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A centuries-old naval tradition will bring the sound of cannon fire to the Pearl Harbor area Monday morning.
That’s when the Japanese ships Kashima and Inazuma will arrive at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a scheduled port visit. The occasion will be marked by a traditional naval gun salute between the Kashima and the installation on Ford Island.
The exchange will begin at 8:30 a.m. near Hospital Point as the Kashima initiates the salute. Each of the Japanese vessel’s shots will be answered by the host, totaling 13 shots fired by each battery.
Due to their proximity, visitors to the Pearl Harbor National Monument and the USS Missouri Memorial as well as Ford Island residents and personnel may hear the gunfire, according to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam’s Public Affairs Office.
It is a long-held navy military custom for a ship entering a friendly port to discharge its cannons to show they are unloaded, the office said.
