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Pearl Harbor

Remembering Pearl Harbor 75 years later

Susan B. Barnes
Special for USA TODAY
U.S. flags line the walkway to the USS Missouri.

Just before 8 a.m. on a quiet December 1941 morning on the Hawaiian Island of O’ahu, the course of U.S. history was forever changed.

On December 7, 1941, hundreds of Japanese fighter pilots set their sights on Pearl Harbor, an American naval base near Honolulu. In just two, more than 2,000 Americans lost their lives, another 1,000 were wounded, and nearly 20 naval vessels and more than 300 airplanes were destroyed. One of the destroyed was the USS Arizona battleship, which was hit by a 1,800-pound bomb, subsequently exploded and sank with 1,000 men trapped inside.

On December 8, 1941, the U.S. entered World War II.

Just over 20 years later, the USS Arizona Memorial was dedicated on Memorial Day 1962 to commemorate the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the men who lost their lives. In 1980, the National Park Service began operating the memorial and visitor center, which are part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, and in 1989 the USS Arizona was designated a national historic landmark. Every year, about 1.6 million people from around the world visit Pearl Harbor and the the USS Arizona Memorial.

A visit to the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument in Pearl Harbor can easily fill a day, or even two, with American history, starting with the USS Arizona Memorial. After a nearly-25-minute documentary film featuring days leading up to the attack and December 7 itself, you’ll take a short boat ride out to the memorial, which sits over the wreckage of the USS Arizona. In the shallow waters below, you’ll easily be able to make out the battleship, and one of its gun turrets that emerges from the water. If the sun is reflecting off the water just right, you may be able to spot some of the two quarts of oil that still bubble up from the wreckage every day, 75 years later.

PBS debuted “Pearl Harbor: Into the Arizona,” an inside look at the battleship’s underwater remains, in late-November; it will air again this month, so check local listings for dates and time.

In addition to the USS Arizona Memorial, additional Pearl Harbor Historic Sites can be found within close proximity and are easily accessible via complimentary shuttles (included in ticket price) that run between each of the sites.

Exactly one year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the USS Bowfin submarine was launched December 7, 1942 and fought in the Pacific Theater during World War II; it was nicknamed “The  Pearl Harbor Avenger.” Today, visitors are invited aboard to explore the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, adjacent to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, via self-guided tours that include complimentary audio tours.

Positioned bow-to-bow with the USS Arizona is the USS Missouri battleship, on the decks of which the Japanese surrendered on September 2, 1945, marking the end of World War II. The Battleship Missouri Memorial welcomes guests aboard to explore its massive decks, and offers a variety of ways to do just that. A 35-minute guided tour showcases the “Mighty Mo’s” highlights, including the Surrender Deck, and leaves plenty of time to explore on your own. Or add on The Heart of the Missouri tour and go deep inside the ship’s inner workings, including the engine rooms and gun turrets.

A short shuttle bus ride from the Battleship Missouri Memorial is the Pacific Aviation Museum, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary on December 7. Inside the museum and its two hangars are a variety of exhibits, most of which directly relate to the attack on Pearl Harbor; parts of the hangars and the control tower still bear scars from the attack. Throughout the museum, aircraft hang from the rafters and their stories are told by placards and incredibly knowledgeable docents. You can even try your hand at being a World War II pilot through one of the museum’s combat flight simulators.

Make the most of your visit to Pearl Harbor with the Passport to Pearl Harbor, which includes entry into all four of these Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. The World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument and Pearl Harbor Historic Sites are open year-round, but closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, a number of events are scheduled on O’ahu. For more information and more events, please visit pearlharbor75thanniversary.com.

December 6

Freedom Bell Opening Ceremony and Bell Ringing, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., USS Bowfin Submarine Park & Museum

“December 7th Remembered” - An Evening of Honor and Tribute, 5:30 p.m., Hilton Hawaiian Village. Email, register online, or call for tickets: 877-589-8898, or 808-589-5592; free and discounted tickets are available for Pearl Harbor Survivors, World War II veterans and their families.

December 7

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Commemoration, 7:45 a.m., Kilo Pier, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (live stream will be available)

Annual Wreath Presentation, 8 a.m., Marine Corps Base Hawaii

USS Oklahoma Memorial Ceremony, 1 p.m., USS Oklahoma Memorial

25th Infantry Division Commemoration Ceremony, 3 p.m., Fort DeRussy

Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade and Public Ceremony, 4:30 p.m. start, Fort DeRussy in Waikiki, down Kalakaua Avenue to Kapiolani Park.

December 8

108th Army Band Performance, 2 p.m., Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor

December 11

Honolulu Marathon - Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future, 5 a.m., Honolulu.

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