The USS Arizona Memorial is located in Pearl Harbor in Oahu. It is a memorial honoring the men of the USS Arizona who lost their lives on December 7, 1941 when Japan made a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor sinking the USS Arizona and it became the resting place of 1102 sailors of the 1177 sailors and marines that were killed on the USS Arizona when it was attacked. In honor of those killed a memorial was suggested by Admiral Arthur Radford, the commander of the Pacific Fleet, in 1951 but was denied due to expenses of the Korean war. In 1958 President Dwight D Eisenhower approved funding for the memorial. The memorial was designed by Honolulu architect Alfred Preis. The 184 ft structure has two peaks, one at each end, and a sag in the middle that represents the height of the American people before the war to the depressing feeling during the war then to another heighten moment at the victory of war. It has seven large windows representing the date of the attack but has 21 windows over all which represents a 21 gun salute or the 21 Marines eternal ling guarding the men and the memorial. It was dedicated on May 30, 1962 and it has over a million visitors a year. The USS Arizona is not only a memorial to the men of the Arizona who lost their lives but it is also a memorial to all who lost their lives on December 7, 1941.
I have wanted to see the USS Arizona since I was a little girl and I am glad I finally did. It is a great way to commemorate those who were killed in the line of duty and it makes you remember what happened that day. It was a beautiful day which made it an even better experience visiting the USS Arizona. If you ever visit the island of Oahu you really need to visit the USS Arizona; it will not disappoint.
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