A visit to the USS Arizona Memorial would be an appropriate way to observe Memorial Day, but the popular monument remains closed indefinitely as repairs to its dock and visitor loading ramp continue.
While everything else was open at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center Friday, tourists were disappointed to be unable to step onto the stark white memorial, which sits over the sunken battleship that endured the greatest loss of life in the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
“It’s a shame I can’t go out there,” said John Lippmin as he paused from perusing the shoreline exhibits at the visitor center.
The 66-year-old audiologist from Edmond, Okla., said he’s traveled to Hawaii island before but this was his first time on Oahu.
“There’s nothing you can do about it. The next time we come here we’ll go see it,” Lippmin said.
Michael Hickman, from Tasmania, Australia, said that while he too was disappointed, there were others things to do at the visitor center.
“We saw the movie,” he said, referring to the free showing of a 25-minute documentary on Pearl Harbor. “The last time we were here, we didn’t get to see the movie.”
Boat transportation to the USS Arizona Memorial was suspended May 6 after one of the vessel operators noticed a crack on the dock and visitor loading ramp. Officials said that following analysis and consultation with structural engineers, it became apparent that what was originally believed to be a minor repair turned out to be something more significant.
It is unknown how long the monument will remain off-limits.
“As Memorial Day approaches, across the nation the National Park Service strives to honor our fallen veterans as well as those who continue to serve,” said a National Park Service statement. “We understand the unfortunate nature of the USS Arizona Memorial closure during this period and ask visitors to understand that their safety is our primary concern.”
All other attractions within the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center remain open. Visitors can still see the documentary film followed by a boat tour of Battleship Row that motors right by the USS Arizona Memorial.
In addition, there are two free museums, shoreside exhibits, a snack shop, the Pacific Historic Parks Bookstore, audio tours and the Pearl Harbor Virtual Reality Center.
Also open are the Battleship Missouri Memorial, the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park and the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor.
The Pearl Harbor site, the brightest star of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, hosts about 1.9 million visitors annually, making it Oahu’s most popular destination.
The USS Arizona Memorial honors the 1,177 crewmen who died in the surprise attack that propelled America into World War II. Its hull is the tomb for more than 900 sailors who remain within.
For updates on the repair project, visit nps.gov/valr and facebook.com/ValorNPS.
