This gorgeous fountain has a lot more history than you may think! Located at Fort Shafter, it was sculpted by four Italian prisoners of war during their two year internment on the island of Oahu. The Italian POW's, which numbered at over 5,000, constructed it in 1944 while they participated in non-military labor projects under guidelines of the Geneva Convention.
One of the artists, Alfredo Giusti from Pietrasanta, Italy even inscribed his name and address on the northern most side of the fountain! Alfredo was an avid artist and also constructed two other sculptures out at the Coast Guard station on Sand Island.
One of our favorite stories that we tell is the honeymooning newlyweds who fell in together after handing over their camera to our tour guide to snap a pic-as a matter of fact, if your eye is keen enough in our Museum you can find the photo hiding amongst our collection of memorable moments on board the tour! If you have seen the recent Disney movie "Pearl Harbor" you may recognize the fountain as well as the surrounding area, utilized in a few scenes throughout the film!
No comments:
Post a Comment