Pacific Historic Parks - USS Arizona Memorial

10/16/2026

: Commissioned in 1916, USS Arizona served in the US Navy for more than two decades before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

A catastrophic explosion sank the battleship, killing 1,177 sailors and Marines. Unlike several other battleships sunk that morning, Arizona was never raised or returned to service, and remains in Pearl Harbor.

Today, the USS Arizona Memorial spans the sunken ship, honoring those who lost their lives.

Learn more about Arizona, her crew, and her lasting legacy.

10/16/2026

US Marine Corps Pvt. Ernest LaVerne Lund has returned home to Minnesota more than 82 years after his death.

Ernest enlisted in the Marine Corps in November 1943 and was assigned to the 2nd Armored Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division.

On May 21, 1944, he was serving aboard USS LST-353 at Pearl Harbor's West Loch, where ships were being loaded with am******on and supplies in preparation for the invasion of the Mariana Islands.

That afternoon, a massive explosion triggered a chain reaction that engulfed several ships and killed more than 100 service members, including Ernest. Hundreds more were injured. The tragedy became known as the West Loch Disaster. Ernest was 28.

In 1985, kayakers discovered his remains in Pearl Harbor, but his identity remained unknown until the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) identified him on May 14, 2026.

This week, his remains returned to Minnesota, where he will be laid to rest beside his parents on October 17.

More: https://www.fox9.com/news/remains-world-war-ii-veteran-returned-home-minnesota-oct-15-2026

His obituary: https://www.swedberg-taylor.com/obituaries/ernest-lund

10/16/2026

Almost 84 years after his death, US Army Corporal Delmor W. Erwin has finally returned home. Relatives, friends and fellow soldiers came together to honor his life and lay him to rest on October 15 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Delmor was just 20 when he died at Cabanatuan Camp #1 in the Philippines on Nov 26, 1942, where he was being held as a prisoner of war.

Following the war, his remains could not be identified and he was buried as an Unknown until 2019, when his remains were disinterred and sent to the DPAA laboratory for scientific analysis, leading to his identification.

Learn more: https://www.kark.com/news/local-news/family-honors-arkansas-wwii-soldier-laid-to-rest-after-84-years/

Generations of an Arkansas family gathered for a memorial service to honor U.S. Army Corporal Delmor W. Erwin, whose remains were returned home 84 years after he died in a Filipino prisoner-of-war …

10/15/2026

We say goodbye to another one of our treasured heroes!

WWII Veteran Stephen J. Annuci, of Worcester, MA, passed away on October 14, 2026. He was 102 years old.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1924, Steve was the beloved son of Dominick and Concetta (Santacroce). He served as a radio operator aboard U.S. Army transport ships in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II.

Following his military service, Steve dedicated 33 years of his career to aviation communications, working with the former Civil Aeronautics Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration before retiring.

His passion for learning continued well into adulthood. In the 1980s, Steve attended Worcester State College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.

At the remarkable age of 100, Steve was honored by the City of Worcester with a key to the city presented by the mayor, as well as a certificate recognizing his distinguished military service during World War II, presented by the director of Veterans Services.

His wife of nearly 76 years, Elizabeth, passed away peacefully in August of 2026.

Rest in peace, Sir! We thank you for your service!

10/15/2026

: Before the iconic white memorial stood above the sunken USS Arizona, the wreck itself served as a place of remembrance.

In 1950, the US Navy began flying the American flag over the battleship. The portion of the ship that remained above water also served as a platform for memorial services, years before the USS Arizona Memorial was dedicated in May 1962.

Today, the memorial spans the wreck without touching it, honoring the 1,177 crewmen who lost their lives aboard USS Arizona on December 7, 1941, as well as all military personnel killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

More than 900 remain entombed within the ship.

Source: https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/wars-and-events/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor-raid/remembrance-of--a-date-which-will-live-in-infamy-/uss-arizona--bb-39--memorial-at-pearl-harbor.html

📷 : Aerial view of USS Arizona (BB-39) taken during the 1950s prior to the construction of the USS Arizona Memorial; and the USS Arizona Memorial today.

10/15/2026

🇺🇸 How do you know if an American flag was actually made in the United States?

Pacific Historic Parks Assistant Buyer Jordahn Rodrigues-Helenihi has five tips for identifying a truly American-made flag.

Tip #5: Choose the Right Flag for Your Needs

Not all American flags are made for the same purpose. When purchasing a flag, consider where and how you plan to display it.

Nylon flags are lightweight and fly easily in a breeze, making them a popular choice for outdoor use. Polyester flags are thicker and may be better suited for indoor display, shadow boxes or commemorative presentation.

The Pacific Historic Parks bookstore at Pearl Harbor National Memorial sells approximately 4,000 U.S. flags each year. Flags are flown above the USS Arizona Memorial by U.S. military service members, then carefully folded and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity documenting the date flown.

Proceeds support education, preservation and restoration programs at Pearl Harbor and other historic sites across the Pacific.

Learn more or purchase a flag at https://pacifichistoricparksbookstore.org.

📷 : A view from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in August 2025. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kenneth Ostas.

10/15/2026

More than 80 years after being wounded in combat, World War II veteran Cpl. Amil Giusti has finally received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal he earned during his service.

Amil, now 100, was presented with the long-overdue medals during a ceremony on his family's front lawn.

He was wounded during the Battle of Luzon in the Philippines in 1945, but a fire destroyed his military records, delaying recognition for his service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzrQ0sg5TxU

80 years after he was injured in combat, Corporal Amil Giusti was a...

10/14/2026

: Born in California in 1913, Roy Hiroshi Matsumoto spent much of his childhood in Japan after his family traveled to Hiroshima to visit relatives when he was 8 years old. Roy attended school in Japan before returning to the United States, graduating from high school in California in 1933. He remained there even after his family returned to Hiroshima.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Roy was incarcerated at the Jerome Japanese American Relocation Center in Arkansas, where he helped organize food and supplies. In 1942, he volunteered to serve in the US Army and was selected for the Military Intelligence Service.

Roy became an Army linguist and was one of just 14 linguists selected to join Merrill's Marauders, a specialized jungle warfare unit known for operating behind Japanese lines in Burma.

His language skills proved invaluable. Roy interrogated prisoners, translated intercepted communications, and risked his life gathering intelligence behind enemy lines. On one occasion, he uncovered plans for an impending Japanese attack, allowing his fellow soldiers to prepare for and repel the assault without suffering casualties.

Many of his fellow soldiers would say of him, “We owe our lives to Matsumoto.”

In August 1945, Roy was serving in China when he learned that an atomic bomb had been dropped on Hiroshima. Hearing the news on the radio, he felt certain his family, who had lived near the center of the blast, had been killed.

He later learned that they had left Hiroshima just months earlier and survived. Roy was reunited with his family after the war.

Roy continued serving in the US Army, retiring as a master sergeant in 1963 after more than 20 years of service. He was inducted into both the Army Ranger Hall of Fame and the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame and was among the Japanese American veterans recognized with the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011.

Roy celebrated his 100th birthday in May 2013 and passed away the following year.

Watch a short interview with Roy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZIeXfFYAJk

📷: US Army

10/14/2026

U.S. Army Air Corps Colonel Neel Ernest Kearby of Arlington, Texas was awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary actions on October 11, 1943 while serving as a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter pilot with the 348th Fighter Group near Wewak, New Guinea.

Colonel Kearby was one of two U.S. fighter pilots to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions while flying the P-47.

One month later, with 12 victories to his credit, Colonel Kearby was transferred to the headquarters of the 5th Air Force Fighter Command. Despite his assignment to administrative duties, Colonel Kearby still wanted to be in combat.

He flew missions whenever he could, and his victory tally continued to rise. For a time, Colonel Kearby was in competition with Richard B**g to be the leading Army ace of the Pacific Theater. Like Colonel Kearby, Major B**g wasn't assigned to a combat unit at the time and flew in addition to his assigned duty of instructor in order to stay in combat.

On March 5, 1944, Colonel Kearby and two other pilots attacked a formation of 15 Japanese aircraft near Wewak. After shooting down one of the aircraft, Kearby himself was shot down. The P-47, his personal aircraft named "Fiery Ginger IV," crashed into the jungle below. Colonel Kearby escaped by parachute, but died of his wounds. He was 32 years old.

Colonel Kearby's remains were found in 1947, but they were left unidentified for two more years. He was buried in Dallas, Texas in July 1949.

10/14/2026

Wishing a happy 100th birthday to World War II veteran Jeff Belmonte, of Cicero, Illinois!

Jeff enlisted in the US Navy at age 18 and deployed to the Philippines: https://wgntv.com/news/features/world-war-ii-veteran-from-cicero-celebrates-100-years-around-the-sun/

Cicero native Jeff Belmonte recently celebrated his 100th birthday by reflecting on his service in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the enduring legacy of the family he built with his late wif…