USS Arizona Mall Memorial Dedication

Dec. 5, 2016
UA President Ann Weaver Hart enters the Student Union Memorial Center tower where a salvaged USS Arizona bell is housed.
Two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the 47th Fighter Squadron at Davis-Monthan AFB fly over the UA Mall.
The only other time the USS Arizona Mall Memorial flag had been raised was when it was flown over the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor.
Some spectators arrived wearing T-shirts honoring the USS Arizona.
Staff Sgt. Efrain Melecio and Officer Candidate Aaron Clayton ring the USS Arizona bell in the Student Union Memorial Center in remembrance of the eight Arizonans who died on the ship.
"You think of those who served and perished, and the 335 who survived — it was a typical day, if you think about it … and they didn’t know the world was about to change," U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., said during the dedication, held also to commemor
UA Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps members raise the flag to its permanent home.
UA Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps members prepare to unveil the 1,177 bronze medallions bearing the names of each of the sailors and Marines who died in the Dec. 7, 1941, bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Brian McNiff sings “Eternal Father, Strong to Save," which over the years has come to be known as the Navy Hymn.
Military veterans were among those to attend the dedication ceremony, honoring the men who lost their lives on the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Among those killed were eight sailors from the state of Arizona.
"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.
"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.
"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," UA President Ann Weaver Hart said.
UA President Ann Weaver Hart and U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Stephen C. Evans, commander of the Naval Service Training Command, speak before the dedication ceremony.
The dark red rubberized track material along the UA Mall, creating a full-scale outline of the ship's deck, is in keeping with the UA's tradition of red brick.

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

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