In 1961, Elvis Presley raised $65,000 toward the USS Arizona Memorial; a year later, the 184-foot structure opened above the Pearl Harbor wreck, where more than 900 crewmen remain entombed and oil still leaks
In 1961, Elvis Presley raised $65,000 towards the USS Arizona Memorial, helping support the project that would honour those who died aboard the battleship at Pearl Harbor. The memorial was completed that year and officially dedicated in 1962. Its 184-foot structure stretches across the sunken USS Arizona.According to National Park Service, the memorial stands above the battleship that became the final resting place for more than 900 of its 1,177 crewmen who died on December 7, 1941. The USS Arizona remains beneath the structure, while the memorial gives visitors a place to remember those who lost their lives during the Pearl Harbor attack.The idea for a memorial emerged during the Second World War. Initial suggestions were made as early as 1943, but it took several years before concrete steps were taken to create a permanent tribute. In 1949, the Territory of Hawaii established the Pacific War Memorial Commission, helping move the idea forward.The site received its first official recognition in 1950. Admiral Arthur Radford, Commander in Chief of the Pacific, ordered a flagpole to be erected over the sunken battleship. On the ninth anniversary of the attack, a commemorative plaque was placed at the base of the flagpole.
How the memorial was created
The plan for a permanent memorial gained further support in 1958, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorised its creation. The project was funded through public contributions and private donations. The memorial was completed in 1961, the same year Presley raised $65,000 towards it.Architect Alfred Preis designed the structure. Its shape was intended to represent the story of the attack and what followed. Preis explained that the structure “sags in the center but stands strong and vigorous at the ends, expressing initial defeat and ultimate victory.”Preis also said the overall effect was meant to be one of serenity. He explained that “Overtones of sadness have been omitted to permit the individual to contemplate his own personal responses, his innermost feelings.”
Three sections above the wreck
The USS Arizona Memorial is divided into three main sections- the Entry Room, the Assembly Room and the Shrine Room.The Entry Room welcomes visitors at the start of their visit. The Assembly Room forms the central section and provides space for ceremonies and general observation. It also gives visitors an area for reflection.The Shrine Room is where the names of those who died aboard the USS Arizona are engraved on a marble wall. The names provide a permanent record of the people who lost their lives aboard the battleship.The memorial stretches across the sunken ship below the surface. Visitors can look through its open windows towards the USS Arizona beneath them.The battleship is no longer in commission, but the United States flag continues to fly from a flagpole attached to its severed mainmast. The flag remains a symbol of the ship’s continuing legacy.The USS Arizona Memorial honours the people who died aboard the battleship, but its significance extends beyond the ship itself. The National Park Service says the memorial also honours all military personnel who lost their lives in the Pearl Harbor attack.
The USS Arizona beneath memorial
More than 900 of the USS Arizona’s 1,177 crewmen who died on December 7, 1941, remain entombed in the sunken battleship. The wreck has therefore remained an important part of the memorial site.Oil still leaks from the USS Arizona, linking the memorial above the water to the physical remains of the ship below it. Visitors standing inside the structure can look towards the wreck beneath the surface.The National Park Service describes the memorial as a place of reflection and remembrance. Its white structure spans the battleship and provides visitors with a way to contemplate the attack and the lives lost.
Visiting USS Arizona Memorial
The National Park Service facilitates the USS Arizona Memorial programme. Tickets are free, but reservations are required.The previous first-come, first-served ticket distribution programme is no longer available. Visitors who have reservations are asked to arrive at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center one hour before their ticket time.The programme lasts around 30 to 45 minutes and is offered as a guided tour. The Pearl Harbor National Memorial Theatre, US Navy vessels and USS Arizona Memorial are fully accessible.
