As I stood between the Lone Sailor and the Arizona anchor, capturing a 360° panorama, I couldn’t help but reflect on December 7, 1941. The clouds above seemed fitting—somber, like the memory of that day. The Arizona Memorial lay in the distance, with the USS Missouri docked at Ford Island, symbols of sacrifice and victory. I managed to capture the scene almost free of the usual crowds, allowing the place's quiet weight to sink in.

I imagined that Sunday morning when everything changed—how no one expected the sky to rain destruction. The attack not only reshaped Pearl Harbor but set the stage for war across the Pacific. I thought of my grandfather, Carmelo Garcia Raagas, and wondered how he felt hearing the news. He must have known that life would never be the same. His civic spirit and daring nature led him to resist, to fight when circumstances demanded it. Standing there, I felt connected—to history, to him, and to all who endured.