The
USS Arizona Memorial, located at
Pearl HarborPearl Harbor is a harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
in the City and County of Honolulu,
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. It is located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August...
, marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors killed on the
USS ArizonaUSS Arizona was a Pennsylvania-class battleship of the United States Navy. The vessel was the first to be named "Arizona" specifically in honor of the 48th state. She was commissioned in 1916 and served stateside during World War I...
during the
Attack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Japanese navy against the United States' naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941 , later resulting in the United...
on December 7, 1941 by
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese imperial
forcesThe armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external and internal aggressors. In some countries...
and commemorates the events of that day. The attack on Pearl Harbor and the island of
OahuOahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the State of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
was the action that led to
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
involvement in
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The memorial, dedicated in 1962 and visited by more than one million people annually, spans the sunken hull of the battleship without touching it. Since it opened in 1980, the
National Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
has operated the USS
Arizona Memorial Visitor Center associated with the memorial. Historical information about the attack, boat access to the memorial, and general visitor services are available at the center. The sunken remains of the battleship were declared a
National Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance. All NHLs are listed in the National Register of Historic Places...
on 5 May 1989.
Description
There are three main parts to the national memorial: entry, assembly room, and
shrineA shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated...
. The central assembly room features seven large open windows on either wall and ceiling, to commemorate the date of the attack. The total number of windows is 21, symbolically representing a 21 gun salute or 21
MarinesThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
standing at eternal parade rest over the tomb of the fallen. To this day, oil can still be seen rising from the wreckage to the surface of the water. The oil seeping is sometimes referred to as "the tears of the
Arizona" or "black tears." It also contains an opening in the floor overlooking the sunken decks. It is from this opening that visitors come to pay their respects by tossing flowers (and lei, in the past) in honor of the fallen sailors. Lei are no longer permitted to be tossed into the water, as the string poses a hazard to sea-life. Visitors can leave a lei on guardrails located in front of the names of the fallen. One of the two 19,585 pound
anchorAn anchor is an object, often made out of metal, that is used to attach a ship to the bottom of a body of water at a specific point. There are two primary classes of anchors—temporary and permanent. A permanent anchor is often called a mooring, and is rarely moved; it is quite possible the vessel...
s of the
Arizona is displayed at the entrance of the
visitor centerA visitor center or centre , visitor information center, tourist information center or tourist information, may be:...
. (Its twin is at the Arizona State Capitol in
PhoenixPhoenix is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the fifth most populous city in the United States...
.) One of the two
ship's bellsA ship's bell is usually made of brass, and has the ship's name engraved on it.Strikes of a ship's bell are used to indicate the hour aboard a ship and thereby to regulate the sailors' duty watches....
is in the
visitor centerA visitor center or centre , visitor information center, tourist information center or tourist information, may be:...
. (Its twin is in the clock tower of the Student Memorial Center at the
University of ArizonaThe University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
in Tucson.)
Every
President of the United StatesThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
since
Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , the only U.S. President elected to more than two terms, was a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, and both
EmperorsThe of Japan is the symbol of the state and of the unity of the Japanese people. He is the head of the Japanese Imperial Family. He is also the highest authority of the Shinto religion...
Hirohito, also known as , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926 until his death in 1989....
and
Akihitois the current of Japan, and the 125th Emperor according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the throne in 1989, and is the 20th most senior monarch or lifelong leader...
have made a pilgrimage to the site. The shrine at the far end is a marble wall that bears the names of all those killed on the USS
Arizona, protected behind velvet ropes.
Contrary to popular belief, the USS
Arizona is no longer in commission. She is, however, an active U.S. military cemetery. As a special tribute to the ship and her lost crew, the United States flag flies from the flagpole, which was once attached to the severed mainmast of the sunken battleship. The flag pole is now attached to the side of the memorial. The USS
Arizona Memorial has come to commemorate all military personnel killed in the Pearl Harbor attack.
Design
The national memorial was designed by Honolulu architect
Alfred PreisAlfred Preis designed the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor.Preis, who was born in Austria, and lived in Honolulu was detained for three months at the Sand Island Detainment Camp in Hawaii after the December 7, 1941 attack as part of the internment policy of Japanese and German Americans.The...
who had been detained at
Sand IslandSand Island is a small island within the city of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. The island lies at the entrance to Honolulu Harbor. It was known as Quarantine Island during the nineteenth century when it was used to quarantine ships believed to hold contagious diseases...
at the start of the war as an enemy of the country because of his Austrian birth. The
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
specified that the memorial be in the form of a bridge floating above the ship and accommodating 200 people.
The long structure has two peaks at each end connected by a sag in the center of the structure. It represents the height of American pride before the war, the sudden depression of a nation after the attack and the rise of American power to new heights after the war. Critics initially called the design a "squashed milk carton".
The architecture of the USS
Arizona Memorial is explained by Preis as, "Wherein the structure sags in the center but stands strong and vigorous at the ends, expresses initial defeat and ultimate victory ... The overall effect is one of serenity. Overtones of sadness have been omitted to permit the individual to contemplate his own personal responses ... his innermost feelings."
Fundraising
Following the end of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the
Arizona's wrecked
superstructureA superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied both to physical structures like buildings, bridges or ships and to conceptual structures as well...
was removed and efforts began to erect a memorial at the remaining submerged hull. The Pacific War Memorial Commission was created in 1949 to build a permanent memorial somewhere in Hawaii. Admiral Arthur Radford, commander of the
Pacific FleetThe United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean Navy theater-level component command of the United States Navy, under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its homeport is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii, commanded by Commander Pacific Fleet , a full admiral...
attached a flag pole to the main mast of the Arizona in 1950 and began a tradition of hoisting and lowering the flag. Radford requested funds for a national memorial in 1951 and 1952 but was denied because of budget constraints during the
Korean WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
.
Throughout the 1950s there was discussion of scrapping the
Arizona altogether. President
Dwight D. EisenhowerDwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was a five-star general in the United States Army and the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. During the Second World War, he served as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe, with responsibility for planning and supervising the...
approved the creation of the
National MemorialNational Memorial is a designation in the United States for a protected area, that memorializes a historic person or event. National memorials are authorized by the United States Congress. The memorial is often not located on a site directly related to the subject and many, such as the USS Arizona...
in 1958. Enabling legislation required that the memorial budgeted at
$The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States. The U.S. dollar is normally abbreviated as the dollar sign, $, or as USD or US$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies and from others that use the $ symbol. It is divided into 100 cents .The U.S...
500,000 be privately financed. This was not to prove the case. $200,000 of the memorial cost was government subsidized.
Principal contributions to the memorial included:
- $50,000 Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Hawaii....
initial contribution in 1958
- $95,000 privately raised following a 1958 This is Your Life
This Is Your Life is a television documentary series hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards. It originally aired in the United States from 1952 to 1961, and again in 1972 on NBC. It originated as a radio show airing from 1948 to 1952 on NBC Radio. A version of it continues a very long run in the...
television segment featuring Samuel G. FuquaSamuel Glenn Fuqua was a United States Navy Rear Admiral and a recipient of America's highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor — for his actions in World War II during the attack on Pearl Harbor....
, Medal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes themselves "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while...
recipient and the senior surviving officer from the USS Arizona
- $64,000 from 25 March 1961 benefit concert by Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as Elvis and is also sometimes referred to as The King of Rock 'n' Roll or The King....
- $40,000 from the sale of plastic models of the Arizona in a partnership between the Fleet Reserve Association
The Fleet Reserve Association is a non-profit organization chartered by the United States Congress that represents the interests of enlisted Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine veterans and active duty personnel in the United States....
and RevellRevell was a manufacturer of a broad range of plastic and die-cast models of cars, aircraft, military vehicles and ships. The company was originally founded in 1943, in Venice, California, United States by Jacque Fresco and Lou Glaser...
Model Company
- $150,000 from federal funds in legislation initiated by Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye
Daniel Ken "Dan" Inouye is an American politician who currently serves as the senior United States Senator from Hawaii. He has been a U.S. Senator since 1963 and, following the recent death of Ted Kennedy, is currently the second-most-senior member after fellow Democrat Robert Byrd. He has...
in 1961
The USS
Arizona Memorial was finally dedicated on 30 May 1962 (
Memorial DayMemorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May . Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service...
) by
TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies"...
Congressman and Chairman of Veteran Affairs
Olin E. TeagueOlin Earl Teague was a notable World War II veteran and Congressional representative for Texas's 6th congressional district for 32 years, from 1946 to 1978....
and
Hawaii GovernorThe Governor of Hawaii, also called Ke Kiaaina o Hawaii, is the chief executive of the State of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of...
John A. BurnsJohn Anthony Burns served as the second governor of Hawaii from 1962 to 1974. Born in Fort Assinniboine, Montana, Burns was a resident of Hawaii from 1913....
.
The Pearl Harbor National Monument Bookstore revenue helps support the museum.
Subsequent developments
The memorial was listed on the
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on 15 October 1966. While the actual wreck of the USS
Arizona was declared a
National Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance. All NHLs are listed in the National Register of Historic Places...
in 1989, the memorial itself does not share in this status. Rather, it is listed separately from the wreck on the National Register of Historic Places. The joint administration of the memorial by the
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
and the
National Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
was established on 9 September 1980.
In a
National Geographic MagazineThe National Geographic Magazine, later shortened to National Geographic, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the Society itself was founded...
feature published in 2001, concerns were expressed that the continued deterioration of the
Arizona's bulkheads and oil tanks from saltwater corrosion could pose a significant environmental threat from a rupture, resulting in a significant release of oil. The National Park Service states that it has an ongoing program closely monitoring the condition of the submerged vessel.
The National Park Service, as part of their Centennial Initiative celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2016, is developing a "mobile park" to tour the continental United States to increase exposure of the park. The mobile park will also collect oral histories of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Shipwreck
The USS
Arizona (shipwreck) is the remains of the
USS Arizona (BB-39)USS Arizona was a Pennsylvania-class battleship of the United States Navy. The vessel was the first to be named "Arizona" specifically in honor of the 48th state. She was commissioned in 1916 and served stateside during World War I...
, a
Pennsylvania-classThe Pennsylvania-class battleships, of the United States Navy, were an enlargement of the Nevada class; having two additional 45-caliber main battery guns, greater length and displacement, four propellers and slightly higher speed...
battleshipA battleship is a large, heavily armored warship with a main battery consisting of the largest caliber of guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers or destroyers. There are currently no battleships in service....
of the
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
destroyed as part of the
attack on Pearl HarborThe attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Japanese navy against the United States' naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941 , later resulting in the United...
on 7 December 1941. The wreck was not salvaged, and was left in place as a memorial for all who died that day. The shipwreck is considered an active military cemetery and is a
National Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance. All NHLs are listed in the National Register of Historic Places...
.
Memorial
Admiral
Arthur W. RadfordArthur William Radford was a United States Navy Admiral, Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Command and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.Arthur Radford was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1896...
, (CINCPAC) initially ordered a flag to be mounted on the wreck in 1950. Later the USS Arizona Memorial was built around the shipwreck in 1961 and designated a national shrine on 30 May 1962. The design of the memorial spans, but does not touch the landmarked remains below. The memorial is listed on the
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, but is not itself a landmark.
Burial
Servicemembers who were assigned to the
Arizona at any time during its service history are permitted to have their ashes scattered in the waters above the memorial. Servicemembers who were actually aboard the
Arizona on December 7, 1941, and survived the attack, are permitted to have their ashes entombed within the remains of the ship itself.
Manning the rails
Every
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
,
Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of seven uniformed services. It is unique among the military branches in that it has a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its mission set...
, and Merchant Marine vessel entering Pearl Harbor participates in the tradition of "
manning the railManning the rail is a method of saluting or rendering honors used by naval vessels. The custom evolved from that of manning the yards, which dates from the days of sail. On sailing ships, men stood evenly spaced on all the yards and gave three cheers to honor distinguished persons...
s". Personnel serving on these ships stand at attention at the ship's guard rails and salute the USS
Arizona Memorial in solemn fashion as their ship slowly glides into port. More recently, as foreign military vessels are entering Pearl Harbor for joint military exercises, foreign troops have participated in the traditional manning the rails.
USS Missouri
In 1999, the
battleshipA battleship is a large, heavily armored warship with a main battery consisting of the largest caliber of guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers or destroyers. There are currently no battleships in service....
USS MissouriUSS Missouri is a United States Navy Iowa-class battleship, and was the fourth ship of the U.S. Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of Missouri...
was moved to Pearl Harbor from the United States west coast and docked near, and perpendicular to, the USS
Arizona Memorial. Upon the deck of the USS
Missouri in
Tokyo Bayis a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Boso Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
, the Japanese surrendered to United States General
Douglas MacArthurGeneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general, United Nations general, and Field Marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and later played a prominent role in the Pacific theater of World War II...
and Admiral
Chester NimitzFleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz, USN was a five-star admiral in the United States Navy. He held the dual command of Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet , for U.S. naval forces and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas , for U.S...
, ending World War II. The pairing of the two ships became an evocative symbol of the beginning and end of the United States' participation in the bloodiest war the world had ever seen.
The pairing of the two ships has not been free from controversy, however. Memorial staff have criticized the placement of the
Missouri, saying the large battleship would "overshadow" the
Arizona Memorial. To help guard against this perception
Missouri was placed well back of the
Arizona Memorial, and positioned in Pearl Harbor in such a way as to prevent those participating in Military Ceremonies on
Missouri's aft decks from seeing the
Arizona Memorial. The decision to have
Missouri's bow face the
Arizona Memorial was intended to convey that
Missouri now watches over the remains of the battleship
Arizona so that those interred within
Arizona's hull may rest in peace. These measures have helped preserve the individual identities of the
Arizona Memorial and the
Missouri Memorial, which has improved the public's perception of having both
Arizona and
Missouri in the same harbor.
-
Visiting the memorial
The Visitor Center operated by the
National Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
is free to the public and has a museum with exhibits about the Pearl Harbor attack, such as the
ship's bellA ship's bell is usually made of brass, and has the ship's name engraved on it.Strikes of a ship's bell are used to indicate the hour aboard a ship and thereby to regulate the sailors' duty watches....
from the USS
Arizona. Access to the USS
Arizona Memorial itself is by U.S. Navy boat, for which a numbered ticket, obtained at the Visitor Center and valid for a designated departure time, is required. The memorial is visited by more than one million persons annually. Because of the large number of visitors and the limited number of boat departures, the 4,500 tickets available each day are often fully allocated by mid-morning. Before boarding the boat for the short trip to the Memorial, a 23-minute documentary film depicting the attack on Pearl Harbor is presented. Touring of the Memorial is self-guided. The National Park Service website provides visitor information, including hours of operation and ticketing advisories.
A one-hour audio tour narrated by Academy Award-winning actor and World War II Navy veteran
Ernest BorgnineErnest Borgnine is an American actor whose career spanned for over five decades. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for the motion picture Marty. On television, he is known for playing the title character in the 1960s comedy series McHale's Navy. He earned an Emmy nomination at age 92 for his...
is available for rent at the Visitor Center. On the Center's grounds along the shoreline are more exhibits and a "Remembrance Circle". Nearby is the
USS BowfinUSS Bowfin , Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the bowfin, a voracious, predatory fish native to the Great Lakes, the Mississippi valley, and nearby waters...
, a World War II diesel
submarineA submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has only limited underwater capability...
, which may be toured with separate, paid admission. The battleship
USS Missouri (BB-63)USS Missouri is a United States Navy Iowa-class battleship, and was the fourth ship of the U.S. Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of Missouri...
and the
Pacific Aviation MuseumThe Pacific Aviation Museum is located on Ford Island, located in the middle of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The museum site occupies of the island. It includes three historic hangars and an air traffic control tower....
may also be visited, but require a bus ride to
Ford IslandFord Island is located in the middle of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It is connected to the main island by the Ford Island Bridge. Before the bridge was built, Ford Island could only be reached by a ferry boat which ran at hourly intervals for cars and foot passengers. The island houses several naval...
.
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External links