USS Arizona Mall Memorial Dedication
A crowd estimated at more than 2,000 attended the USS Arizona Mall Memorial dedication. The audience included military veterans and University of Arizona students in ROTC training, senior UA leaders and other employees from across campus, members of the Arizona Board of Regents and representatives from offices of elected officials.
"This memorial is a fitting contribution to the UA's tradition of remembering the USS Arizona and is a wonderful addition to the UA Mall and the life of our campus," UA President Ann Weaver Hart said during the ceremony. "The installation will help all of us to remember the sacrifice of the Arizona's crew, and our hope is that it inspires gratitude and reminds us of the sacrifice others have made in defense of our freedoms."
The memorial honors the 1,177 sailors and Marines who died on the battleship in the Dec. 7, 1941, bombing of Pearl Harbor. Panels at the memorial display bronze medallions bearing the name, rank and home state of each of those killed that day. The memorial also includes a dark red rubberized track material lining the Mall, creating a full-scale outline of the ship's deck.
"The sacrifices made by America's sailors and Marines, both past and present, can never truly be measured, but they certainly can be appreciated," said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Stephen C. Evans, commander of the Naval Service Training Command, who also spoke during the ceremony. "Their histories can be retold and their memories kept alive."
Photography by Lilly Berkley/UANews and Jeffrey L. Landers/JLIMAGES