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The sign at the entrance to the USS Arizona Memorial grounds. They have a gift shop there, a museum, a theater and other things. Although the memorial itself was dedicated in 1962, this place didn't become a National Park Service area until 1980.
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The 184-foot-long Memorial structure spanning the mid-portion of the sunken battleship consists of three main sections: the entry and assembly rooms; a central area designed for ceremonies and general observation; and the shrine room, where the names of those killed on the Arizona are engraved on the marble wall. In this postcard you can see the ghostly remains of the ship below the memorial.
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Pulling up to the memorial in our shuttle boat. The USS Arizona Memorial grew out of wartime desire to establish some sort of memorial at Pearl Harbor to honor those who died in the attack. Initial recognition came in 1950 when Admiral Arthur Radford, Commander in Chief, Pacific (CINCPAC), ordered that a flagpole be erected over the sunken battleship.
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A quote from Admiral Radford appears on this commemorative plaque which was placed at the base of the flagpole on the ninth anniversary of the attack.
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President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who helped achieve Allied victory in Europe during World War II, approved the creation of the Memorial in 1958. Its construction was completed in 1961 with public funds appropriated by Congress and private donations. The Memorial was dedicated in 1962.
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This is the view of the memorial once you walk in. According to its architect, Alfred Preis, about the design of the memorial: "Wherein the structure sags in the center but stands strong and vigorous at the ends, it expresses initial defeat and ultimate victory in WW2."
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This is the view from the other side looking back at the entrance. The architect also says about the memorial "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."
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The USS Arizona is the final resting place for many of the ship's 1,177 crewmen who lost their lives on December 7, 1941. They went down with the ship and rest at the bottom of the harbor, entombed in the Arizona's rusty hull.
In the Navy's known history, there has
never been a ship that has taken so many
of its crew down with her.
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Because the ship had been refueled shortly before the attack, oil has been seeping to the surface every few minutes since the USS Arizona was sunk. The resulting oil slick has become a visual feature of the site that has been the subject of interpretation over the years. Some envirornmentalists want to stop it saying it is damaging the environment, but some people believe they should let it continue as a reminder of what happened that day.
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Where the USS Arizona was moored on December 7, 1941.
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The base of the #3 gun turret of the USS Arizona, which rests above the water.
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A look at the marble wall on the memorial listing the names of all those killed aboard the USS Arizona.
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A closer look of what it says on the wall.
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