Pacific Historic Parks - USS Arizona Memorial

03/12/2025

US Army 2nd Lt. William B. Bucey, 29, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for March 3, 2025.

William was a member of 121st Infantry Regiment, Philippine Army, which conducted guerrilla operations behind Japanese lines after the invasion of the island of Luzon in the Philippines at the end of 1941. The fight ended with the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942, but William’s unit continued to resist. He was eventually captured by the Japanese and sent to the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1., where more than 2,500 POWs died.

William died of malaria on Oct 31, 1944, and was buried with other deceased prisoners in the Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 836.

For more information: https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/ID-Announcements/Article/4116078/soldier-accounted-for-from-wwii-bucey-w/

03/12/2025

🌺 Calling all Hawaii Rosies! 🌺

We are looking for women living in Hawaii who answered the call to work in the shipyards, factories, armories, food production facilities, clerical positions, and more in support of the war effort during World War II (1941-1945). We would love to invite you to take part in National Rosie Day activities on March 21st, as well as future events including the December 7th commemorations at Pearl Harbor National Memorial!

Many who qualify as Rosies don't realize they are Rosies. Underage Red Cross volunteers folding bandages qualify, as well as farmers who supplied food for the war effort. Rosie wrangler Tammy Brumley says, "If you worked for the war effort on the home front, you are a Rosie."

We had two local Rosies, but sadly both Lucille "Cille" MacDonald and Ella Fujie (profiled in Remembrance Fall 2022) have passed away:
https://issuu.com/remembrance/docs/remembrance_fall_2022-issuu/s/17383554

If you or someone you know is a Hawaii Rosie, we would love to hear from you! Please get in touch using the form below!

📷: Rosies Ginger Price, 92, and Barbara Snyder, 86, from Arizona will be at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial this March 21st for National Rosie Day. More information on a Meet and Greet coming soon!

03/11/2025

Wishing a belated happy birthday to "Rosie" Jeanne Gibson, who turned 99 on February 22nd! She was gifted this shirt by Rosie wrangler Tammy Brumley!

At 18, Jeanne left nursing school to work in the shipyards in Seattle as a welder, helping to build destroyers for the war effort. Later she ventured north to Alaska, working for the Army Transportation Corps’ Embarkation Center in Juneau, making manifests and hatch lists. Watch Jeanne talk about her wartime experience: https://www.facebook.com/reel/783566320497638

📷: Tammy Brumley

03/11/2025

Join us this Saturday, March 15th, at Pearl Harbor National Memorial from 8:00am to 1:00pm for a multigenerational flag folding event with Veterans of Foreign Wars, current military, and the Boy Scouts!

This event is open to the public. Lunch and snacks will be provided!

03/11/2025

: Can you guess approximately how many people from all over the world come to pay their respects at the USS Arizona Memorial every day?

📷:

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03/11/2025

Wishing Pearl Harbor survivor Freeman Kimball Johnson a very happy birthday! Freeman, who turns 105 today, is believed to be the oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor.

On December 7, 1941, Freeman was aboard the USS St. Louis, dubbed "the Lucky Lou." The ship was moored at the naval base at Pearl Harbor for needed repairs. That morning, 21-year-old Freeman heard the sounds of the attack and rushed to his post in front of the #4 boiler - the very one needing to be fixed.

“That’s at the bottom of the ship,” he told the Cape Cod Times in 2019. “So you don’t see much.”

The boiler had been torn apart, so Freeman worked to put it back together - all the while feeling the vibrations from the bombs and anti-aircraft gunners as the attack continued. The Lucky Lou got underway within 40 minutes and was able to head out to sea in search of the Japanese fleet.

“We got out without a scratch,” Freeman said.

Freeman served a total of six years in the US Navy. He is now among the last known Pearl Harbor survivors in Massachusetts.

📷: Freeman in Washington DC in 2016, and Freeman as a young sailor in San Francisco in 1941. Courtesy of Diane Johnson.

Read more about Freeman: https://www.heraldnews.com/story/news/2019/12/07/at-fall-river-ceremony-mass/2131672007/ and https://www.capecodtimes.com/story/news/2019/11/10/life-aboard-lucky-lou/2319852007/

03/10/2025

PHP took part in the 8th Annual Tourism Day at the Hawaii State Capitol on Friday, March 7th. The Rosie poster was a hit!

03/10/2025

Pearl Harbor child survivor Nancy Adrian Porter Slavens passed away on February 3, 2025, after an unexpected illness.

Born in Pomona, California on April 6, 1936, Nancy was the daughter of US Navy Lieutenant Clarence 'Mo' Porte and his wife Sybil. Her father, a radioman, was stationed with his family at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Nancy was only 5 at the time but remembered her father receiving a phone call that morning, leaving in a hurry, and not returning for three days. Nancy, her mother, and her sisters returned to the mainland in early 1942: https://obits.syracuse.com/us/obituaries/syracuse/name/nancy-slavens-obituary?id=57827261

View Nancy Adrian Porter Slavens's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

03/10/2025

World War II veteran Guido Vecchio passed away peacefully on March 5, 2025, in Naples, Florida, at the age of 99.

Guido served in the US Navy aboard USS Missouri, where he witnessed the Japanese surrender and the end of the war. He continued serving as a merchant marine during the Korean War:
https://www.marconews.com/obituaries/psar1115515

03/07/2025

: USS Missouri is located at Pearl Harbor in the spot where USS Oklahoma was moored on December 7, 1941. It was here that Oklahoma capsized after being hit by multiple torpedoes during the Japanese attack, resulting in the deaths of 429 crewmembers.

On September 2, 1945, Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, bringing an end to World War II in the Pacific. At Pearl Harbor, USS Missouri symbolically watches over those who gave their lives and represents the culmination of a journey from devastating loss to ultimate victory.

More information: https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/wars-and-events/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor-raid/post-attack-ship-salvage/salvage-of-uss-oklahoma--1942-1944.html

📷 1: US Navy photo of USS Oklahoma during salvage, March 29, 1943. The righting and refloating of Oklahoma, the largest and most difficult of the Pearl Harbor salvage jobs, was completed by the end of 1943. However, Oklahoma sank in the Pacific in May 1947 while on the way to San Francisco.

📷 2: US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Gilbert Bolibol

03/07/2025

Come help out at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial!

The park relies on dedicated volunteers to help preserve history and educate visitors. Watch as Chief of Staff for PHP Lee Collins and Pearl Harbor National Memorial Chief of Interpretation David Kilton share with Living808 about how you can get involved: https://www.khon2.com/living-808/volunteering-at-pearl-harbor-how-you-can-help-preserve-history/

Pacific Historic Parks and the National Park Service at Pearl Harbor rely on dedicated volunteers to support their mission of preserving history and educating visitors. Today on Living808, Lee Coll…

03/07/2025

Let park rangers help plan your visit to Pearl Harbor National Memorial! From how to arrive at the park to booking USS Arizona Memorial Program reservations and much more, this video features helpful tips to make the most of your time.

Let park rangers help plan your visit to Pearl Harbor National Memorial! From how to arrive at the park to booking USS Arizona Memorial Program reservations ...

03/06/2025

We’re deeply saddened to share with you that Pearl Harbor survivor Jessie A. Mahaffey, 102, passed away on March 1, 2025.

Jessie joined the US Navy in 1941 after graduating high school in Louisiana. He was assigned to USS Oklahoma and was aboard the ship on December 7, 1941. Just weeks before, he had transferred from the powder room to the deck. Oklahoma was preparing for inspection that morning when it was hit by multiple torpedoes early in the attack.

"We had a holystone on a broom stick, six of us were scrubbing the deck of the USS Oklahoma, and we were just talking, talking,” he told KTBS TV on December 7, 2024. “It was a quiet Sunday, and we had the day off except for the yearly admiral inspection. Then we heard a siren, saw planes and smoke. It must have only gone on for 45 minutes, but it was crazy.”

As Oklahoma rolled over, he and other sailors on deck slid down the bottom side. Jessie jumped into the water and swam to the USS Maryland. Four hundred and twenty nine of his fellow USS Oklahoma crewmembers died in the attack, many of them trapped below decks after the ship capsized.

After the Pearl Harbor attack, Jessie survived the sinking of the USS Northampton in November 1942 during the Battle of Tassafaronga, waiting throughout the night on a raft before being rescued. He was then sent to Italy and served until the end of the war.

In 1945, he returned to Louisiana, married and had a family, and worked for the phone company for 30 years. He was preceded in death by his wife Joyce and is survived by two sons, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and a great-great grandchild.

Jesse’s funeral will be held at 2pm on March 8th at Warren Meadows Funeral Home in Many, Louisiana.

Source: https://www.ktbs.com/news/north-louisianal-pearl-harbor-survivor-recalls-the-date-that-lives-in-infamy/article_9795986e-9546-11ee-be67-af82de11bc60.html
More information: https://www.ktalnews.com/news/local-news/pearl-harbor-survivor-from-louisiana-dies-at-102/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rXqcwn78ZQ
His obituary: https://www.warrenmeadows.com/obituary/jessie-mahaffey

03/06/2025

On Tuesday, a family from Indiana visited Pearl Harbor National Memorial as part of the Make-A-Wish program. It was the first visit to the historic site for 18-year old Mackenzie, her older brother, and parents. Mackenzie's trip was supported by PHP’s Wishes and Dreams program, which helps facilitate experiences for organizations like Make-A-Wish.

Find out more about the Wishes and Dreams program: https://www.pacifichistoricparks.org/wishes-and-dreams

03/05/2025

: Rodney Bittner awoke early on the morning of December 7, 1941, and had breakfast before taking a walk on the deck of his ship, USS Vestal. A repair ship, Vestal was tied to USS Arizona, a battleship with more than 1,500 men aboard.

Suddenly Rodney saw smoke rising from Hickam Field, the Army’s air base across the channel from Ford Island where Vestal was anchored. At first, he thought the Army was practicing bombing runs. But then an order came over the loudspeakers for the crew to report to general quarters — otherwise known as battle stations. Rodney quickly went below deck as Japanese planes began bombing the American fleet along Battleship Row.

A little after 8 am, a 1,700-pound bomb pierced USS Arizona’s deck near the main guns and detonated in the ship’s ammunition magazines. A massive explosion destroyed the ship and killed 1,177 men — more than half the total number killed during the attack. The explosion was so intense, it blew men off the neighboring USS Vestal into the oily, burning water.

Among those blown overboard was the ship’s commanding officer, Cassin Young. Young survived and swim back to Vestal, ordering the crew to get underway and away from Arizona. Vestal did manage to get clear of Battleship Row, but she was taking on water and sinking. Finally Young had the ship run aground on a reef to save it.

Meanwhile, Rodney was below decks. “I started thinking, ‘Am I ever going to get on topside?’” he said. “We were taking on water. More than anything, I was thinking, ‘How are we going to patch that hole?’ I could hear the bombs going off. I was scared. I won’t say I wasn’t scared.”

Rodney said that USS Vestal, like most of the fleet, was completely unprepared for the attack.

“Our ammunition was under lock and key,” he said. “We never expected the Japanese would be after a little craft like I was on.”

Rodney survived the Pearl Harbor attack, went on to earn a commission, and served in Europe throughout the war. He passed away at the age of 102 on January 1, 2020.

03/05/2025

: In this interview of the Women in Parks Oral Histories Project, Victoria Benavente shares the story of her grandmother, who was killed during the Battle of Saipan.

She shares stories from multiple generations of women in her family, including her mother and grandmother, as well as her daughter whose photo is displayed in the Visitor Center reflection hall and is seen in the background of her interview: https://www.pacifichistoricparks.org/oral-histories/victoria-i.-benavente

© 2024 Pacific Historic Parks. All Rights Reserved. | State Disclosures Pacific Historic Parks is a 501(c)(3) Non-profit Organization, Tax ID 99-0194501

03/04/2025

US Army Cpl. Ernest H. Ulrich, 26, of China, Texas, who was captured and died as a POW during World War II, was accounted for on Oct. 9, 2024.

Ernest was in the Philippines as a member of Medical Department, 200th Coast Artillery Regiment when the Japanese invaded the Philippine Islands in December 1941, leading to the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942.

Ernest and thousands of other US and Filipino service members were captured, subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March, and then held at the Cabanatuan POW camp, where more than 2,500 POWs died. Ernest died on Nov. 22, 1942, and was buried with other deceased prisoners in Common Grave 807 at Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery. After the war, the remains at Cabanatuan were exhumed and relocated. Those that could not be identified were reburied at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM) as Unknowns.

In late 2018, the DPAA exhumed the remains of nine Unknowns associated with Common Grave 807 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis, resulting in Ernest’s identification. He will be buried in Palo Alto, California, on a date to be determined.

For more information: https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000Xl9XEAS