Navy and local officials commemorated 100 years of history at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard’s Dry Dock 1 Wednesday, noting the incredible World War II accomplishments of civilians working alongside military counterparts, the shipyard’s current necessity, and the continuum of responsibility for an important cultural place.

U.S. Rep. Ed Case pointed out the shipyard’s importance “looking out into the generations that come when we see incredible challenges that face us in the Indo-Pacific” and a corresponding need for Hawaii to again contribute to national defense.

But he also said in his comments that it was important to “reflect on this place before it was ever Pearl Harbor — to reflect on its heritage, to reflect on that time when it was Puuloa” as a source of sustenance and culture for Hawaiians.

A morning blessing was held at the 1,002-foot dry dock that was ceremoniously flooded for the first time on Aug. 21, 1919, while a larger ceremony attended by hundreds of shipyard workers was conducted outside the tree-shaded Building 1 completed in 1913 that is the centerpiece of the yard.

Case, a Hawaii Democrat, added that “just as our host culture took special care of this special place, so does our nation’s military now in the fulfillment of our obligations to our country and to the world … have that special kuleana.”

On Wednesday Dry Dock 1 was given the Hawaiian name Keaoonamano, the realm of the sharks, while Building 1 was designated Keaowamaluhia, or the light in the time of peace.

On Feb. 13, 1913, during initial construction, Dry Dock 1 exploded from hydrostatic pressure due to faulty pilings and design.

Some Hawaiians believed it was because it was built on a sacred site — the home of Ku-pipi, the son of the shark goddess Kaahupahau, who was the protector of Pearl Harbor and its waters, the Navy said.

Offerings were made and a Hawaiian blessing was conducted and the rebuilt dry dock “has worked dutifully for 100 years,” the Navy noted.

Shipyard commander Capt. Greg Burton said the dry dock’s Hawaiian naming is an offering to the auma­kua, or family god, of the people of Puuloa.

“Not only is this important to Hawaiians, but it is quite applicable to the Navy,” Burton said. “As I understand it, these ancestors act as guardians, or protectors. The Navy has been doing the same on a global scale.”

At the end of the ceremony, hundreds in attendance were asked to move closer to the veranda of Building 1 and link hands as “Hawaii Aloha” was sung.

Building 1 was completed in 1913, 26 years after King David Kalakaua granted the United States the right to establish a coaling and repair station at Pearl Harbor under the Reciprocity Treaty.

On Dec. 7, 1941, the USS Cassin, USS Downes and USS Pennsylvania were in the dry dock and hit by attacking Japanese planes. Shipyard worker George Walters ran a crane to a spot where it could shield the Pennsylvania.

“Shipyard workers rushed to put out hundreds of fires around the harbor, organized an ammunition- passing party, worked on disabled boats’ engines and cut men out of hulls of sunken ships,” the Navy said.

Five months later, on May 27, 1942, the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, severely damaged in the Battle of the Coral Sea, limped into Pearl Harbor and Dry Dock 1. With repairs provided by 1,400 shipyard workers, the Yorktown miraculously was able to sail 72 hours later to play a pivotal role in the Battle of Midway.

Today, the shipyard, with four dry docks and about 5,840 civilian employees and 543 Navy personnel, is the state’s largest industrial employer, contributing about $1 billion annually to Hawaii’s economy.

“It’s so wonderful to be standing here with those who are on the front lines of protecting all of us in defending our freedom and the Indo-Pacific region,” Mayor Kirk Caldwell said in his remarks. “But it’s a real honor to stand here with people who live here, who are from here, who are the support and backup for those who put their lives on the line.”

The shipyard supports 21 submarines in Hawaii and Guam and 10 surface ships.

The Navy said in late 2018 it wanted to spend $5 billion over 20 years to improve Pearl Harbor shipyard’s aged infrastructure and to accommodate an expected increase in Virginia-class attack submarine work.

Among the changes, the Navy plans to extend Dry Dock 3 inland and improve its ocean access, as well as modify Dry Dock 4 — used for surface-ship work — to better support submarine maintenance.