This was an awesome experience. Getting to be a part of mainiaining history was very exciting. Also, being able to see so many areas of the battleship that aren't always opened to the general public made us feel very special. The knowledge of the USS Missouri's history and her experiences are deintely ones that everyone should get to know. She will always be a reminder of what Americans should be very gratelful for, our freendom!

After working on the USS Missouri for a week, I felt so proud to be part of the history of this magnificent battleship. Planning my visit there for the December 7th ceremonies and sleeping on the ship the night before was a wonderful experience. If you love World War 11 history, warm weather and beaches in December, and the opportunity to contribute this is the program for you.

This was an honor to work on the USS Missouri. This program brought together a diverse group of interesting people who felt the same. Sleeping aboard was a special treat, and attending the Pearl Harbor ceremony a moving experience. Great program. I now understand the attraction to the beauty, warmth, and history of the island. The people are very warm and friendly!

This is the kind of service project that revitalizes my soul.

This was my first service project with Road Scholar. My motive was to celebrate the graduation of two of the next generation in my family who finished college on the same day in two different states. Since I could not be in two places at once, I invited them to visit me in Hawaii! In return, I asked them to join us old folks for a week of service. When I called Road Scholar to sign up, they were unwilling to enroll youngsters without checking with the program provider, so it took a few days to process. Granted, this is not an intergenerational program, but I opined that having young bucks along to do the heavy lifting would make us all happier. And so it was! I did worry that veteran Road Scholars might resist having youngsters around, but that proved needless. My nephew worked well with his team wielding a sledge hammer to incise non-skid coating off the teak deck being replaced. His seniors occasionally spelled him, but he logged the most hours hammering. My niece found her metier painting signs. She did not hesitate when the coordinator sought a volunteer who could color inside the lines. She took the lead and by the last day, all the women worked on her team. It was an ideal way to bond with my niece and nephew and to instill the value of giving back. Incorporating young adults into service trips is a win-win for all. Seniors benefit from having strong adults who can meet the challenges involved. And the young adults gain from the experience we seniors bring to the program. Two of our male colleagues were Navy veterans who served on the Missouri during active duty. It made our night living on board come alive! While both my niece and nephew chafed at the early reveille, my niece's post on Facebook indicated “Earlier mornings than I like. But I think the experience is probably worth it.” I take that as reward and recommend the strategy to any looking for a project to share with newly-minted adult family now that Road Scholar accepts participants over age 21!