Welcome to the audio-described version of official print brochure for the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor National Memorial. Through text and audio descriptions of photos and a map, this version interprets the two-sided color brochure that visitors of the USS Arizona Memorial receive. The brochure explores the history of the site, some of its highlights, and information for planning your visit. This audio version lasts about 22 minutes which we have divided into 13 sections, as a way to improve the listening experience. Sections 3-7 cover the front of the brochure and include information regarding what the purpose of the USS Utah is and the honor the men received. Sections 8-11 cover the back of the brochure which consists of the names of the fifty-eight men on board, telegraphs sent towards families, and a map of the area. Section 12 covers Accessibility and 13 covers More Information.
Pearl Harbor National Memorial, previously known as World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, located in Hawaii, is part of the National Park Service, within the Department of the Interior. This brochure will be specifically focused on the USS Arizona Memorial.
The park is situated on the island of Oahu, west of the city of Honolulu, and is split between Ford Island and part of the shore to the east. This park, was established in 1980 as the USS Arizona Memorial, then redesignated in 2008 as World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, and once again in 2019 as Pearl Harbor National Memorial. Each year, on average one and a half million visitors come to enjoy the unique experiences that only can be had at Pearl Harbor National Memorial. We invite you to explore the park's historical importance. For those seeking to learn more about the park during their visit, Pearl Harbor Historic Sites Visitor Center. To find out more about what resources might be available or to contact the park directly, visit the "Accessibility" and "More Information" sections at the end of this audio-described brochure.
The front side of the brochure includes images and text. The top boarder is a black strip with the white lettering USS Arizona Memorial on the left. To the right is the text is smaller lettering, National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior; USS Arizona Memorial Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i next to the National Park Service arrow-head logo. Three images and text discussing people who survived the USS Arizona and honoring those who died.
DESCRIBING: Plaque with names
SYNOPSIS: Horizontal color image of a marble memorial plaque. The top states “USS ARIZONA SURVIVORS INTERRED….” in capital letters. Above the lettering are several lei made up of purple orchids and small pink and white carnations.. Below the lettering is a flat surface with columns of names, ranks, and years of death of those whose cremains have been placed here.
QUOTE:
It is a hard thing to have survived when we owe our place to the dead.
Rene Quinton
Soldier’s Testament
During the Pearl Harbor attack, 1,512 officers, sailors, and marines were assigned to the battleship USS Arizona. Only 335 survived the “Day of Infamy.” Many of these survivors were aboard the Arizona during the attack. Others were away on liberty, attending training, or assigned to special duty ashore. Since that tragic day all of these men have worn the mantle of “survivor” with grace and reluctance. Many feel fortunate to have survived but some are haunted by the loss of their friends and fellow shipmates. As you read through this list you may wonder, as they have, why were they spared from the sea of death that engulfed their shipmates on that fateful day in 1941?
DESCRIBING: Male and female smiling
SYNOPSIS: Black and white image of a young adult male dressed in a sailor's uniform on the right and a young adult female wearing a light-colored dress and volumized hair on the left.
IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: The image is from the waist up. The man wears a single lei and the female wears many lei. The sailor is fair skinned, is smiling, and has a narrow face with a slight cleft on his chin. He is wearing a white sailor’s cap tilted to his left. On his uniform shirt are three stripes on his left arm. The woman has a narrow face and a pleasant smile. In both smiles we can see their teeth. The sailor is standing beside and slightly behind the left side of the woman. The background is light gray.
CREDIT: COURTESY/JIM VLACH - USAR PHOTO COLLECTION #719
RELATED TEXT:
“Were you scared? Yes, one does get scared. Then you think, Will I ever see home again? Will I see my family? How can I get out of this alive?” That’s when you pray a lot and tell yourself to remember your Navy and Marine Corp training; stay calm, and try to be like Major Shapley and [Lieutenant] Commander Fuqua. Those who have seen war carry unforgettable memories of their fellow men.”
Russell J. McCurdy, Lt Col, USMC Retired
“There was a tremendous explosion as I reached the quarterdeck ladder, and a terribly burned sailor laid under the ladder. I got him by the hand to get him to safety when the forward part of the Arizona blew up. We were thrown back toward the stern. This sailor I managed to save; my twin [brother] I could not.”
John D. Anderson, BMC, USN Retired
Twin brother, Delbert, died on the Arizona. Vincent Vlach was at home with his wife in Honolulu at the start of the attack. He hurried to Pearl Harbor amidst the air strike to help men from their boats as they came ashore. Many were badly burned, injured, and covered with oil. Vincent said his “whites [uniform] were a bloody and oily mess.”
Vincent J. Vlach Jr., LCDR, USN Retired
DESCRIBING: Three scuba divers
SYNOPSIS: Color image of three scuba divers. The water is a bright blue. The diver in the middle faces the surface of the water holding a dark urn in his hands. The other two scuba divers face down into the water with their light-colored oxygen tanks half above the surface. The diving suits are all dark.
CREDIT: UNITED STATES NAVY
RELATED TEXT:
In the Shrine Room at the USS Arizona Memorial, a large wall lists the names of the Arizona’s dead. A smaller wall contains the names of Arizona survivors who chose to rejoin their shipmates in their final resting place. Each of these men asked that their remains be placed back into the Arizona. To honor this final request, National Park Service divers ceremoniously transport the urns of survivors back to the ship. Resting their remains in the sunken wreck allows them to finally reunite with their brothers who died on December 7, 1941.
DESCRIBING: Three tall, narrow columns of names
SYNOPSIS: Color image of a list of sailor names with ranks. They are in alphabetical order, flowing down, from one column to the next. The three columns are side by side. The first and third columns are blue, showing ripples of water, with white letters. The middle column is white with blue letters, and no background image.
QUOTE:
My father’s memories of the morning of December 7, 1941 were so strong and painful that he seldom was willing to share them with his family. He didn’t want to be reminded of the horrors he had witnessed...
Walter M. Kissinger’s daughter, Jenny, reflecting on the memories of her father.
No information is listed on the brochure. Please visit park website at www.nps.gov/perl or (808) 422-3399
DESCRIBING: Arizona Memorial Museum Association logo
SYNOPSIS: White rectangular building with a dip in the middle. Surrounding the top of the building is a blue circle with white lettering inside. Wavy red and white stripes flow vertically. Below is the text in blue stating “Arizona Memorial Museum Association”.
CAPTION: This publication funded by the Arizona Memorial Museum Foundation.
RELATED TEXT:
WEBSITE: www.nps.gov/perl
PHONE: (808) 422-3399