USS Arizona Memorial, National Memorial in the United States
The USS Arizona Memorial is a long white structure floating above the sunken battleship in Honolulu's harbor. The building spans across the wreck and provides access to a viewing area where visitors can look down at the remains of the ship still resting on the ocean floor.
The USS Arizona battleship was sunk on December 7, 1941, during the attack on Pearl Harbor, killing over 900 crew members. The idea for a memorial began during World War II but was not completed until 1962, when it officially opened to the public.
The site bears the name of the battleship that sank here, with its crew still resting beneath the water. Visitors experience a place of quiet reverence where the names of the fallen are carved in marble and the sea itself becomes part of the remembrance.
Visitors must travel to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center and book boat tickets there to reach the memorial. It is wise to arrive early to secure a spot, as the site attracts many people daily and visits should be planned in advance.
A remarkable aspect is that oil from the USS Arizona's fuel tanks still seeps to the surface from the sunken wreck. These slow drops of oil, sometimes called the ship's tears, are a quiet sign of the wreck's continued presence.
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