The sacred place, a historical symbol of America: USS Arizona Memorial

USS Arizona: A Timeless Monument
Date of sinking: December 7, 1941

Time of destruction: 9 minutes

Number of people killed: 1,177/1,512 sailors

Recognized as a US national monument in 1962

More than 2 million people visit each year
Under the silent rain, the USS Arizona Memorial appears like an unhealed wound in the heart of Pearl Harbor. Here, amidst the gray of the sky and water, the silence becomes more sacred than ever. The rain does not fade the memories, but seems to emphasize the pain and deep gratitude for the souls who have been lying under these waters since December 7, 1941.

Symbol in the rain
The USS Arizona Memorial is not a flashy memorial, but a pure white architecture, simple in shape like a strip of ice floating on the sea. Rain seeps into every corner of the structure, dripping into the sea, mixing with the invisible tears of history. From the glass floor, visitors can see the USS Arizona battleship still lying at the bottom, where more than 1,100 American sailors died when the ship was sunk during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

Even though more than 80 years have passed, oil still seeps from the wreck – known as “the Arizona’s tears”. Each drop is a whisper from the past, reminding humanity of the price of war.

Historical stories steeped in memories

Sailor Lou Conter – survivor
Lou Conter was one of the last survivors of the attack and has returned to the memorial many times. In the rain, he stood silently, looking down at the place where his comrades would never return. His accounts of the smoke, explosions, and chaos of that fateful morning still move thousands of people.

A letter never sent
Among the items found in the ruins was an unfinished letter, intended to be sent to his mother by a young sailor. Today’s rain may be like that day when hope and youth were shattered by the sound of bombs.

In the archives of the US Library of Congress, people found a copy of an unsent letter from sailor Harold Biggs, written the night before December 7. He told of a feeling of peace before going to bed, “because the war was still far away”. The letter stopped mid-sentence:

“Tomorrow will probably be as peaceful as any other day…”
But the next morning, Pearl Harbor burned.

USS Arizona – a mass grave
Unlike the ships that were salvaged and repaired, the Arizona became a sacred grave, where 1,177 soldiers were buried in the very ship they served on. Some veterans later asked to have their ashes dropped overboard to rest with their comrades.

Message from President Roosevelt
Immediately after the attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared:

“December 7, 1941 – a date that will live in infamy.”

Those words were etched into the American psyche, sparking the United States’ entry into World War II, changing the fate of the world.

A Place to Meditate
In the rain, visitors are silent. No one speaks much here. There is only the sound of water, rain, and the sound of the heart. People place wreaths, flags, and prayers. Young generations are brought here to understand that freedom does not come from nothing.

The memorial is not just a structure – it is a page of history unfolding in the ocean. In the rain, grief blends with gratitude, reminding us that today’s peace is built from yesterday’s blood and tears.