Strickland Commemorates Pearl Harbor Anniversary, Helps Dedicate New USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center

PEARL HARBOR, HI —Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Tom Strickland today joined Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie, senior Navy officials, and more than 100 Pearl Harbor survivors to commemorate the anniversary of the surprise attack on Oahu that began U.S. involvement in World War II. At the events today, Strickland also helped to dedicate the new Pearl Harbor USS Arizona Memorial visitor center that will serve as a gateway for visitors to learn about the entire war in the Pacific.

“This extraordinary new visitor center will ensure that the story of Pearl Harbor and the war in the Pacific is told not only to those alive today but to future generations,” Strickland said. “It is a living memorial to all who fought and sacrificed to defeat the forces of fascism and defend freedom and democracy in the Pacific.”

The theme of this year's ceremony was “A Promise Fulfilled 1941 - 2010” because the dedication of the visitor center fulfills a commitment to the men and women who put their lives at risk during the Pacific War to ensure the memory of their service and sacrifice is remembered in future generations.

The center, built through the combined efforts of the National Park Service, the U.S. Navy and the non-profit Pacific Historic Parks, replaces the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center. It will serve as the primary gateway for visitors to the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites, including the WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument, the USS Bowfin Submarine Park and Museum, the Battleship Missouri Memorial and the Pacific Aviation Memorial.

“This new visitor center will provide one of the finest gateways to an era in American history in the National Park System,” Strickland added. “Visitors entering this center will embark upon a journey from the terrible destruction of Pearl Harbor to the moment of triumph on the deck of the USS Missouri.”