Key Aspects:
- Alice Beck Darrow’s late husband was injured at Pearl Harbor in 1941, and the bullet he took is now in the hands of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial museum.
- The elderly guest arrived in Pearl Harbor as a guest aboard Holland America Line’s Westerdam, on a 28-day Alaska and Hawaii voyage.
- The cruise is part of the line’s collaboration with the TV brand The History Channel, which highlights the historical elements of global destinations.
More than 1 million people visit the Pearl Harbor National Memorial on the Hawaiian island of Oahu each year, but on September 18, 2025, a guest sailing aboard a Holland America Line ship delivered a very unusual gift to the museum.
Alice Beck Darrow, age 106, is a guest on the line’s Westerdam as the ship sails a 28-night “Legendary Glaciers & Volcanoes With History Channel” cruise roundtrip from Seattle.
It was she who gifted the unique item to the memorial museum — a bullet that was extracted from her husband, now deceased, who sustained his injury during the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Beck Darrow is a repeat guest on Holland America Line ships, and on this voyage, which departed on August 31, 2025, she and her daughter and son-in-law are traveling together.
But the cruise isn’t just for fun and relaxation: Beck Darrow was on a mission to donate the bullet as a sign of resilience and love.
And a love story it truly is. The tale unfolds on December 7, 1941, as Dean Darrow, a fire control-man serving aboard the USS West Virginia in Pearl Harbor, sustains what appear to be minor injuries from the surprise attack by the Japanese.
But his injuries turn out to be much more severe than originally thought, and months later, a bullet is found lodged in his heart muscle. The soldier is sent for surgery at Mare Island Naval Hospital in Vallejo, California, where he meets Alice Beck, a US Navy nurse.
Before his surgery, Darrow asks the nurse to go out with him, if he survives. She agrees, and in 1942, the two are married. The bullet was saved, and now, more than eight decades later, the bullet will be on display at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Museum.
“I’ve held onto this bullet for so long because it meant everything to us,” said Alice Beck Darrow.
“But I know it belongs in a place where others can understand what it represents—not just for Dean and me, but for all who served and sacrificed,” added Beck Darrow.
Holland America Line welcomed the part its ship was destined to play in the Darrow story.
“It is an incredible honor to have Alice aboard. Her story is one of courage, love, and legacy, and we’re humbled to play even a small role in helping her complete this journey,” said Captain Vincent Smit, master of the Westerdam.
Voyage Is a Collaboration With The History Channel
Westerdam Captain Smit gave Beck Darrow a signed ship model as a gift. Her voyage, in fact, was one of the line’s cruises operated in partnership with The History Channel.
Holland America Line, one of Carnival Corporation’s brands, in February 2025 announced a collaboration with the TV brand to offer curated itineraries and excursions that highlight notable historic aspects of destinations the voyages visit.
It is not clear whether Beck Darrow’s presence on the ship is coincidental to The History Channel’s affiliation or was planned.
The elderly guest had sailed on previous cruises with Holland America Line in Europe, but long-haul flights have become difficult for the centenarian. Apparently hailing from the Seattle area, the Legendary Glaciers & Volcanoes cruise was a good fit, with no flights required.
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Prior to calling at Honolulu, on Oahu, the ship visited Vancouver, British Columbia; several ports in Alaska; and Kauai, Hawaii. After Honolulu, the ship made two calls on the Big Island of Hawaii and will conclude in Seattle on September 28, 2025.
Westerdam’s next sailing is a repositioning cruise to Yokohama, Japan, where she will offer a seasonal roster of voyages to ports in Japan, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
