Arizona Memorial poorly managed

Two internal reports released over the objections of the National Park Service shed greater light on disturbing organizational failures that tainted the ticket-distribution process at the USS Arizona Memorial. While the NPS has made some improvements and promised more, a more thorough investigation and public accounting is in order to ensure that this iconic site is managed properly.

The Arizona Memorial is hallowed ground as the final resting place of 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on Dec. 7, 1941, in the Japanese attack that plunged the United States into World War II. It is also Hawaii’s No. 1 tourist attraction, with nearly 1.8 million visitors a year.

The Washington, D.C.-based group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) portrays the site as "a leaderless, rundown and deeply demoralized institution controlled by commercial tour companies" — a harsh assessment supported by internal NPS documents it sought through the federal Freedom of Information Act. The National Park Service initially withheld the reports, both written in late 2013, but PEER appealed the decision and largely prevailed, receiving redacted versions it released this week.

The reports illuminate problems in three main areas:

» Ticket distribution: Tickets that were supposed to be handed out to visitors for free were distributed to favored tour companies, which then sold them. A "bazaar-like" atmosphere existed within the memorial visitor center, with commercial tour operators openly trading tickets. Staffers who complained about the practice were told to "mind their own business." Since the Honolulu Star-Advertiser first reported about the ticket controversy in May, the NPS has changed its distribution practices, but PEER asserts that more needs to be done.

» Upkeep of the memorial grounds. One of the reports, an administrative inquiry into working conditions at the park, includes photographs of areas where bird droppings accumulated and other examples of deterioration and disrepair — a mere four years after a $56 million renovation.

» Working environment: Employees reported "very low" morale in an "adversarial atmosphere" and said the park superintendent often was absent from the grounds.

Memorial administrators and staffers, and employees of its affiliated nonprofit fundraising arm, Pacific Historic Parks, must come together and work much harder to overcome the trust, transparency and communication issues that are at the heart of these disputes. Only then will they truly fulfill their mission to perpetuate the memory of the service members who served, died and are entombed there.

All involved claim to have the best interest of the memorial in mind, yet the park is suffering. They must ensure that tickets are distributed fairly and that the park is well maintained — employee morale will naturally improve under those circumstances.

The general public has an important role to play, too. The National Park Service wants input on ways to improve the online ticket reservation system, so that visitors traveling on their own and those with tour groups are both well served. The period for public comment lasts only until the end of this year. Submit opinions at bit.ly/14AS7HZ.

The National Park Service vowed to correct many of the problems when they first came to light, and now is the time to update the public on whatever specific progress has been made since these newly released reports were written. The USS Arizona Memorial is popular among tourists, that fact is undeniable, but this site cannot be treated like a run-of-the-mill attraction. The sacrifice of those who served deserves more respect.