USS Arizona Memorial is a Very Special Place
Out of respect, all the Navy, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine vessels entering Pearl Harbor participate in the “manning of the rails,” in which the crew stands at attention and salutes the Battleship Arizona as their ship glides past the Memorial.
The Navy allows reenlistment and officer’s promotional ceremonies on the Battleship Arizona Memorial, which are not seen by the public and occur before the Visitor Center is even open. This demonstrates how important and symbolic the USS Arizona Memorial is to the US Navy, its officers, and enlisted service personnel.
The National Park Service caters daily to student groups; the students and their chaperones can take free tours to the USS Arizona Memorial. Organized and led by the National Park Service Education Rangers, the students are allowed to tour the Memorial and their Visitor Center and have lunch at their private outdoor lanai at the Pearl Harbor Education building. For more information on this excellent student group program, visit www.NPS.gov/Valr.
The National Park Service’s nonprofit 501©(3) cooperative association at Pearl Harbor is Pacific Historical Parks, and it operates the Audio Tours Booth, Virtual Reality Center, Donation Booth, and the USS Arizona Museum Store at Pearl Harbor. Proceeds after expenses are given back to the National Park Service, which is approximately $1 million yearly. This money is critical to the National Park Service and helps their education program, additional peak staffing needs, and special needed to maintain the Memorial and Visitor Center. Pacific Historic Parks is one of the unsung heroes of this special destination.
Pearl Harbor is a family destination that can bring out patriotism in us all. It’s a special place to learn about the events that led to World War II, launched the US into War, and eventually changed the Pacific forever.
