USS Arizona Memorial

USS Arizona Memorial. Florence Veterans Park. , USS Arizona (BB-39) was a US Navy Pennsylvania Class Super Dreadnaught Battleship built in the second decade of the 20th century and named in honor of our 48th state. She was used for training, escort duty, and as a representative of US interests abroad before being transferred to Pearl Harbor in April, 1940. Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Hawaii. The ASS Arizona was hit by torpedo bombers during the attack. A torpedo detonated the ammunition supply magazine causing a massive explosion and sinking the ship., The centerpiece of this monument is the rusty "relic" from the bulwark of the USS Arizona. It is symbolic of the "date that will live in infamy" when 1177 Sailors and Marines of the USS Arizona perished during the attack. May they never be forgotten., (certificate , Presented to: , Florence Veterans Park , Florence South Carolina, This certifies the enclosed item is from the aft deckhouse superstructure of the battleship USS Arizona (BB 39), which was sunk in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii during the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941., Since 1996, many veterans groups and historical organizations have expressed a desire to acquire a piece of this superstructure, which was removed from the USS Arizona when the Arizona Memorial was constructed in the 1960s. The Department of the Navy recognizing the historical interest in the superstructure, placed the removed pieces under the jurisdiction of the Naval Historical Center in Washington, D.C. The Navy later notified Congress that it proposed to donate pieces of this superstructure to qualifying non-profit veteran and educational organizations in accordance with federal law., The Navy values the continued support and special relationships it has with veteran’s organizations, to include the survivors of the USS Arizona and the attack on Pearl Harbor. To Preserve the bond of trust and faith these organizations have with the Navy, we ask that you do not sell, raise funds or otherwise gain financial benefit from this piece. It should be displayed where members of the public may see it, and in a manner consistent with preserving the sanctity and historical significance of the USS Arizona., Thank you for your continued interest in the USS Arizona, Pearl Harbor and the Unites States Navy., James W. Neuman , Historian , Commander, Navy Region Hawaii