Salem teenager shows act of reverence at Pearl Harbor National Memorial
-
- Rowan Meagher, right, and her sister Ellery stand at the USS Arizona Memorial in October.
-
- Rowan and Ellery Meagher show off the free pearls they received after a trip to Pearl Harbor in October.
Courtesy Holly Meagher
Rowan Meagher, right, and her sister Ellery stand at the USS Arizona Memorial in October.
Salem teenager Rowan Meagher is described by her mother, Holly, as a “history buff” who loves the United States and is often reading stories about World War II.
While visiting the Pearl Harbor National Memorial on the island of Oahu in October, her respect for the nation’s past led her to act where others might not have, and left her with her own story to share.
The Meagher family was at the USS Arizona Memorial, which rises above the sunken battleship in the waters of Pearl Harbor, to commemorate the 1,177 service members who tragically died aboard the USS Arizona during the Dec. 7, 1941, attacks.
Meagher was standing next to an opening in the monument that exposes the Pacific Ocean and the USS Arizona that rests below when she noticed a white paper flapping in the breeze and going toward the opening.
While some may have dismissed the apparent litter, Meagher, who recognized the reverence of the place she was at, wasn’t going to let it fall into the water.
Courtesy Holly Meagher
Rowan and Ellery Meagher show off the free pearls they received after a trip to Pearl Harbor in October.
“I really did not want it to fall in because I didn’t want trash in this historic monument and this national cemetery,” she said. “One more breeze and it was going to fall in, so I stuck my foot through the bars and stepped on it so it wouldn’t, and then I weaved my arms through the bar so that I could grab it.”
When she initially grabbed the paper, Meagher thought little of it and handed it to her mom because she didn’t have any pockets to put it in.
That’s when they realized it wasn’t just trash; it was a voucher to pick up a complementary pearl from a local business.
“We were both kind of like, ‘Oh my gosh,'” Meagher said. “I got a pearl. We were in Pearl Harbor. It was just really cool.”
Meagher went to the store and was allowed to pick out a complementary oyster that a store employee cracked open. Inside were two pearls, one for her and one for her sister.
The new souvenirs serve as a reminder of the respect Meagher showed to the hallowed memorial.
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor happened 83 years ago, taking the lives of over 2,400 American soldiers and sending the United States into the largest global conflict in history.
Meagher, a student at Salem Hills Junior High School, feels it’s critical for kids her age to understand and remember the sacrifice that was made so long ago.
“I think it’s important for them to know that history is what makes America what it is,” she said.
This story has been updated to correct an error in the number of years since the Pearl Harbor attack.
