Page 229 |
Hickam Air Force Base: Hawaii |
After
our return home from the PacAf tour, I made a photo album
for everyone in the group and crew. The following was the
last page in that album. If it gets a little "sappy" at the
end, it's because I was feeling mighty "warm and fuzzy"
about the band. Matter of fact, I still do.
--M--
Saturday,
October 10th - 6:30 p.m. depart Guam Finally,
we took a commercial airline flight to Hickam Air Force base
in Honolulu, Hawaii. The base was located at the entrance to
Pearl Harbor. We arrived at 5:45 a.m., cleared customs and
then waited for about 1.5 hours before anyone came up with
our room keys. We were beat and not very "negotiable," to
say the least. We were ready to to take things into our own
hands and just "rush the fort" for our room keys, when
someone finally got things organized. We
got some sleep and played 2 shows over the next couple of
days. The band and crew found little time for taking photos,
partially because our bodies were totally confused from the
long flight back from Guam. Flying back over the
International Date Line threw most of us out of sync with
"life" in general. The weather was beautiful and the island
provided its usual distinctive floral bouquet. Filling the
air with a tropical aroma that immediately brings to mind
previous visits to the islands. A bit of a romanticized
cliché, but true just the same. Traveling
around the base revealed remnants of that fateful day,
December 7th, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
In some of the buildings, you can still see the bullet holes
in the walls from the Japanese planes after they had bombed
our ships and then went after the American planes on the
ground. It has been suggested that the plaster be repaired
on the walls, but servicemen insisted that they be left
there ... lest we forget. For those who fought the battles,
there seems to be an inherent attitude of anger and an
unwillingness to forgive. As time passes, there can be a
healing, as we rediscover our need for each other on this
earth. It's a beautiful home that we share, and it looks
suspiciously close to having been custom made for us
all. Monday,
October 12th. Back to the mainland. Everyone,
except Digger, left to fly back to Los Angeles and home to
our families. Twelve shows in 23 days. It had been a great
tour; much better than anticipated. A great bunch of people
to be working with and a memorable adventure for us all. To
continue on in good health, enjoying the opportunities that
life presents, and prospering with those around you, is
NOT a bad way to go through this life. Whatever
the future may bring ... this was a time of happiness. May
you remember it as fondly as I do.
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