Standing Guard

For Americans, the nation's active participation as a combatant in World War II started with the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor and ended with the surrender of the Empire of Japan.

Of Pearl Harbor, the loss of the battleship Arizona (BB-39) and over a thousand of her crew came to mark the opening of the American fight, her resting place now memorialized by a floating shrine.

Of the end of the war, the USS Missouri (BB-63) was the site of the offical surrender of Japan, and the last battleship ever built by the United States.

Today, the Missouri is now a memorial herself, having finally retired after returning to action several times over the past century, from Korea to the Gulf War. She now watches over the memorial of the USS Arizona, a symbol of beginnings and endings.

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While this image is hardly the best I am capable of, it was the best I could do within a few hours' time. I felt compelled to do this in rememberance of this day in history and those who died fighting in World War II.

In addition ... my great grandmother was born on this date, albeit long before World War II; she would have been 100 years old today, but she succumbed to cancer earlier this year ...

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One thing I'd like to say; this is not how the Missouri and Arizona are positioned in real life. In fact, the Missouri is actually facing the Arizona Memorial and is set far back with respect to it. However, I felt this was one way to capture the idea that the Missouri now stands guard over the ruins of the Arizona; I don't mean to overshadow the loss of those men with the Missouri's presence in the picture (this was actually feared by some when the Navy agreed to donate the Missouri to the MMA).