USS Arizona Memorial

USS Arizona Memorial
DoD photo by: PH3(AW/SW) JAYME PASTORIC, USN · Public domain · source
Shipname	USS Arizona (BB-39)
Caption	USS Arizona Memorial spanning the wreck of USS Arizona (BB-39)
Namesake	Arizona
Builder	Brooklyn Navy Yard
Laid down	16 March 1914
Launched	19 June 1915
Commissioned	17 October 1916
Fate	Sunk at Attack on Pearl Harbor; wreck designated a National Historic Landmark
Displacement	31,400 tons (standard)
Length	608 ft
Beam	97 ft
Draft	29 ft
Armament	14 in/45 cal guns, 5 in/51 cal guns (as built)
Armor	Belt 11 in
Propulsion	Steam turbines
Complement	~1,500 officers and enlisted

USS Arizona Memorial The USS Arizona Memorial marks the resting place of the battleship USS Arizona (BB-39) and memorializes the lives lost during the Attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Located at Pearl Harbor on the island of Oʻahu, the site is administered by the National Park Service as part of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and draws visitors worldwide to honor sailors and Marines interred within the wreck. The memorial serves as both a commemorative monument and an underwater grave, symbolizing the United States' entry into World War II.

History

The ship, commissioned in 1916, served through peacetime operations during the Interwar period and participated in fleet exercises centered on Pacific Fleet maneuvers. At the time of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Arizona was moored at Battleship Row at Ford Island and became the most heavily damaged capital ship during the raid, resulting in the loss of 1,177 crewmen. In the aftermath, salvage efforts by United States Navy teams removed equipment and oil recovered, but the wreck was left in situ as a war grave. In 1958, public and veterans' groups, including the American Legion and the Fleet Reserve Association, advocated for a permanent memorial, leading to congressional authorization and the eventual construction of the present memorial in 1962 under the auspices of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Design and Construction

The battleship was designed and built at Brooklyn Navy Yard to the Nevada-class battleship standards that emphasized long-range gunnery and armor protection influenced by experiences of the RMS Titanic era innovations in hull design and compartmentalization. Laid down in 1914 and launched in 1915, her construction reflected naval architecture trends set by the Washington Naval Conference limits and the evolution of dreadnought-type capital ships exemplified by USS Nevada (BB-36). Construction employed advances in steam turbine propulsion and fire-control systems developed from tests at Naval Research Laboratory and Annapolis training exercises.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

On 7 December 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise aerial strike intended to neutralize the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor and facilitate operations throughout the Pacific War. Aircraft from Kaga (航空母艦) and other carriers conducted torpedo and bomb attacks; Arizona suffered a magazine explosion following a bomb breach near her forward ammunition stores, causing catastrophic structural failure. The sinking of Arizona was a pivotal moment in the raid that immediately propelled the United States into full-scale participation in World War II, prompting declarations by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and mobilization across industrial centers such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Memorial Design and Features

The memorial structure, designed by architect Alfred Preis, spans the sunken hull without touching the wreck, creating a contemplative platform above the submerged battleship. The memorial features a shrine room, memorial plaque honoring the 1,177 who perished, and a marble wall inscribed with names similar in commemorative intent to monuments like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.. Visitors view the oil-slicked water, often referred to as the "black tears" or "tears of the Arizona," and the superstructure remnants visible above the surface. Elements of the design reference classical memorial architecture and mid-20th-century modernism, and the site includes interpretive exhibits managed by the National Park Service and contributions from veterans' associations.

Visitor Access and Commemoration

Access to the memorial is primarily by boat launch operated from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, where visitors pass through exhibits about the Attack on Pearl Harbor, view artifacts from ships like USS Utah (BB-31) and USS Oklahoma (BB-37), and attend ranger-led orientation. Annual observances on 7 December involve wreath-laying ceremonies attended by dignitaries from the United States Navy, families of the fallen, and representatives of allied nations including Japan in gestures of reconciliation. The memorial is also a focal point during Veterans Day and Memorial Day remembrances, and interment of cremated remains over the wreck continues under protocols coordinated with the Department of the Navy and veterans' organizations.

Preservation and Conservation

Preservation efforts involve monitoring corrosion, oil leakage, and structural degradation under programs spearheaded by the National Park Service, Naval History and Heritage Command, and scientific partners such as the University of Hawaii. Conservation measures include underwater surveys, cathodic protection studies, and restrictions on physical access to protect the wreck as a war grave and National Historic Landmark. Legal protections derive from federal statutes and administrative designations that restrict salvage and disturbance, while ongoing research into submerged cultural resources informs stewardship plans shared with maritime archaeology communities at institutions like Smithsonian Institution and Texas A&M University.

Cultural Impact and Legacy

The memorial occupies a central place in American collective memory of World War II and has shaped representations of the Pearl Harbor raid in films, literature, and public education, influencing works produced by 20th Century Studios and narratives involving figures such as Admiral Husband E. Kimmel and General Walter Short. The site has fostered international reconciliation, with delegations from Japan participating in commemorative events and educational exchanges between institutions like the Japan-America Society and the U.S. Naval Academy. As a symbol of sacrifice and historical turning points—akin to Gettysburg National Military Park and Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial—the memorial continues to inform civic rituals, scholarly research, and dialogues on remembrance, heritage, and the human costs of conflict.

Category:Pearl Harbor National Memorial Category:National Historic Landmarks in Hawaii