PACIFIC HISTORIC PARKS INVITES PUBLIC TO MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND OF REFLECTION AND REMEMBRANCE AT PEARL HARBOR

Thursday, May 22, 2025

Featured events include guided tours of Pearl Harbor historic sites, live streaming of an underwater dive of the USS Arizona, and an outdoor movie night

HONOLULU (May 22, 2025) – Pacific Historic Parks (PHP) invites the public to attend a powerful Memorial Day weekend of reflection and remembrance at Pearl Harbor National Memorial from Saturday, May 24 through Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, 2025.

In partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), the American Legion, and community organizations, PHP is supporting three days of free public programs that honor those who served and sacrificed.

Featured highlights include:

A live underwater dive of the USS Arizona battleship wreckage will be streamed for public viewing. During the dive, Navy divers and members of the National Park Service Submerged Resources Center will be joined by the Wounded Warrior Project to provide real-time insights and historical context about the sunken battleship and the final resting place of its 1,177 crew members who perished during the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
Guided tours with NPS park rangers of the USS Utah and Oklahoma memorials that honor the two U.S. Navy vessels sunk and crew who died during the Pearl Harbor attack.
A free outdoor screening of the classic 1953 film “From Here to Eternity,” starring Burt Lancaster and Frank Sinatra, set in the days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
A special book presentation and signing with World War II scholar and author Dr. Gail Okawa.

“This Memorial Day weekend is a chance for families and visitors to reflect on the service and sacrifices made during the December 7 attack on Pearl Harbor and throughout World War II, moments that helped shape our nation’s history,” said Aileen Utterdyke, President and CEO of Pacific Historic Parks. “It’s through these shared experiences that we build understanding, foster remembrance, and inspire future generations to never forget the courage and resilience of the Greatest Generation.”

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Saturday, May 24

10:00 AM – 3:00 PM: Guided interpretive tours with NPS Rangers at USS Utah and USS Oklahoma Memorials. Shuttles available between sites every 30 minutes.
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM: Book presentation & signing with Dr. Gail Okawa. Hear stories of Hawaii’s WWII Japanese internees and the Nisei sons who served in the U.S. military, drawn from her book, “Remembering Our Grandfathers’ Exile.”
1:00 PM: Naturalization Ceremony at the Education Center
All Day: Floral tribute & name cards. Receive a card honoring a veteran memorialized at Pearl Harbor.

Sunday, May 25

7:00 AM – 9:00 AM: American Legion Flag Planting Tribute
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM: Guided interpretive tours with NPS Rangers at USS Utah and USS Oklahoma Memorials. Shuttles available between sites every 30 minutes.
6:30 PM – 9:00 PM Outdoor screening of “From Here to Eternity” on the lawn near the USS Arizona Memorial. Snacks available for purchase.
All Day: Floral tribute & name cards. Receive a card honoring a veteran memorialized at Pearl Harbor.

Memorial Day – Monday, May 26

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Flag Folding Ceremony
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Live Dive at the USS Arizona. Witness a real-time underwater dive at the historic battleship, livestreamed on a large screen.
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM: Guided interpretive tours with NPS Rangers at USS Utah and USS Oklahoma Memorials. Shuttles available between sites every 30 minutes.
12:30 PM – 12:45 PM: Commemorative Ceremony & Ringing of the USS Arizona Bell.
All Day: Floral tribute & name cards. Receive a card honoring a veteran memorialized at Pearl Harbor.

Admission and parking for all events are free. For updates, visit www.pacifichistoricparks.org or follow @PacificHistoricParks on social media.

All images courtesy: Pacific Historic Parks

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BXlkPhm3CE7mYtGDP8hIxosuH4FuZ1bF?usp=sharing

Previous footage of Live Dives at the USS Arizona:

https://www.nps.gov/perl/learn/live-dive.htm

About Pacific Historic Parks

Pacific Historic Parks is a non-profit cooperative association of the National Park Service (NPS) and has been raising funds and providing support to NPS mission programs at Pearl Harbor since 1979, when it was known as the Arizona Memorial Museum Association. PHP also supports NPS mission programs at Kalaupapa National Historical Park on Molokai, War in the Pacific National Historical Park on Guam, American Memorial Park on Saipan and Honouliuli National Historic Site on Oahu. Additionally, PHP partners with the state of Hawaii to support Diamond Head State Monument. PHP’s mission is to Remember, Honor and Understand World War II in the Pacific. For more information, visit www.pacifichistoricparks.org.