Pearl Harbor is not a place on a map—it’s a breathing, living reminder of sacrifice, perseverance, and the duty never to forget. At its center are two ships: the USS Arizona and the USS Missouri. Both symbolize a path from shock at war to victory at peace, and both are at the forefront of continuing efforts to preserve them today.
Under the waters of the harbor lies the USS Arizona, a silent memorial and final resting ground. The battleship was torpedoed on December 7, 1941, when the surprise attack brought America into World War II, taking the lives of 1,177 servicemen. More than 900 of them are still entombed in the hull of the battleship. Suspended over the wreck, as if floating, is the memorial placed there in 1962 that never touches the battleship. It provides the visitor with a quiet space to reflect. The National Park Service has tended the site since 1980, and upkeep has preserved respect for its heritage.
Imitating Arizona is a fragile enterprise. Its design is fragile, and the environment is as fragile as its design. Two mooring platforms, constructed in 1942 to help with salvage operations, loomed over the wreck for over eight decades. They were meant to be temporary facilities, but they became a memorial landscape over time.
It was October 2023 when one of these platforms sank partially, a grim reminder that even history’s monuments need some maintenance work. Navy divers collaborated with the Park Service’s Submerged Resources Center to evaluate the situation. Deliberate planning and accuracy were needed to hoist the platforms out without damaging the ship or the surrounding environment. Commander Matthew Englehart, the Pacific Fleet diving and salvage officer, stressed sealing the area off and protecting the ecosystem prior to the operation starting.
This latest work is the sequel to a drama that started in the days following the attack, when Navy divers and contractors worked in difficult conditions to salvage what they could. Captain Lee Shannon, commander of the recent mission, had called the first salvage operation a phenomenal demonstration of ability and perseverance. Preservationists perform the pilgrimage to the site today with just as much devotion, maintaining Arizona as a hallowed ground of respect and remembrance.
On the other side of the harbor from the USS Arizona, the USS Missouri also has a story to tell about Pearl Harbor. The “Mighty Mo” is what this battleship is nicknamed, and it was an eyewitness to Japan’s formal surrender on September 2, 1945, when World War II came to an end.
On its deck, one has heard the sound of war and yet the silence when peace was declared. After decades of service, in which it participated in the Gulf War and the Korean War, the Missouri was decommissioned in 1992 and had its hull converted into a museum ship and moored permanently at Ford Island.
Walking aboard the Missouri is walking in living history. Relatives and friends can tour the captain’s quarters, where President Harry Truman and even Marilyn Monroe placed calls, or walk the engine rooms that used to drive the ship across oceans. It is no small feat to keep a ship of this magnitude in operation. A core maintenance crew operates hand in hand with volunteers to keep it up.
Among the volunteers are sailors from Information Warfare Training Site Hawaii, who contribute their Thursdays to sanding, painting, and maintaining the ship’s numerous compartments. Cryptologic Technician Technical 1st Class Jacklyn McVay said even small things make lasting impressions on a ship with so much history.
Preservation isn’t just restoration and painting—it’s stewardship, respect, and following the laws that safeguard historic landmarks. The Navy has processes and procedures in place that ensure every move is carefully contemplated, weighing public interest and historical importance against what needs to be done. Every step is taken thoughtfully, guided by professionals and the public.
The ongoing care of the Arizona and Missouri blends technical skill with historical knowledge and deep respect for the past. Each dive at the Arizona’s resting place, each brushstroke on the Missouri’s deck, is a tribute to those who served. These ships are not just steel and wood—they are living vessels of memory, carrying the weight of sacrifice and the hope that the lessons they hold will never be forgotten.