Story by
MC2 Michael A. Lantron
Commander, Navy Region Hawai'i Public Affairs

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) transformed its passageways and bulkheads from a battle-ready vessel to Pearl Harbor’s own version of the ‘Black Pearl’ during a haunted ship family day Oct. 25 onboard Naval Station Pearl Harbor.

Military personnel, civilians and their children from around the waterfront were invited to partake in the festivities, which included a tour of the haunted ship and a trip to the mess decks to enjoy Halloween-themed games and treats.

Spider webs, fake blood and dark lighting are a Halloween norm, but being on a ‘cursed’ ship allowed Paul Hamilton Sailors to take ship equipment and convert it into a haunted version. Key additions included hanging flash gear and fire fighting equipment topped off with a skeleton head.

“This year we decided to expand it from a Paul Hamilton thing to open it up at large to the waterfront,” said Cmdr. Brent Smith, commanding officer of Paul Hamilton. “Seeing the final product of what the Sailors put together was amazing and everyone did such a great job.”

The crew of Paul Hamilton not only set up the tour, but literally popped out in various places to provide life-like entertainment for visitors looking to be frightened in the Halloween spirit.

“The tour was very scary, my favorite part was the dead firemen,” said a child of a Paul Hamilton Sailor.

“To have more than 30 volunteers on a Saturday afternoon was great,” said Electronics Technician 1st Class (SW) Edward Drury, coordinator for the event. “Everyone from the captain down got dressed up to get in the spirit and give everyone a great time.”

Paul Hamilton tries to hold the haunted ship as an annual event and the crew looks forward to scaring people next year.

“We spent a lot of money this year and plan on spending more next year,” said Drury. “We plan to be back here next year to keep scaring people and taking part in the Halloween spirit.”