attack. A handful of students shared about the accomplishments of their family members who are veterans or active service members. According to Markwith, HBA is the only school that holds this special ceremony on the USS Missouri. During the service, the sophomores also sang the hymn “Amazing Grace” and two of them played “Taps” on trumpets to honor the fallen soldiers. Madison Ogawa, one of the two trumpeters, said that it was “a cool experience to play on the USS Missouri.”
Kylee Fujihana was moved by the service. “It very heartwarming to hear all of our classmates talk about their relatives and to remember all of their accomplishments.” Classmate Kyler Ha also thought the ceremony on the USS Missouri was the most memorable part of the field trip.
Another highlight of the visit for a number of students was being able to explore the USS Missouri. Joelle Lum said, “A highlight of the trip was being able to explore the ship and see the inside and all the different ways that the Navy men lived.” There were also docents on the Missouri who shared stories and important lessons learned from the Pearl Harbor bombing. Ogawa recalled a memorable moment when one of the docents shared a story about how he lost his grandfather. “It showed how much he admired him for his service and also his sacrifice,” she said.
For Jordon Tam, time spent on the USS Arizona felt particularly meaningful. He said, “Although I have been to the memorial before, I never really understood it as a little kid. After hearing all of the history and everything that happened, including the exact count of men lost, it was saddening yet impactful hearing about all of the heroic people who fought.”
As the sophomores continue their studies on World War II, Markwith hopes that the field trip helped his students gain “a love for history, an appreciation for the past, and a sense of honor for those who have lived before us…and to be inspired by these people.”
