Pearl Harbor Historic Sites Free to Military Personnel and Families Memorial Day- 2009

Date: May 13, 2009
Contact: Keith DeMello, 808-539-3482

Qiualified visitors must present a valid military I.D. upon entering the historic site or sites of their choice. Applicable sites include the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, Battleship Missouri Memorial, and Pacific Aviation Museum. The USS Arizona Memorial and USS Oklahoma Memorial, both operated and maintained by the National Parks Service, do not charge general admission.

The Pearl Harbor Historic Sites provide a powerful historical journey unlike any other, an experience that has grown far beyond that of a single day. These memorials and museums carry forth the legacies of several of our nation's most treasured icons, enduring tributes to the valor and sacrifices of our veterans during a time when the future of our nation and the world truly hung in the balance. As a convenience to visitors, the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites partners maintain an online hub at www.PearlHarborHistoricSites.org.

Memorial Day, traditionally observed on the last Monday of May, commemorates all fallen U.S. men and women who gave their lives in military service to their country. Its origins began as a tribute to Union soldiers during the American Civil War. Following the First World War, the observance was expanded to include those who died in any war or military action.

The USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma and USS Utah Memorials are part of the newly designated World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. These three ships' memorials honor and commemorate all members of the U.S. Armed Forces and civilians who gave their lives to their country during the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. Visitors to the USS Arizona Memorial take a shuttle boat operated by the U.S. Navy. Visitors to the USS Oklahoma Memorial should take a shuttle bus from the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum to Ford Island. The USS Arizona Memorial visitor center is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. Tickets are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call [phone] or visit www.nps.gov/usar.

USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park Adjacent to the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center, is operated as a private, non-profit organization. It is dedicated to the sacrifice of more than 3,500 submarine personnel lost in World War II. This gallant band of brothers, compromising less than 2 percent of the U.S. Navy, sank more than 5.5 million tons of enemy ships, while sustaining losses of 52 submarines that remain on "Eternal Patrol." The USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. General admission is $10 per adult and $4 per child 4-12. Military, kama'aina (local resident) and school group pricing is available. For more information, call [phone], or visit www.bowfin.org.

Battleship Missouri Memorial America's last battleship, the USS Missouri (BB-63), completed an astounding career spanning five decades and three wars - World War II, Korea and Operation Desert Storm - and is best known as the site of Japan's WWII surrender, which brought history's most devastating war to a close. Today, the 887-foot, 45,000-ton "Mighty Mo" is open for visitors as the Battleship Missouri Memorial, a private, non-profit organization, on historic Ford Island in Pearl Harbor. The Battleship Missouri Memorial is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. General admission is $16 per adult and $8 per child 4-12. Military, kama'aina (local resident) and school group pricing is available. For more information or to reserve a tour, call (toll-free) 1-877-MIGHTYMO (1-877-644-4896) or visit www.ussmissouri.org.

Pacific Aviation Museum - Pearl Harbor The Pacific Aviation Museum - Pearl Harbor, a private, non-profit organization, occupies the WWII hangars and control tower on Ford Island that still bear the scars as our nation's first aviation battlefield. Giving visitors a front-row seat to the Pacific Theater and presenting aircraft and their stories, the museum illustrates how aviation turned the tide of the war. The Pacific Aviation Museum - Pearl Harbor is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. General admission is $14 per adult and $7 per child 4-12. Military, kama'aina (local resident) and school group pricing is available. For more information, call [phone] or visit www.pacificaviationmuseum.org. Shuttle service from the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park to historic sites located within Naval Station Pearl Harbor - the Battleship Missouri Memorial, Pacific Aviation Museum - Pearl Harbor, and USS Oklahoma Memorial - is available for $3 per person (redeemable at partner site retail stores).