USS Arizona Mall Memorial: From Idea to Dedication
Dec. 7, 2016
Painter Alex Armenta, painter Julio Quintero and Ron Ramsey, the Paint/Sign Shop supervisor, were members of the construction team.
1 of 12
1 of 12
UA graphic artist Jennie Norris works on renderings of the memorial.
2 of 12
2 of 12
Sergio Gonzales digs as part of the USS Arizona Mall Memorial's construction.
3 of 12
3 of 12
UA mason Eugene Kiley is a member of the team tasked with laying about 25,000 red bricks for the memorial, which features raised panels holding 1,177 bronze medallions.
4 of 12
4 of 12
"This is something I will remember long after I retire,” said Chris Kopach, director of facilities management.
5 of 12
5 of 12
UA mason Eugene Kiley lays bricks. About 25,000 bricks are part of the UA's newest memorial, reflecting the architecture of many campus buildings.
6 of 12
6 of 12
The memorial includes a full-scale outline of the USS Arizona, which extends from Old Main to the Krutch Garden.
7 of 12
7 of 12
Panels were designed and installed to hold 1,177 bronze medallions, which display the name, rank and home state of each of the sailors and Marines who died on the ship.
8 of 12
8 of 12
About $175,000 in private donations were raised to fund the memorial project.
9 of 12
9 of 12
UA alumnus Andy Harris donated the rubberized track lining.
10 of 12
10 of 12
UA mason Eugene Kiley works on a section of the track that creates a full-scale outline of the USS Arizona.
11 of 12
11 of 12
Comparing the finished memorial with its earlier design, Tucsonan Bill Westcott said the project "got bigger and more important in an emotional way."
12 of 12
12 of 12
Though the USS Arizona Mall Memorial project involved extensive concept planning on a short timeline with multiple redesigns, the team was able to finalize the project in time for a dedication event held days before the 75-year anniversary of the bombing on Pearl Harbor.
The memorial, containing 1,177 bronze medallions honoring each of the the sailors and Marines killed at Pearl Harbor, was dedicated Dec. 4. More than 2,000 people attended the ceremony.
The design and construction project "was a total team effort," said Chris Kopach, UA assistant vice president of facilities management. Kopach said it took nearly 80 employees to construct the memorial.
"I could not be more proud of the Facilities Management team," Kopach said. "We had a tight window to complete it, but we had no doubt that the staff was up to the challenge."
Photos by Mark A. Marikos/Facilities Management