This Friday, the USS Missouri will host a ceremony to celebrate the 66th anniversary of the Japanese surrender on Sept 2, 1945. The event effectively was the end of WWII.

Discover Hawaii Tours will continue to operate regular tours to Pearl Harbor that day. 

Here’s an excerpt from Discover Hawaii News about the Surrender Anniversary and the Second World War:

…On the deck of the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay, after nearly forty-five months of war, General Douglas MacArthur accepted Japan’s surrender, effectively ending World War II.

Japan’s efforts in the war were waning in 1945. A series of events in July and August brought the end in sight for the Imperial Japanese Navy. By the end of July 1945, despite public statements that Japan will fight until the very end, the country’s leaders were quietly preparing a peaceful request for sympathy from the neutral Soviet Union.

And then, tragedy struck the islands of Japan…

Read more at Discover Hawaii News.

Read more: Celebrating the 66th Anniversary of the End of WWII

Renovations are nearly complete at the Pearl Harbor World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. Come December 7th 2010,  guests will be able to explore this historic location from the comfort of a newly renovated state-of-the-art visitor’s center. Designed to allow for more historically comprehensive galleries and exhibits, the recent upgrades greatly add to the already memorable experience of visiting Pearl Harbor. If you have been to Pearl Harbor in the past, now might be a good time to think about visiting again, as lots of great improvements are soon to be up and running.

In an effort to create space for the expanding galleries and exhibits, the center itself has expanded some six acres. Along with that, the actual square footage of the complex is nearly doubling. This added space will soon be home to open air and enclosed exhibits, adding even more to Pearl Harbor’s already long list of attractions. To keep up with the improvements happening outside, the Pacific Aviation Museum is adding additional multimedia exhibits and galleries, interpretive displays, presentation areas, two digital movie theatres, and a slew of improved visitor amenities.

Remember Pearl Harbor

One goal of these renovations is to make learning about Pearl Harbor a more tactile or hands-on experience. This will be accomplished by combining audio, video, and historic artifacts into an immersive experience that will bring guests closer to reliving the events than ever before. The sheer number of historic artifacts that will be displayed will likely expand significantly. Thanks to new climate controlled display cases, guests will be able to view never before displayed historical artifacts.

The potential educational possibilities that come with having  a complex like this are not going to be ignored. Included in the renovations is an expanded Educational and Research Center. This promises to create unique opportunities for sharing the history of Pearl Harbor with both guests and students from around the world. Pearl Harbor has labeled this their “Witness to History” distance learning program and has high hopes for its use as a valuable educational tool the world over.

On top of expanding the educational capabilities of Pearl Harbor, this upgrade will also improve the environmental impact of the center. Thanks to its mostly open air design, and the use of environmentally friendly materials, the new Pearl Harbor Visitors Center has the distinction of being awarded a Silver LEED Green Building System Certification from the United States Green Building Counsel.

Artists rendition of the soon to be complete Pearl Harbor Visitors Center renovations.

Come December 7^th, the Pearl Harbor World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument will be a proud example of our countries conscience desire to maintain our nation’s historic national treasures. The memories of the over two thousand lives lost on this faithful and world changing day have not faded in the nearly three quarters of a century since the attacks; as evidenced by the more than fifty million dollars being used to ensure that the facility shines going into the future. Join Discover Hawaii Tours next month as we proudly begin to introduce our valued guests to the new Pearl Harbor experience.

Read more: Renovated Pearl Harbor Visitors Center Nears Grand Opening

When most visitors think of historic Pearl Harbor, they are most likely to focus on the USS Arizona Memorial. Less widely known but frequently visited is another historic museum at Pearl Harbor, the Pacific Aviation Museum. Located on Ford Island, the Pacific Aviation Museum houses numerous aircraft from around the world. Two of the most notable aircraft here are a Japanese Zero plane – the Grumman Wildcat – utilized in the WWII surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and the Stearman which was flown by the youngest aviator at that time, President H. W. Bush.

Japanese Zero Plane

Recently, local news stations have announced that there will be some new arrivals to the Pacific Aviation Museum. Flown in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, a collection of fighter jets: two F-86 Sabres, an F-4 Phantom, an F-102 Delta Dagger, and a Soviet MiG-15 will join the list of historical aircraft available for viewing at the museum. With exciting news like this, a trip to the Pacific Aviation Museum during your stay in Hawaii is sure to be enjoyable and memorable.

Delta Dagger

We offer daily tours to the Pacific Aviation Museum with included hotel pick up in Waikiki and airfare from Maui (Kahului and Kapalua), Kona, and Kauai. If you are interested in visiting the Pacific Aviation Museum, join our 42: Pearl Harbor War Memorials Tour. Included in this one-day long adventure to Pearl Harbor is a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Bowfin Submarine, and the Pacific Aviation Museum. Also, you will enjoy a deluxe Honolulu city tour featuring the Iolani Palace, King Kamehameha Statue, and Punchbowl National Cemetery of the Pacific. Throughout the whole tour, listen to your guide as he/she offers narration filled with intriguing historical and cultural facts. What you get from a guided tour, you can never achieve on your own.

Grab a seat on the Discover Hawaii Tours mini-coach to Pearl Harbor and be one of the first to see these new aircraft at the Pacific Aviation Museum!

F-86 Sabre Fighter Jet

Read more: New Arrivals to the Pacific Aviation Museum