Media Release: CNRH, NHHC, and NPS Engage with Stakeholders to Protect USS Arizona

A platform, attached to the USS Arizona to support recovery operations after the Dec. 7, 1941 attack, has partially collapsed. Since discovering the collapse on Oct. 26, 2023, the Navy and National Park Service have regularly monitored the site to assess the situation and address the potential for damage to the ship. 

The Navy is working closely with the National Park Service and will engage federal, state, and local stakeholders, to develop a plan which provides options for actions to protect the historic USS Arizona for present and future generations. Coordination with these stakeholders will ensure that any preservation measures, including potential platform removal, are developed in compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.

“In every step and aspect of the work we do, we are reminded of the USS Arizona’s historic significance to our country and that it is a war grave,” said Rear Adm. Steve Barnett, commander, Navy Region Hawaii. “As we focus on protecting this important memorial and keeping it open for visitors to learn its history, we are coordinating with regulators and environmental stakeholders to ensure full consideration and protection of the USS Arizona, the Pearl Harbor National Historic Landmark, and the marine environment.” 

The USS Arizona Memorial remains safe and open for public visits. Park visitors are encouraged to monitor the website for updates at https://www.nps.gov/perl/index.htm. 

“The National Park Service is honored to have a role in helping commemorate the historic events of December 7, 1941,” said Tom Leatherman, superintendent of Pearl Harbor National Memorial. "It is an honor to work hand-in-hand with the Navy and other stakeholders to preserve the USS Arizona ship and the Memorial.” 

More information on Navy Region Hawaii can be found at https://cnrh.cnic.navy.mil/. Updates about the USS Arizona’s platform will be available on both sites, as well as on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service website at https://dvidshub.net/unit/C-NRH. 

The USS Arizona Memorial is located at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii and marks the resting place of more than 900 Sailors and Marines killed onboard the ship during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, as well as survivors of the attack who were later interred. The memorial was built in 1962 and is visited by more than two million people each year. Accessible only by boat, it rests above the sunken remains of the battleship without touching it. Since 1980, the National Park Service has managed the memorial.  For more information about USS Arizona, visit https://www.nps.gov/perl/index.htm.