Due to recent flooding on Oʻahu, “Rosie the Riveter” Jeanne Gibson had to cancel her visit to the YMCA in Waipahu last week, where she had planned to share her story with students on spring break and kūpuna (seniors). For now, she sends her message by video—and hopes to visit in person soon. 📸: Jim McCoy, Westin Saito Video created by Rebecca Schwab

Millions of women became “Rosie the Riveters” during World War II. Some didn’t talk about their work for years. Erlinda Avila, now 101, tried to enlist in the Army after her brother was drafted following the start of World War II. She was turned away because she was female. When she learned women were needed in defense plants, she pursued that instead. Still a teenager, she went to work as a bucker on B-29 bombers in Arizona. Years later, she finally told her family about the work she had done on the home front. Watch for Erlinda’s oral history interview coming soon: https://www.pacifichistoricparks.org/rosies 📷: Jim McCoy and Greg Yamamoto/PHP; Dmitri Kessel/LIFE Video created by Rebecca Schwab

Join Mae and Deb as they sit down with Jim McCoy and Westin Saito from Pacific Historic Parks.

As we close out 2025, we reflect on a year spent honoring history and those who shaped it — and look ahead to continuing this work in the years to come. Photos: PHP; DVIDS Music: Music_for_video/Pixabay and Dmitrii Kolesnikov/Pixabay Video created by Rebecca Schwab

After 91 years, Smith's Union Bar - Hawaii's oldest bar and one that was specifically frequented by USS Arizona sailors before the Pearl Harbor attack - is likely closing soon, as the landlord has chosen not to renew the lease. Photos and video: Jim McCoy Music: Dmitrii Kolesnikov/Pixabay Video created by Rebecca Schwab

The America250 flag, a single U.S. flag traveling to historic military locations around the world in honor of the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday, arrived at Pearl Harbor recently, where it was raised above the USS Arizona Memorial by National Park Service rangers. After flying over American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries in Europe, the flag reached Hawaii and was raised at four of the harbor’s most sacred sites: the USS Arizona, USS Utah, USS Oklahoma, and Battleship Missouri Memorials. Pearl Harbor marks the flag’s first U.S. stop before it continues to military sites across the Pacific, then to the continental United States. Beginning on the West Coast, the flag will travel across the country and culminate with final flyings in the 13 original colonies ahead of July 4, 2026. “As we look toward America’s 250th anniversary, the flag’s visit to Pearl Harbor reminds us of the courage, unity, and resilience that define our nation,” said Aileen Utterdyke, President and CEO of Pacific Historic Parks (PHP), the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service at Pearl Harbor. “This is where our country’s history was forever changed on December 7, 1941, and where generations continue to come to reflect, remember and honor those who served." Photos and video: Jim McCoy, Shane Kaneshiro Video created by Rebecca Schwab