Summary A Russian Navy Ship Visited Pearl Harbor and Taught Me Why They Hate Us | by Glenn Rocess | Aug, 2023 | Medium glennrocess.medium.com
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The author reflects on the irony of saluting the Japanese national anthem at Pearl Harbor during a visit by a Russian Navy ship.
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Key Points
- A Russian Navy Ship visited Pearl Harbor and played the Russian national anthem, causing irony and mixed feelings among American sailors.
- Foreign navy ships visiting Pearl Harbor during the biannual RIMPAC exercise often evoke hatred and discomfort among sailors.
- In 1994, a Russian Udaloy-class destroyer visited Pearl Harbor, sparking curiosity instead of anxiety and suspicion.
- Russian sailors on liberty were seen in a cafeteria-style eatery on the base, causing attention and curiosity among others.
- The author reflects on the perception of peace during that time, with the USSR having imploded and the Cold War being over.
Summaries
28 word summary
A Russian Navy ship's visit to Pearl Harbor prompts the author to reflect on the irony of saluting the Japanese national anthem at a place with historical significance.
46 word summary
In this article, the author reflects on an experience at Pearl Harbor where a Russian Navy ship visited. The author highlights the irony of being required to salute the Japanese national anthem in Pearl Harbor, given its historical significance. The author also mentions that sailors on
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A Russian
Navy Ship Visited Pearl Harbor and Taught Me Why They Hate Us \| by
Glenn Rocess \| Aug, 2023 \| Medium
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A Russian Navy Ship Visited Pearl Harbor and Taught Me Why They Hate Us
Glenn Rocess
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Aug 28
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A Russian Udaloy-class destroyer (
Sakhalia
Picture this: youre a American sailor in uniform on duty at Naval Base Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and over the loudspeakers come the haunting strains of
Kimi Ga Yo
, the Japanese national anthem. Youre
required
to salute, and you do so because you really dont want to get into the kind of trouble that can screw up your entire career.
Does anyone else see the irony here?
Of course you do. I mean, its Pearl Harbor, right?
Sailors on shore duty really, truly hate it when foreign navy ships pull in for a visit. Fortunately, the hatred only lasts for about ten, maybe twenty minutes, beginning at 0800 as one stands at attention, saluting in the direction of the nearest American flag while they consecutively play the national anthems of all the nations of the visiting ships. At Pearl Harbor, thats what happens when our allies ships participating in the biannual
RIMPAC
naval exercise pull in for a port visit.
But 1994 was a little different this time, it included the
State Anthem of the Russian Federation
, which, by the way, is the same as the anthem for the Soviet Union.
In 1994, the world seemed relatively peaceful; the USSR had imploded, the Cold War was over, and there was no longer an immediate threat of a global thermonuclear exchange. When we were at sea, those of us who worked in the bowels of the ship no longer stressed when we heard sonar pings. For a brief moment in time, we had a perception of peace, and the sight of the
Udaloy
-class destroyer
moored pierside did not spike our anxiety and suspicion, but sparked our curiosity instead.
Russian sailors on liberty. Sailors are sailors, regardless of the uniform. (
BBC
Four Russian Sailors
Not far from where the
Udaloy
-class ship was moored was a cafeteria-style eatery that served up burgers and fries, soda and (for those not in uniform) beer. My wife and I had gone on base for some reason and we stopped there for lunch. While we shared burgers and sodas, four uniformed Russian sailors walked in and lined up. Every head turned to look at them, and I couldnt even imagine how they felt.
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2.5K
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Written by
Glenn Rocess
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Retired Navy. Inveterate contrarian. If I havent done it, Ive usually done something close.
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