Pacific Historic Parks - USS Arizona Memorial

06/26/2026

The story of Pearl Harbor belongs to all of us.

Through the Pearl Harbor Heroes National Campaign, Pacific Historic Parks honors those who served and sacrificed on December 7, 1941, while supporting education, preservation, and remembrance for future generations.

There are many ways to get involved:

🔹 Volunteer with Pacific Historic Parks, from special events to trail work, flag folding, and historical research:
https://www.pacifichistoricparks.org/volunteer

🔹 Make a one-time or recurring donation to support Pacific Historic Parks: https://crm.bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=pub_6dfb674e-7b98-11e7-afbe-024e165d44b3&WidgetId=2954240

🔹 Become a monthly Pearl Harbor Heroes supporter and receive special member benefits:
https://pearlharborheroes.org/memberships/

🔹 Shop the Pacific Historic Parks Bookstore online or at our visitor centers:
https://pacifichistoricparksbookstore.org/

🔹 Leave a lasting legacy by including Pacific Historic Parks in your estate plans through the Legacy of Remembrance Circle.

Learn more: https://pearlharborheroes.org/

📷: The last living USS Arizona survivor Lou Conter, who passed away in 2024, participated in the Walk of Honor following the 75th Commemoration on Dec. 7, 2016. Through education, preservation, and remembrance, Pacific Historic Parks works to ensure stories like his continue to reach future generations. US Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Laurie Dexter.

06/26/2026

Happy 102nd birthday to World War II veteran Sverre Vinje! He enjoyed a drive-by birthday salute outside his home in Rockford, Illinois, with dozens of community members taking part.

Sverre enlisted in the US Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor and served in the Pacific Theater during the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Read more: https://www.wifr.com/2026/06/24/community-celebrates-102-year-old-world-war-ii-veteran-with-drive-by-birthday-salute/?outputType=amp

As America celebrates its 250th birthday this year, one Rockford veteran who helped defend those freedoms during World War II celebrates a major milestone of his own.

06/26/2026

06/25/2026

On June 1, 1944, the submarine USS Herring sank during combat near Japan's Kurile Islands. All 83 officers and sailors aboard were killed, including at least six with ties to Minnesota: https://www.inforum.com/lifestyle/after-82-years-sunken-wwii-submarine-with-minnesotans-on-board-identified

Eighty-two years later, on the anniversary of its loss, the Naval History and Heritage Command announced that the submarine had been located and positively identified nearly 300 feet beneath the water off Matsuwa Island.

📷: Minnesota native John Martin Johnson was one of six USS Herring sailors featured in the linked article. Image from www.oneternalpatrol.com.

06/25/2026

When Smith's Union Bar closed its doors earlier this month, Honolulu lost more than a bar. It lost a piece of Pearl Harbor history.

Hear veteran and owner Dwight Lockwood share what made it so special.

Before the bar's closure, Pacific Historic Parks preserved more than 25 USS Arizona-related photographs from the bar for future generations.

📷: Bernie Caalim/PHP
Reel created by Rebecca Schwab

06/24/2026

On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing the birth of a new nation.

Nearly 250 years later, the American flag remains one of the most recognizable symbols of the freedoms and ideals set forth in that document.

This Independence Day, commemorate America's founding with a US flag flown at the USS Arizona Memorial on July 4, 2025. Proceeds help Pacific Historic Parks support education, interpretive programs, research, preservation, and restoration at Pearl Harbor: https://pacifichistoricparksbookstore.org/collections/flags-flown-on-independence-day

06/24/2026

: Twin brothers BM2c John Anderson and BM1c Delbert “Jake” Anderson, both 24, were serving aboard USS Arizona on December 7, 1941. By the end of the day, only one would survive.

As the attack unfolded, Jake manned an antiaircraft gun on deck while John's battle station was at Turret 4. Believing the big guns would be ineffective against the attacking aircraft, John requested permission to assist his brother.

Before he could reach him, a bomb struck USS Arizona, triggering the catastrophic explosion that tore through the battleship. John survived the blast and was ordered onto a barge to take wounded men to safety.

After reaching Ford Island, John returned to Arizona with another sailor to search for Jake, but they couldn’t find him. Jake's body was never recovered.

John survived the war and continued his Navy service, spending 23 years in the reserves. Over the years, he worked as a stuntman, radio DJ, television meteorologist, and real estate agent.

When John passed away in 2015 at the age of 98, he chose to have his ashes interred aboard USS Arizona in Turret 4, returning to the ship where he had last seen his twin brother more than 70 years earlier.

Interview with John from 2011: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNbhVP9i4BY

06/24/2026

U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Irvin C. Ellingson, was laid to rest in Dahlen, North Dakota, on June 20, 2026, nearly 80 years after his aircraft was shot down during a combat mission over Tokyo.

Ellingson served as a radar observer aboard a B-29 Superfortress with the 878th Bombardment Squadron, 499th Bombardment Group. After surviving the crash, he was captured and later died in the Tokyo Military Prison during a fire. He was 25 years old.

Ellingson's remains were identified in December 2025.

Rest in peace, Sir! We thank you for your service!

06/23/2026

: Where was USS Arizona launched?

More than 26 years before the attack on Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona first entered the water at a shipyard thousands of miles away from Hawaiʻi.

06/23/2026

Please join us on September 27 at the Hawaii Theatre Center for the culminating event of this year’s commemoration. Acclaimed ʻukulele artist Jake Shimabukuro will debut an original composition inspired by the camp, alongside performances by members of the Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony Orchestra, taiko master Kenny Endo, and other special guests. We hope you’ll join us for this special evening honoring the legacy of Honouliuli National Historic Site.

Information about the 80 Years of Closure Commemoration is now available on our partner Pacific Historic Parks (PHP) website. Pacific Historic Parks, the park's non-profit partner, is sponsoring the finale event for our 80th commemoration and has shared the following so people can learn more about this event: https://honouliuliawakened.com/

PHP also has a page where you can continue to follow for updates about this and other 80th commemoration events they are sponsoring: https://www.facebook.com/p/Pacific-Historic-Parks-Honouliuli-61575651402418/