USS Arizona Memorial facts for kids
Quick facts for kids USS Arizona Memorial |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
USS Arizona Memorial in 2002
|
|
 USS Arizona Memorial
Location in Hawaii
|
|
| Location | Pearl Harbor |
| Nearest city | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Area | 10.50 acres (4.25 ha) |
| Established | May 30, 1962 |
| Visitors | 1,556,808 (in 2005) |
| Governing body | U.S. Navy National Park Service |
| Website | Pearl Harbor National Memorial |
The USS Arizona Memorial is a special place in Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii. It marks where 1,102 brave sailors and Marines rest. They were among the 1,177 people who died on the USS Arizona battleship. This happened during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This attack caused the United States to join World War II.
The memorial was built in 1962. More than two million people visit it every year. You can only reach it by boat. It floats above the sunken ship without touching it. You can learn about the attack at the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center. This center opened in 1980 and is run by the National Park Service. The sunken ship was named a National Historic Landmark in 1989. The USS Arizona Memorial is one of several important sites at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial.
Contents
Building the Memorial: A Special Place to Remember
How the Idea for the Memorial Started
_burning_after_the_Japanese_attack_on_Pearl_Harbor_-_NARA_195617_-_Edit.jpg)
_wreck_in_the_1950s.jpg)
After World War II ended, parts of the Arizona's damaged upper structure were removed. People then began to think about building a memorial over the sunken ship.
A famous person named Robert Ripley, known for Ripley's Believe It or Not!, visited Pearl Harbor in 1942. In 1948, he did a radio show from there. He then wrote to the Navy about wanting a permanent memorial.
Ripley's first idea was too expensive. But the Navy still wanted to create a memorial. In 1949, the Pacific War Memorial Commission was formed to build one in Hawaii. In 1950, Admiral Arthur W. Radford of the Pacific Fleet placed a flagpole on the Arizona's main mast. This started a tradition of raising and lowering the flag there. A temporary memorial was also built that year. Admiral Radford asked for money for a national memorial in 1951 and 1952. But the request was denied because of the Korean War budget.
The Navy put the first permanent memorial, a 10-foot (3.0 m) basalt stone and plaque, over the ship's middle deck in 1955. In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved the idea of a National Memorial. The memorial was planned to cost $500,000. Most of this money had to come from private donations. However, $200,000 was paid by the government.
Who Helped Pay for the Memorial?
Many people and groups helped raise money:
- The Territory of Hawaiʻi gave $50,000 in 1958.
- $95,000 was raised after a TV show called This Is Your Life in 1958. It featured Rear Admiral (ret.) Samuel G. Fuqua, a hero from the Arizona.
- Elvis Presley held a benefit concert on March 25, 1961, which raised $64,000. This was his last live show until 1968.
- $40,000 came from selling plastic models of the Arizona. This was a partnership between the Fleet Reserve Association and Revell Model Company.
- $150,000 came from federal funds. This was thanks to Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye in 1961.
There were different ideas about what the memorial should represent. Some wanted it only for the Arizona sailors. Others wanted it for everyone who died in the Pacific War. In the end, the law said the Arizona memorial would honor "members of the Armed Forces of the United States who gave their lives to their country during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941."
The Memorial's Design and Meaning
The memorial was designed by Honolulu architect Alfred Preis. He was held at Sand Island at the start of the war because he was born in Austria. The United States Navy wanted the memorial to look like a bridge floating above the ship. It needed to hold 200 people.
The structure is 184 feet (56 m) long. It has two high points at each end and sags in the middle. Some people first called the design a "squashed milk carton."
Alfred Preis explained his design. He said the sag in the middle, with strong ends, shows "initial defeat and ultimate victory." He wanted the memorial to feel calm and peaceful. He left out sad feelings so visitors could think about their own emotions.
What You See at the Memorial
.jpg)
The memorial has three main parts: the entry, the assembly room, and the shrine. The central assembly room has seven large open windows on each side and the ceiling. These seven windows remember the date of the attack, December 7. There is also an opening in the floor. From here, visitors can look down at the sunken ship. They can also drop flowers to honor the fallen sailors. In the past, people threw flower necklaces called leis into the water. But now, leis are placed on guardrails. This is because the string from leis can harm sea life.
One of the Arizona's three 19,585-pound (8,884 kg) anchors is at the visitor center's entrance. Another anchor is in Phoenix. One of the ship's two bells is in the visitor center. The other bell is at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
At the far end of the memorial is a marble wall. It lists the names of everyone who died on the Arizona. Next to this main wall is a smaller plaque. It lists the names of about thirty crew members who survived the 1941 attack. Any surviving crew members of the Arizona can have their ashes placed inside the ship by U.S. Navy divers. Their families can also do this for them.
Important Moments in the Memorial's History
The USS Arizona Memorial was officially opened on May 30, 1962, which is Memorial Day. It was dedicated by Congressman Olin E. Teague and future-Governor John A. Burns.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The ship's wreck was named a National Historic Landmark in 1989. But the memorial itself is listed separately. The United States Navy and the National Park Service began working together to manage the memorial in 1980.
Oil still leaks from the sunken battleship and rises to the water's surface. People sometimes call this oil "the tears of the Arizona" or "black tears." In 2001, some worried that the ship's walls and oil tanks might break. This could release a lot of oil into the environment. The National Park Service says it watches the ship's condition very closely.
In 2016, the National Park Service created a "mobile park." This park traveled across the United States. It helped more people learn about the Pearl Harbor park. It also collected stories from people who remembered the attack.
Keeping the Memorial in Good Condition
The marble wall with the names can get damaged by salty water vapor. This causes stains and erosion. The original wall was replaced in 1984. The first replacement wall was then replaced again in 2014.
USS Missouri: A Symbol of Beginning and End
World War II ended when Japan surrendered on the deck of the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. In 1999, the Missouri was moved to Pearl Harbor. It was docked behind the USS Arizona, lining up with it. This placed it across from the USS Arizona Memorial. Having both ships together became a strong symbol. The Arizona represents the start of the United States' involvement in the war. The Missouri represents the end.
At first, some staff at the USS Arizona Memorial worried the large Missouri would "overshadow" the Arizona Memorial. To prevent this, the Missouri was placed far back from the Arizona Memorial. It was also positioned so that people on the Missouris back decks could not see the Arizona Memorial. The Missouris front (bow) faces the Memorial. This shows that the Missouri now watches over the Arizonas remains. This helps the sailors resting inside the Arizonas hull to rest in peace. These steps have helped both memorials keep their unique identities. This has improved how the public sees having both ships in the same harbor.
Visiting the Memorial: What to Expect
Public Visits and What to See
The visitor center is run by the National Park Service and is free to enter. It has a museum with displays about the Pearl Harbor attack. You can also see the ship's bell from the Arizona there.
More than a million people visit the memorial each year. You take a U.S. Navy boat to get to the USS Arizona Memorial. You need to make a reservation online. Because many people visit and there are limited boat trips, reservations often fill up weeks ahead. A few reservations are saved for the day before. Before you get on the boat, you watch a 23-minute film. It shows what happened during the attack on Pearl Harbor. You can explore the Memorial on your own. The National Park Service website has visitor information, including hours and ticket advice.
You can rent a one-hour audio tour at the visitor center. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis narrates it. Her father, Tony Curtis, was a World War II and Navy veteran. Along the shoreline on the center's grounds, there are more exhibits and a "Remembrance Circle." Nearby is the USS Bowfin, a World War II submarine. You can tour it for a separate fee. You can also visit the battleship USS Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor. But you need to take a bus ride to Ford Island for those.
Boat trips to the memorial were stopped on May 6, 2018. This was because a crack was found on one of the boats. Even after repairs, the cracks came back. The memorial was closed from May 26, 2018, until September 1, 2019. However, boat tours around the memorial and other ships continued. The memorial also briefly closed in September and December 2021 due to dock safety issues.
Important Visitors: Presidents and Prime Ministers
.jpg)
Since 1962, every U.S. President has visited the memorial. They place a wreath and scatter flowers over the Arizona. This honors the Americans who died there. On December 27, 2016, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe visited the memorial with President Barack Obama. He paid his respects to the fallen service members. Abe was the first Prime Minister of Japan to visit the USS Arizona Memorial. This was 75 years after the Japanese attack. It was a return visit after Obama visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in Japan in May 2016.
Honoring the Arizona: Traditions and Legacy
_manning_rails_for_USS_Arizona.jpg)
Every U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine ship entering Pearl Harbor follows a tradition called "manning the rails." Sailors stand at attention along the ship's rails. They salute the USS Arizona Memorial respectfully as their ship slowly enters the port.
The Arizona is no longer an active ship. But it is an active U.S. military cemetery. As survivors of the Arizona attack pass away, many choose to have their ashes scattered over the ship. Or, their urns can be placed inside the ship's Turret No. 4. As a special tribute, the United States flag flies from a flagpole. This flagpole is attached to the broken main mast of the sunken battleship.
The USS Arizona National Memorial became part of the larger World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument in 2008. This monument was dedicated on December 7, 2010. Later, a law divided the monument into three parts. The Hawaii site was renamed the Pearl Harbor National Memorial.
Images for kids
-
December 2006: 65 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, retired Lieutenant Commander Joseph Langdell, a USS Arizona survivor, recalls the experience at the memorial
-
Aboard the Memorial - List of USS Arizona survivors who were later cremated, and their urns were placed into the wreckage by Navy SEALs. (10/2012)
-
Aboard the USS Arizona Memorial - list of lost sailors in marble, back wall. (10/2012)
-
Aboard the USS Arizona Memorial - center gallery. (10/2012)
-
Memorial Plaque - with a relief of the floating walkway. (10/2012)
-
Memorial Plaque - Dedicated 1962. (10/2012)
-
Heading out to the Memorial - military escort and pilot. (10/2012)
-
USS Arizona Memorial is bathed by the lights of ‘Aiea on the evening of the 62nd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 2003.
See also
- USS Arizona salvaged artifacts
- USS Utah (BB-31) wreck of ship lost at Pearl Harbor and memorial
- U.S. Navy memorials
- U.S. Navy museums (and battleship museums)
- University of Arizona – Student Union Memorial Center
- List of cemeteries in Hawaii
- List of national memorials of the United States
