PEARL HARBOR BLUES by Victoria Heckman
It all began (for me) when I
moved to Hawai’i to attend the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. It was
love at first sight. I felt I had come home. Everything about
Hawai’i felt natural and comfortable, like I belonged there. I stayed for
many years, my children were born there, and when I decided to write my first
novel, of course, it would be set there. Fast forward about 10
years.
While living there, I went to the Arizona Memorial about once a year. I
couldn’t stay away. It always touched me that I found both American and
Japanese military standing side by side, not speaking, but both quietly paying
their respects, lost in the past, perhaps. They were always old, at least
to me at that time, and I knew from the bits of discussion I would hear before
and after the visit, they were part of that war.
Another puzzle piece was that I thought I might continue in law enforcement in
Hawai’i. I was a reserve officer before moving there, so I checked out
HPD, did ride-alongs and research.
Ultimately, I decided it wasn’t for me, but
two very important things arose as a result. I found my best friend of
that period, an HPD officer who, even after I decided not to enlist, let me go
on hours of ride-alongs. She also introduced me to another officer who
was three years old at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack.
Way back
then, people lived along the shores of the harbor, and he was that little boy playing
on the shore in the first part of my book. That terrifying tale stuck
with me for twenty-five years and to me it was vital that it was remembered,
albeit fictionalized.
While living in Hawai’i for so long, it was impossible not to be keenly aware of
our military. O’ahu is, after all, pretty much one big military base—all
branches. I lived across the street from a military museum at one point,
and again, went regularly. I don’t understand my own fascination for
WWII, particularly the Pacific arena, but some of it is my own family’s
military background.
Almost every male through my father’s generation
served, and my grandfather designed the first jet. He was in the Air arm
of the Army, back when the air force didn’t exist yet. I heard a few bits
and pieces from him, but he didn’t want to talk story, as we say in
Hawai’i. None of our military men do. I wish they were still around
to talk to, because now, I think I might be able to understand, just a
little. Although this mystery novel, Pearl Harbor Blues,
isn’t set during the war, it does start there and is a little nod to all those
who serve, both then and now.
Comments
Thanks for giving the good reivew of Victoria's book. I'm eager to read it.