Don Sherwood Family Blog: Westlake Marching Thunder in Hawaii

Our daughter, Jenna, was given the wonderful opportunity to go to Hawaii with the Westlake High School Marching Thunder Band in December to represent Utah in the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade. The following video links were posted on YouTube by one of the trip organizer/chaperone. This was a once in a life time opportunity for Jenna and the entire band.

Greetings from Honolulu! We're on day three of a very busy schedule and are just about to get ready for the parade.

So far, the students have spent a day at the Polynesian Cultural Center, another at Pearl Harbor, and attended the memorial and interment ceremony at the USS Utah. There are several videos that have been posted of yesterday's performances. If you haven't seen them yet, there are two on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/ydGQ2sXd1qg

http://youtu.be/No3pIf5lOTE

The parade will be live-streamed at http://www.pearlharborparade.org beginning at 5 PM Hawaii time (8 PM Utah time). We will also post video online after the parade.

What a night!

The students looked terrific in the parade -- terrific enough to bring home the award as the Grand Champion of the 2014 Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade!

There are some videos on Facebook. There is also video at

http://youtu.be/prRAu64iolg.

More adventures tomorrow. We promise to bring them home tired.

Pictures from the Polynesian Cultural Center

Hawaiian dancers

Samoan dancers

Tongan dancers

Canoe tour around PCC

Easter Island?

Really long canoe

Traditional Fijian temple - one of the last ones in existence.

Pictures from USS Missouri

Mark and Paige

Captain's Quarters

Library

Mess Hall

Really big bullets for really big gun!

Picture of USS Missouri crew and band

Remember those models of all past Enterprises that Captain Picard had? Well, this captain had some models, too.

An amusing warning sign

Long twisting bridge to Ford Island.

Naval Base across from USS Missouri

Performance area next to USS Missouri

Playing with the missiles.

Lizzy making a new friend!!

Photos from the USS Arizona.

Placing the Westlake wreath.

This is an email from Jenna sent after visiting the USS Missouri and the USS Arizona.

-------- Original message --------

From: Jenna Sherwood
Date:12/07/2014 11:37 AM (GMT-07:00)
To: don@sherwoodfamily.net
Subject: Pearl Harbor

We first suited up, and played for the people on the Missouri. The Missouri is a huge battleship positioned length wise right of the dock. We set up a couple of arcs in front of the middle section of the ship. It wasn't a bad performance, but we ended feeling as if we could, and should have done better. There is power in these patriotic songs when played with emotion. The lady that was running the thing was visibly crying when she thanked us.

The Arizona was awe inspiring. We were expected to be quiet and reverent through the entire thing. It took about an hour. We watched a movie that gave some cool information about that day. Evidently all but three ships we were able to salvage and refit for battle. Those three are the Arizona, the Oklahoma (which capsized), and the Utah (also capsized). Only the Arizona and the Utah do intombment. The boat ride there was silent, and uneventful. The memorial itself had three chambers. You can see all three from the picture. (Somewhat) Mango brought a large wreath to set in front of the wall of names in the back. The place was pretty full, yet the reverent silence was stunning. 1117 names are on that wall! Just from the Arizona. After we got back to shore, it was a couple minutes before the band freely spoke again.

At the Utah, the guy leading the ceremony didn't know we were coming, but he was thrilled anyway. It was a beautiful ceremony, helped by the beauty of nature surrounding us in the setting sun. The remaining survivors of the Utah were there; three of them. We played postlude, and I didn't get a chance to get to see them. My favorite part of that whole day, was the few minutes after we changed and we got to go out on the pier. There were no noises. Only the soft, gentle slapping of water against stone. The sky was a dark blue with a few lasting streaks of orange. The whole ordeal spoke only peace, and calm.

We were complemented after both the Arizona and Utah for our respectful patriotism.

The day was fantastic, but I just can't wait to get home. (This bed sucks!)

Love you lots!
Jenna

Pictures from the bus - the land of blues and greens!