2008 Fall Remembrance

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fall 2008

An Arizona Memorial Museum Association Publication | www.arizonamemorial.org

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August 31, 2008. The San Diego Veterans Museum and Memorial Center’s main stage and podium lit by the afternoon sun. The National Park Service presented the new Pearl Harbor Memorial Museum and Visitor Center plans to a crowd of close to 100 veterans, families, and friends.

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The New Visitor Center & Museum An old-school virtual tour through exhibits featured in the new Pearl Harbor Memorial Museum and Visitor Center.

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On the Road A National Park Service team set out to inform and to engage Pearl Harbor Survivors, their families, and others interested in the historical interpretation of Pearl Harbor in a week-long road trip through the western United States.

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The Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund As groundbreaking for the new Pearl Harbor Memorial Visitor Center & Museum, scheduled for November 15, 2008 fast approaches, supporters are still doing all they can to raise awareness of the campaign to build a vital, sustainable place for people to remember Pearl Harbor.

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National Park Service News From National Monument status to award-winning essays, the Park Service mission to preserve and to protect America’s natural and historic resources proves surprisingly resiliant.

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War in the Pacific Newswire The US Army finally gets its Oscar; “The Pacific” wraps production this fall; a War in the Pacific Medal of Honor recipient passes.

Back Cover: Children play outside the War in the Pacific National Historical Park’s Visitor Center on the 30th Anniversary of the park’s founding this past August 15, 2008. The park held a variety of events and activities aimed at engaging the island’s population in the natural and historical significance of the park’s many and varied units.

EdiTor Ray Sandla WriTErs Laurie Moore Ray Sandla Heather Saunders Cindy Smith PHoTogrAPHy Joyce Johns Collection Ray Sandla USS Arizona Memorial Photographic Archives War in the Pacific NHP The Arizona Memorial Museum Association is a non-profit cooperating association working with the National Park service to provide funding for interpretive and educational programs at the Uss Arizona Memorial, Kalaupapa National Historical Park on Molokai, Hawai‘i, War in the Pacific National Historical Park on guam, and American Memorial Park on saipan.

remembrance is a Publication for Members of the Arizona Memorial Museum Association

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So much history, so little time The photograph on the cover of this issue of Remembrance comes from a collection sent to this office by Ms. Joyce Johns. Mr. Ferdinand Bachl wrote a letter accompanying the photographs, explaining that Ms. Johns’ father, John F. Johns, served on the USS Arizona from 1921-1922. (More of this collection can be seen at right.) The clarity of some the images brings an immediacy and sense of timelessness to a history long past.

The National Park Service (NPS) collects history here at the USS Arizona Memorial and at other important historical sites around the country. Their interest in preserving and protecting the past is not just a slogan or an abstract mission statement. In trying to interpret the meanings of special places, Park Rangers primarily rely on verifiable first-hand source material. By examining the lives of people who stood on the deck of the Arizona, or stormed the beaches of Guam or Saipan in 1944, or endured a lifetime of forced exile on remote Kalaupapa, Molokai, Rangers can impart to visitors and guests what makes a culture; what makes history; what makes a country.

But the NPS is not just about the past. The Department of the Interior agency employs hundreds of dedicated marine biologists, soil and mineral conservationists, wildlife experts, geologists, air quality monitors and many more specialists who continually research how to improve the quality of Americans’ interaction with their parks.

Recently, there have been indications that America’s national parks may have lost their relevancy. Declining attendance at Yosemite, America’s first national park, Yellowstone and other perennially popular and crowded places has contributed to the idea that people just might not care as much for outdoor spaces as they once did. Theories abound as to the reason for the decline: younger generations’ “nature deficit disorder,” high fuel prices, increased park fees, the changing racial demographics of the country.

Are national parks becoming an anachronism? I believe the lessening of interest in public places is a phase. People will rediscover the great outdoors and the beauty and peace these places provide. They will visit our national forests, wetlands, high deserts, canyons, and mountains and feel humbled by nature. They will feel related to the majestic wonders that fill our national parks and count themselves lucky that the National Park Service, and other public land agencies, have kept the faith.

Scott Pawlowski, the USS Arizona Memorial Museum Curator said to a meeting of Pearl Harbor Survivors recently, “We will hold onto the artifacts and memories you donate to us as long as there is a National Park Service, as long as there is a United States.” It’s comforting to know the memory of America, and it’s future, are in good hands.

The Arizona Memorial Museum Association exists to help the Park Service fulfill its mission. AMMA provides funding for oral history collections, architectural restoration projects, natural resource management and many other important and relevant research projects going on right now. Projects that will become the basis for the educational and interpretive lessons of tomorrow. History is what makes us who we are, and who we will become.

Scott Pawlowski said later in that same meeting of veterans, “We are still finding important artifacts 66 years after Pearl Harbor that cause us to wonder, what else is still out there?”

RAY SANDLA, EDITOR

ray_sandla@arizonamemorial.org

Contact information: Membership Krista Hoffmann Lisha Wong Associate Directors of Membership/ Development membership@arizonamemorial.org Tel: (toll free) 1-888-332-1941 Fax: 1-808-487-3312 www.pearlharbormemorial.com r e m e m b r a n c e

Remembrance Ray Sandla Publications/Special Projects ray_sandla@arizonamemorial.org Tel: 1-808-485-2748 Fax: 1-808-485-2766 www.arizonamemorial.org

Mail Order Angel Galinato Mail Order mailorder@arizonamemorial.org Tel: (toll-free): 1-888-485-1941 Fax: 1-808-485-2766 www.arizonamemorialbookstore.org f a l l

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The New Visitor Center & Museum roAd To WAr

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n the last issue of Remembrance, we focussed on the design and concept for the entire new Visitor Center site.

We would like now to look at the exhibit areas in particular to give members a better idea of what they will look like.

The exhibit areas lie close to the refurbished theaters on the south end of the “campus” and encompass two galleries, Road to War and Attack and Aftermath, and an open air space devoted to depictions of Oahu, circa 1941. Near these gallery spaces, the relocated USS Arizona Bell and the Alfred Preis designed Tree of Life sculpture will reside.

As much as possible, National Park Service staff have tried to integrate real people with real stories to tell into the exhibits. “This is too important a history to tell with encyclopedia-type text, it doesn’t work,” Frank Hays, Pacific Area Director of the National Park Service and one of the key contributors to the design of the new Visitor Center, said recently. “We have to make this story personal. We use photographs of people whose eyes look right at you, so that you recognize these were real people.

oAHU 1941

ATTACK & AfTErMATH

We use first-person narratives so that visitors can learn what happened to them before, during, and after the attack.”

In the following pages, we will discuss how the galleries will further understanding of the Pearl Harbor story, and the types of artifacts and displays to be found inside.

Quotes used are from recent Exhibit Preview town meetings held by Park Service staff in the western United States. More on these meetings on page 7.

The long road to War gallery will feature exhibits, artifacts, and photos of the time before the start of hostilities between the United States and Japan and the events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Particular attention will be paid to the State of Mind America and State of Mind Japan as they veer toward armed conflict.

“One of the questions we get a lot at the Memorial is why wasn’t the Japanese fleet detected? One of the interactive exhibits is an excercise where a visitor will have so many planes, so many ships, and so much time and gasoline to survey the thousands of miles of ocean that surround Hawaii, the most isloated land mass in the world. A visitor will have an opportunity to see just how hard it is to cover and patrol all those areas with the limited resources that were available at the time.”

Interactive Displays

—Frank Hays, Superintendent and Pacific Area Director National Park Service

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gibraltar of the pacific Oahu bristled with massive coastal guns.

Fighters, bombers and scouts lined aircraft carriers and airfields around the island. Nearly 45,000 soldiers trained daily to defend Oahu. “With our heavy bombers and our fine new pursuit planes, the land forces could put up such a defense that the Japs wouldn’t dare attack hawai’i,” stated general george Marshall, Chief of staff, U.s. army. — Exhibit text

Long Road to War

SE Sectional Elevation American Newsreels: 1930s Objectives: • To provide context for visitors to understand events prior to the attack and America's involvement in World War II • To create a broad understanding of the events leading up to the attack, so we can learn from it today • To provide information through different media, appealing to different types of learners • To deliver different points of view as newsreels come from a variety of sources • To present material from the times, unfiltered by today's interpretations Program Description: Visitors will see and hear 1930s newsreel footage of domestic and international events that contributed to the formation of America's worldview at that time.

— Exhibit text

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State of Mind—America: Elevation Audio-Visual Presentation f a l l

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gathering storm 1.1 state of Mind 1.2 america gibraltar of the 1.3 pacific state of Mind 1.4 Japan Climbing 1.5 Mt. niitaka peace in the 1.6 Balance

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long road to War: overall plan gallery highlights

Uss Ward 2.1 2.1

radar exhibit 2.2 foreshadow of 2.3 attack

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Uss Utah 2.4 attack exhibit 2.5 Uss Arizona 2.6 2.4

Uss Oklahoma 2.7 salvage of the 2.8 fleet

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Uss Shaw 2.9 at War 2.10 the story of the Uss Arizona 2.11 Memorial

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“As you enter the building, we’re going to have a 3rd scale Japanese Kate, one of the planes that attacked Battleship Row, hanging right above you. It is seconds before the attack begins. In front of you is a huge mural of Pearl Harbor, as the Japanese pilots would have seen it as they swooped in.

It’s a moment frozen in time that would change the world forever.”

- Frank Hays

Japanese Kate

Photo Murals

“We will present large photographic murals in the Attack and Aftermath exhibit to draw the visitor into the battle that raged across Oahu on December 7, 1941. One of the big concerns we have is that of rele-

vancy. After talking to students of all ages, it’s clear that in their minds, these events are fading further and further into the past. So we are looking for as many different ways as possible to connect these generations to this incredibly important story.”

– Frank Hays

One of the most controversial aspects of Pearl Harbor was the “early warning” received via the then new technology of radar. Through the use of interactive displays and first-person narratives, visitors will learn just how hard that early warning was to decipher.

At 7:02 a.m., Private George Elliott and Specialist 3rd Class Joseph P. Lockard saw a large “target.”

“at about 7:15 i got a call from private Joseph lockard that he had the same plot [as he had recorded at 0615]. he said it was the biggest plot he had ever seen. Well, twelve B-17s [due into o‘ahu at 8:00 a.m. that morning] could make a pretty big splash on his screen. i told him, ‘don’t worry about it. it’s o.K.’ so that was the end of that. he hung up and i hung up,” lieutenant Kermit tyler recalled.

Opana Radar

Radar: Front and Side Elevations

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“I was in my quarters, which was several decks down. General quarters was sounded with the announcement that this was no drill. So we immediately headed for our battle stations. We got through the first wave of it alright, several bombs had missed the ship...

And then came the second wave. And during the second wave is when we got struck by a large bomb and unfortunately I happened to be in the area where the bomb exploded.”

Oral History Kiosks

One of the most important elements in the new museum will be the stories of the men, women, and children who experienced Pearl Harbor first hand. Placed strategically throughout the exhibit areas will be custom designed oral history kiosks where visitors can choose a story and learn more about a particular aspect of Pearl Harbor from one who was there.

“Successful interpretation involves making an intellectual and emotional connection with those interested in learning. Through the presentation of personal narratives, we hope to advance both of these ideas. The oral histories provide a lot of technical information, but they also create an emotional bridge to lives and experiences we might otherwise never hear.”

– Eileen Martinez, Chief of Interpretation National Park Service, USS Arizona Memorial

- Everett Hyland, USS Pennsylvania

Attack and Aftermath

SE Sectional Elevation “Who is our most important audience? Really when you think about it, it’s the kids, the youth.

They will carry these memories; they will carry these stories and it will be their responsibility.”

Eileen Martinez, Chief of Interpretation USS Arizona Memorial

Attack Theater

“The focus of this entire building is the Pearl Harbor attack, how it happened, and what happened after it was over. We’ve got a large, circular structure in the middle of the exhibit where a 7 to 8 minute audio-visual production is being developed by a professional National Park Service media resource team. This production will incorporate still and moving images, but also, most importantly, oral histories and personal accounts as much as possible.”

– Frank Hays

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“The National Park Service is preserving this story so that young people, when they see the video production, the displays, the first-person accounts, and the film, are transformed. I see it every day. Kids come to the Memorial and, because they are in Hawaii, they are naturally loud and boisterous. But when they leave, they are very quiet, suddenly confronted with what this history means.”

– Daniel Martinez, Historian National Park Service USS Arizona Memorial f a l l

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Oahu 1941: Eve of the Attack

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Unlike most regions of the United States, Hawai‘i was already ethnically diverse in 1941. Chinese laborers, who came to work in the sugar industry, were the first large group of immigrants to arrive, beginning in 1852. Portuguese, German, Japanese, and Puerto Rican immigrants followed in the late

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1800s. Filipinos and Koreans were the last to immigrate, after 1900. By 1941, people of Japanese descent made up more than one third of the population. Other Asian peoples, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Caucasians made up the rest of the approximately 460,000 residents of the territory.

— Exhibit text

“The central open area between the two exhibit halls will be known as Oahu 1941.

Much like Hawaii in 1941, and Hawaii today, the area will be a gathering place for people from all over the world; a crossroads and a meeting place of the international community. Also located in this area will be the relocated Tree of Life sculpture and the USS Arizona bell. The bell, one of two from the ship, was originally displayed at the First National Bank of Phoenix and moved to the Arizona Memorial in 1966. ” - Scott Pawlowski, Museum Curator National Park Service USS Arizona Memorial

“We’re going to take a remnant of the old visitor center that we feel is extremely important, the Tree of Life sculpture and relocate it to the Oahu 1941 area. If this looks familiar, this is what is on either side of the USS Arizona Memorial shrine room wall. This was Alfred Preis’ idea, and when the initial visitor center building was built in 1980, this was a key design element. Alfred’s idea was that when people came to the Memorial, he wanted a place where people could remember the sacrifices of war and Pearl Harbor, but in the surroundings of peace; a place where Japanese and Americans could meet, not with the hatred of the past, but the promise of peace in the future. And so this symbol wil be a key component in the new Visitor Center as a universal symbol of the renewal of life through death.”

- Daniel Martinez 6

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On th e Road

National Park Service team heads east to reach out to western Pearl Harbor Survivors [PART 1]

by Ray Sandla In an unprecedented effort to inform Pearl Harbor Survivors, their families, and others interested in plans for the new $52 million USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center and Museum, a National Park Service (NPS) team hosted a series of special previews in ten Arizona, Nevada, and California cities during the last week of August.

Acting USS Arizona Memorial Superintendent and NPS Pacific Area Director Frank Hays led the distinguished group which included Museum Curator Scott Pawlowski, Chief of Interpretation Eileen Martinez, and Historian Daniel Martinez (no relation). Intent also on incorporating as many eyewitness accounts of the Pearl Harbor attack into the new museum as possible, the NPS filmed close to 50 oral history interviews with Survivors of December 7, 1941, adding to an already extensive interview library.

The press release for the trip read in part: Scheduled for groundbreaking at the end of 2008, the new Center will replace the current USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center shoreside facility, which along with the USS Arizona Memorial, is operated by the National Park Service. The new Center will feature a greatly expanded museum and comprehensive interpretation of the attack on Pearl Harbor and WWII in the Pacific. Scheduled for completion in 2010, the Center will be rebuilt in phases allowing it to remain open to the public during its entire 2-year construction period.

As the National Park Service moves forward with the new Center, Veterans and history enthusiasts are invited to be a part of the process and ensure their thoughts and experiences are a part of the vision.

I accompanied the group to document the meetings with photographs and video and to try to capture reactions to some of the provocative questions on which the Park Service was seeking input. Frank Hays asked the audience to comment on two particularly sensitive subjects: •What do you think of a display at the Visitor Center that would allow people to touch a piece of the USS Arizona? (The piece would be small, safe to touch, and would come from the scrap metal, currently located at Waipio Peninsula, cut from the ship in the 1950’s to make room for the Memorial.)

•Should photographic exhibits in the museum shy away from stark depictions of death, or should the full horror of the attack be shown?

The answers were varied, incisive, and very much went to the heart of how people feel about historical depictions of the past.

Part one of the journey, the Arizona leg, appears here, with part two set for the next issue of Remembrance. r e m e m b r a n c e

Top left: Saguaro cactus compete with telephone poles in the beautiful Sonora Desert on the way to Tucson, Arizona. Top right: Sunland Village park and auditorium, Mesa, Arizona. 2nd from top: Frank Hays (l) National Park Service Pacific Area Director and acting USS Arizona Memorial Superintendent talks with Pearl Harbor Survivor Lambert Modder. 3rd from top: Lambert Modder and Ruth Holmes point out a few things to USS Arizona Memorial Museum Curator Scott Pawlowski. Above: Inside the Arizona State Executive Building. f a l l

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1: USS Arizona Memorial Museum Curator Scott Pawlowski looks over the University of Arizona’s collection of artifacts housed in the Student Union USS Arizona Memorial Lounge.

2: Eileen Martinez, Chief of Interpretation for the USS Arizona Memorial and Frank Hays, Acting Superintendent, pose near Susan Gamble’s USS Arizona sculpture. The work, in the shape of a ship’s mast, honors the 1,511 individuals assigned to the ship on December 7, 1941. 1,177 military dog tags, alluding to the number of men killed that day, form a diamond shape near the top of the ship’s mast while tags with the names of the 334 survivors are arranged near the top of the tiled portion. The artist’s intention was to show the vast difference between the number of men killed and those who survived.

3: An online document on the Student Union Memorial Center says, “The USS Arizona Collection was started in 1950 with two photographs and has since grown to over 1,200 photographs, 900 documents and almost 100 three-dimensional objects.” Among the objects is a flag with a notation, “First flag flown on the USS Arizona BB-39 after December 7, 1941.”

4: Dan Adams, Arizona Student Union director was a gracious and generous guide to the incredible holdings and architecture of the student union building.

5: The building’s clock tower holds a USS Arizona bell saved from destruction by UA alum Wilbur L. Bowers. It is rung on special occasions and on the third Wednesday of every month at 12:07 pm.

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Day 1 - Sunland Village, Mesa, Arizona With temperatures reaching a scorching 104 in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa, it was a wonder that anyone showed up at our first meeting, never mind veterans in their mid-to-late eighties. Happily, a few hardy souls did convene at the Sunland Village auditorium. Many thanks to Lambert Modder, chairman of the Arizona state Pearl Harbor Survivors Association for getting the word out and for the show of support.

During the meeting, Patrick Chorpenning, a Vietnam veteran, spoke of how the generation that fought WWII literally “saved the world” and whatever the Park Service and AMMA could do to commemorate that time would only reinforce how worthy the fight had been.

No one present seemed to have a problem with touching a piece of the Arizona, with most saying school kids would get the most out of the experience.

In the virtual world of today, having a real piece of history could help to connect younger generations to the world of their parents and grandparents.

To the question of how graphic exhibited photos of the attack should be, Mr. Modder, who was at the Pearl Harbor Naval Hospital at the time of the attack, said, “Maybe it got to me later, but at the time it didn’t bother me one bit. We were just too busy to think about it. I think pictures of the war, the real war, are ok.”

Mr. Phil Treten, a USS West Virginia Survivor, thought some form of parental controls would be wise, however, “You have a responsibility to tell the truth...if it hurts, too damn bad.”

Day 1 - Arizona State Capitol Building, Phoenix, Arizona A torrential rain storm, downtown location, and 7pm starting time all contributed to the turnout of one singularly adventurous individual, Mr. Martin Spargo, Jr. Mr. Spargo was 7 years old when he heard news of the Pearl Harbor attack over the radio as his father read the Sunday paper. Grateful for his indepth, personal tour of the new facility, the former military chaplain was nonetheless apologetic that more people hadn’t shown up. Undaunted, the team moved on to Tucson.

Day 2 - USS Arizona Memorial Lounge, University of Arizona, Tucson The drive from Mesa to Tucson was a beautiful diversion as we took the long way through the Sonoran high desert. It’s an education to ride through this country with knowledgeable Park Service people; they know plants, animals, and some of the places not to have car trouble, like the grim Arizona State Prison complex near Florence. Make sure the tank and tires are full.

Tucson greeted us sooner than anyone expected due to the tremendous expansion of the city and its growing suburbs. Arizona Student Union director Dan Adams showed us the way to the USS Arizona Memorial lounge on the University of Arizona campus, solemnly dedicated to the battleship and her crew.

Mr. Adams pointed out the many Arizona artifacts as well as allusions to the ship included in the building’s architecture. It was a stunning and somewhat humbling journey through a state’s commemoration for her namesake battleship.

Responding to the touching of the Arizona question during the discussion, Mr. Eugene Wilson, a Pearl Harbor Survivor off the harbor tug Geronimo (YTM119) answered with a straight face, “As long as it’s not a 300 pound piece flying across the water, it should be ok.”

Mr. Henry Vega, a former teacher, who was born on December 7, 1934, discussed the importance of touch to his students and family. “In my area of vocational industrial arts, what my students built, we touch. When we go to the cemetery, particularly if it’s some of our relatives, we touch the tomb many, many times. So I think it would [provide] a closer connection to this great Memorial you folks are building.”

One of the more consistent comments heard at the meetings, expressed in Tucson by Mrs. Rosella Bonham, who joined the Women’s Army Air Corps after December 7, 1941 as a B-17 radio operator, was the desire to see some kind of traveling exhibit that could be taken to schools across the country. “Kids see something in the movies, [somebody] shooting and they think it’s happy. It’s not. It’s bloody, it’s real, and it needs to be shown.” - Continued next issue. r e m e m b r a n c e

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Send your donation today to help make the new Pearl Harbor Memorial Museum & Visitor Center a reality The Most Beautiful Pearl I’ve Ever Seen

by Cynthia Smith The most beautiful pearl I’ve ever seen is frozen in time, at Pearl Harbor. Sleeping peacefully below the iridescent waters of Hawaii, lies the rusting hull of the sunken USS Arizona battleship, and standing guard over her is the Memorial.

Several years ago, I found myself at this very spot. Sure, I’d been to Hoover Dam, Mt. Rushmore, and some of the other great historical landmarks, but none of them touched me as deeply as the USS Arizona Memorial. They say a pearl is born from an irritation in an oyster. I believe that this holds true for the Arizona and her Memorial, because the price that was paid for this great pearl was a loss of many lives. Like many who had come before me to visit her, I too, found the voyage to be one of both history and emotion.

An avid history buff, I had studied about what had taken place on December 7, 1941. Every day, I thank the Lord that I live in a country where we are free. Pearl Harbor reminds me of how blessed we truly are, to have this freedom.

So, before I’d visited the site, I already felt an attachment to her.

One February afternoon in 1988, I was on my way to Hawaii for a much-needed vacation. Before landing, the plane circled over Battleship Row. I looked out of my window, and there she was – the USS Arizona. Above her was a glorious white structure that stretched over her mid-portion. The thing that really moved me though, was Old Glory, flying high, almost defiantly, above the site. Although it had taken only seconds to visualize the Memorial, already, I had a lump in my throat the size of Texas, and tears welling up in my eyes.

The following morning, I took the trip to the site. As I approached, great pride swelled up inside of me, yet at the same time I felt humbled. Reverently, I walked up to the entrance of the Memorial, and stopped in front of a large marble wall. There, etched on the wall, were the names of those who had perished. I said a silent prayer.

I was eager to continue, and I walked to the middle of the structure. At this point, I gathered myself together, and glanced over the railing, unsure of what I might find there. What I saw in front of me was one of the ship’s great turrets, still submerged in the water. Silent waves lapped the sides of the structure, and oil slowly leaked from below, making its way to the surface, in little bubbles.

As I continued to be mesmerized at what lay before me, I felt like I was standing on the precipice of time. As every oil bubble made its way to the surface, I realized that it had taken 47 years to reach its destination. Once there, it popped, and was gone, never again to be reborn. A strange thought came over me as I watched those bubbles. Not only were the bubbles made of oil, but they held the last breaths, thoughts, and prayers of Arizona’s 1,177 crewmen. It was at that point, that I began to realize the deep bond that I had with the Arizona. Even though I hadn’t been there when she sank, I still felt like she was a part of me. The reason I was able to stand at the Memorial that day was because so many had given their lives for my freedom.

Even now, as I remember and try to write my thoughts, it’s difficult to transport the words from my heart to the pen in my hand. I’m so proud to be an American! As beautiful as the Hawaiian paradise is, it pales in comparison to the USS Arizona and her Memorial. After remembering all of this, I’ve changed my mind. The USS Arizona really is more than a pearl in our American history – she’s a diamond.

Dear friends, My name is Bob Kinzler and I’m a Pearl Harbor Survivor.

I’m the young, good-looking one on the left in the photo above. My good friend Sterling Cale and I are taking part in a video conference with a school in North Carolina, trying to give them an idea of what it was like here on Oahu on December 7, 1941. I think the kids understand history better when someone who was there can tell it like it really was.

When the Japanese attacked, I was stationed out at Schofield Barracks with the 25th Infantry Division. While I did see the incredible destruction at Pearl Harbor on my way to set up a battle station at Roosevelt High School in Honolulu, my story is more about the aftermath of the attack, about how scared everybody was that the Japanese were coming back to invade the island, which they could have easily done.

But what I’d really like to do here is thank each and every one of you that has already contributed to the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund. We are building not only a new museum and visitor center, but a brand new, state-of-the-art education facility. It will be a place where kids can come and learn, and where we can deliver video conferences to schools all over the world. And it’s all due to the generosity of those who have supported our efforts and to everyone else who cares about preserving the history of December 7, 1941.

Please Remember our Greatest Generation.

Ms. Cynthia Smith is a free-lance writer who has lived in Indianapolis, Indiana all her life. She works at the Salvation Army Indiana Divisional Headquarters. Ms. Smith sent a letter to the Pearl Harbor Fund office recently, offering to help in any way she could with the effort to build a new Visitor Center and Museum at Pearl Harbor. She included a short reminiscence of a visit she had made to the USS Arizona Memorial. In the letter she said, “Although I will probably never be able to afford another trip to Hawaii, I hope my article might make it possible for future visitors to experience this special piece of American history.” We hope you make it back soon Cindy. Thank you.

In appreciation for your gift your name will be added to our Honor Roll of Donors and for all donations over $25.00 you will receive a one-year complimentary Arizona Memorial Museum Association membership entitling you to valuable discounts at the USS Arizona Memorial and at National Parks bookstores across the country.

To take advantage of this opportunity, please fill out the form on the reverse side of this flap.

You can also honor a loved one who served in defense of our nation, past or present, in the Pearl Harbor Memorial Registry.

Please Give from the Heart

New Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund Website Honors All Who Give The Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund is proud to announce the launch of its new website! Visitors to the site will find that it offers detailed information of the new Museum & Visitor Center, as well as offering a better presentation of features from our previous website.

The new site is easy to navigate, yet is packed full of useful information. True to our promise to honor the individuals and organizations which have contributed significantly to preserving the history of Pearl Harbor, we are pleased to list them on our on-line version of Honor Roll of Donors and Memorial Registry. These two important listings are neatly laid out and are more user friendly.

Via the website we will strive to keep our supporters informed of the campaign’s progress and what can be done to help us finish the job. Visitors to the site will also be able to learn about the myriad of programs in which they can support the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund, such as Pennies for Pearl Harbor, GoodSearch, Coinstar and our own travel site, PHMF Travel.

It is easier than ever for donors to donate on-line. Donors even have the option of making a one time gift or to set up a recurring gift.

Please visit our new site today at www.pearlharbormemorial.com and check back often!

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As the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund strives to complete its fundraising campaign, supporters hope national awareness of the proposed monument status will help raise the last several million dollars needed for the new Museum & Visitor Center. The success of this important campaign will ensure that the millions of visitors to Pearl Harbor each year will be educated and enlightened in the events leading up to December 7, 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the ensuing War. It is crucial that we continuously honor the memories of all those who gallantly served, and pass down to future generations the remarkable stories of what heroic Americans did to preserve our freedom. We must always Remember, Understand, and Honor and granting National Monument status to these historic sites is one way to accomplish that.

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We at the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund are very pleased that honoring and preserving the memories of our veterans and the bravery and sacrifice of December 7, 1941 is so important to the President of the United States that he is considering such a proclamation. The proposed monument would serve as a poignant tribute to the men and woman who fought and died during WWII in the Pacific, in order that we could enjoy the democracy and freedoms we have today.

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Under the Antiquities Act of 1906, the President can declare historic landmarks, structures and other objects of historic interest a National Monument without congressional approval. Because this potential monument could contain areas still actively used by the military today, the President was careful to remind the Departments of Defense and Interior that, “Because much of the Pearl Harbor area lies within an active military base, and other World War II historic resources lie within areas of the Pacific that are of strategic importance to the United States, please consider in your assessment that any proposed actions should not limit the Department of Defense from carrying out the mission of the various branches of the military stationed or operating anywhere within the Pacific.”

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The memorandum does not address what specific places Bush would like to see included in the National Monument, but does say, “Pearl Harbor is well known as the site of Imperial Japan’s attack on December 7, 1941.

Its historical significance, however, both preceded the Japanese attack and spanned World War II, during which it served as the central base for our Pacific naval forces.” Although not stated, it seems likely that if this designation comes to pass, that not only will sites such as the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Oklahoma Memorial, and the USS Utah be included, but other significant sites located in the Pacific will be included as well.

Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund P.O. Box 29940 Honolulu, Hawaii 96820-2340

During August 23rd-27th 2008, Michael Miller and 17 year-old Mackenzie Miller, a father-daughter team from Kailua Hawaii, undertook a challenge that very few people have accomplished. Their goal was to swim across the English Channel through miles of bitter cold water in order to benefit the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund. Depending on the unpredictable currents and changing tides, the distance can fluctuate greatly, anywhere between 20 and 35 nautical miles. This was the first ever father-daughter team to attempt this feat. They began their channel swim together at Shakespeare Beach and sought to finish at their own pace near Cap Griz Nez, France.

Michael and Mackenzie attempted the swim to support the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund. “We are swimming to help teach our youth about the sacrifice that thousands made in order to preserve the rights we have today,” Michael says, “and we hope that we can gather enough support to give assistance to these important causes. By remembering the past, we can look forward to the future”. The sacrifices made at Pearl Harbor are a reminder of those who bravely stood up to protect our freedoms.

The swim was a long and grueling test of endurance, both mentally and physically. A large part of the preparation is positioning the mind to endure hour upon hour of swimming in such conditions. Mackenzie adds, “throughout all of my training, I focus on the stories of those who witnessed the attack of Pearl Harbor and remember our ultimate goal is to raise money to keep those stories alive for not only my generation, but for the ones that come after me”.

The funds donated to the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund will go towards the new Museum and Visitor Center on which construction will begin shortly. Please help the Miller’s efforts to remember the events of Dec 7th, 1941. To make a donation, please visit our website www.pearlharbormemorial.com and click on “donate”. Be sure to notate in the Additional Comments section the words “English Channel”. For more information about the swim please visit their website at www.MikenMacSwim.org.

Name (Dr. Mr. Mrs. Ms.)

by Heather Saunders

On May 29th, President George W. Bush issued a Memorandum for the Secretaries of Defense and Interior, directing them to analyze the potential designation of Pearl Harbor, and other World War II historical sites in the Pacific, as a National Monument. The President asked that the Secretaries provide him with their assessment and advisability of providing additional recognition and protection, to sites within Pearl Harbor as well as others of significance to the War in the Pacific. President Bush noted that “These objects of historical and scientific interest may tell the broader story of the war, the sacrifices made by America and its allies, and the heroism and determination that laid the groundwork for victory in the Pacific and triumph in World War II.”

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Pearl Harbor by Ernest Arroyo A stunning photographic chronicle of December 7, 1941. $29.95 + shipping & handling AMMA member price $25.46 + s&h

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Wherever You Need Me by Anna Urda Busby One of the few autobiographical accounts available of an Army nurse who not only witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor, but helped to save lives in its aftermath. $11.95 + shipping & handling AMMA member price $10.16 + s&h

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President Bush Eyes National Monument Status for Pacific War Sites

by William Cole

Honolulu Advertiser

The USS Arizona Memorial was dedicated in 1962, and the battlefield site run by the National Park Service since 1980 is world renowned, but it's never been proclaimed by the president or legislated by Congress to be an official national park unit.

That could change if the memorial becomes a national monument under a directive from President Bush, who last month proposed giving Pearl Harbor monument status alongside such landmarks as the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon and Custer Battlefield.

The park service is particularly interested in certain sites receiving monument status on Ford Island, which has been called ground zero for the Dec. 7, 1941 attack.

The president directed Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to assess the "advisability of providing additional recognition or protection" to historic sites at Pearl Harbor and elsewhere in the Pacific that played important roles in World War II. Frank Hays, Pacific area director for the National Park Service, said national parks usually have "enabling legislation" from Congress or a proclamation by the president that lays out the mission for that particular park. The Arizona Memorial never received it, but that mission would be spelled out if the Arizona Memorial is declared a national monument.

"We've been focused on telling the Dec. 7, 1941 story," Hays said. "The proclamation may say, tell a little bit broader story about World War II in the Pacific. We don't know for sure, but it will give us that kind of foundation to work from."

The USS Arizona is the final resting place for many of the battleship's 1,177 crewmen who lost their lives in the 1 4

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Japanese attack.

The park service, which has operated the USS Arizona Memorial since 1980 under a cooperative agreement with the Navy, is responsible for the management of the memorialand shoreside visitor center on 11 acres.

The memorial grew out of wartime desire to establish some sort of memorial at Pearl Harbor to honor those who died in the attack. President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved the creation of the memorial in 1958. Its construction was completed in 1961 and the memorial was dedicated in 1962.

Hays said the park service is at the memorial only through an exclusive use agreement with the Navy. "But that's the only document in existence, really, so we're not an official park unit," Hays said. "So a proclamation, if this monument occurs ... would actually provide that kind of formal designation as a National Park unit."

Although the president's memo suggested "Pearl Harbor" for national monument designation, Hays said the park service, in addition to the Arizona Memorial, is particularly interested in unspecified sites on Ford Island.

Hays said it's too premature to talk about those sites. He added that until there's a confirmed list for inclusion in a possible national monument at Pearl Harbor or even elsewhere in Hawai'i, he doesn't want to rule anything out.

Hays notes the Defense Department also has been tasked with conducting a national monument assessment.

"I don't know what sites they may identify — they may identify other Pearl Harbor sites," Hays said. "It's a work in progress."

Pearl Harbor already is part of a National Historic Landmark District, but national monument status would elevate its recognition and protection.

The non-profit museums that operate alongside the Arizona Memorial — the Battleship Missouri Memorial, the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, and the Pacific Aviation Museum-Pearl Harbor — could have their names forwarded for recognition under a national monument proposal, Hays said.

Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Interior SUBJECT: Potential Monument

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Pearl Harbor is well known as the site of imperial Japan's attack on december 7, 1941. its historical significance, however, both preceded the Japanese attack and spanned World War ii, during which it served as the central base for our Pacific naval forces. While the Uss Arizona Memorial serves as the final resting place for many of that battleship's brave crew members who lost their lives on december 7, 1941, other objects of historic and scientific interest in the area of Pearl Harbor and other sites in the Pacific remain outside this Memorial. i have been advised that there are objects of historic and scientific interest at Pearl Harbor, including on ford island, and at other sites across the Pacific that may be appropriate for recognition and possibly protection through the designation of a National Monument under the Antiquities Act of 1906 (16 U.s.C. 431). These objects of historical and scientific interest may tell the broader story of the war, the sacrifices made by America and its allies, and the heroism and determination that laid the groundwork for victory in the Pacific and triumph in World War ii.

Accordingly, please provide to me your assessment, with relevant supporting information, of the advisability of providing additional recognition or protection to historic landmarks, historic sites, or other objects of historic or scientific interest at Pearl Harbor and other sites associated with the war in the Pacific and America's ultimate victory in the Pacific theater during World War ii, through designation and management as part of a National Monument.

Because much of the Pearl Harbor area lies within an active military base, and other World War ii historic resources lie within areas of the Pacific that are of strategic importance to the United states, please consider in your assessment that any proposed actions should not limit the department of defense from carrying out the mission of the various branches of the military stationed or operating anywhere within the Pacific.

PrEsidENT gEorgE W. BUsH

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War in the Pacific NHP Marks 30 year Anniversary

By William B. Martin, Jr. Pacific Sunday News August 17, 2008

George B. Hartzog, Jr 1920 — 2008 In the build-up to the National Park Service’s 100 year anniversary in 2016, it is interesting to note the career of George B. Hartzog, the seventh director of the NPS. Mr. Hartzog passed away June 27 near his home in McLean, Virginia, leaving a legacy of unprecedented park expansion, activism, and sincere efforts to raise the popularity, efficiency, and relevancy of the nation’s park system.

In his nine years as Director, 1964-1972, Mr. Hartzog added 2.694 million acres in 78 areas to the nation’s parks; appointed Grant Wright to head the US Park Police in 1968, the first African-American to head a major US police force; and selected several women as park superintendents. In addition, the director went to great lengths to make the parks more relevant to an increasingly urban society. The first major urban recreation areas, Gateway (New York) and Golden Gate (San Francisco) were acquired in 1972 as well as the “Summer in the Parks” programs, started at Richmond National Battlefield Park and in Washington DC. In December 2006, Mary Bromar, the current Director of the National Park Service, wrote a letter to be included with Mr. Hartzog’s official oral history. It read in part, “ A strong leader, gifted administrator and astute politician, Hartzog has come to symbolize a golden era for the Park Service – and for the nation.... [H]is encompassing vision of national Parks included establishment of urban parks, recreation areas and cultural sites beyond the traditional natural parks.... His vision reflected the hopes and dreams of America....” r e m e m b r a n c e

Residents enjoyed a variety of activities yesterday as part of the 30-year anniversary of the creation of the War in the Pacific National Historical Park.

The celebration, free and open to anyone interested, included an opportunity to meet the people who contribute to protecting one of the nation's most biodiverse park systems.

"I love this park," said Alfred Leon Guerrero while attending the event at Asan Beach with his son, A.J. "It's great to have a federal program like this to preserve and maintain what we have here."

The celebration at Asan Beach offered birthday cake and education on National Park Service programs such as the Reef Rangers, a children's day camp focused on exploring Guam's coral reefs, which began last summer. A live brown tree snake demonstration was held by Park Service employees in conjunction with the U.S. Geological Survey Biological Resource Division's Rapid Response Office.

Children crowded around to catch a glimpse of the live specimen while receiving a brief explanation of the dangers of invasive species. After the demonstration, kids were employed as snake hunters, scrambling to find small rubber snakes for a free T-shirt.

Tommy Pool took a break from the hunt to say he most enjoyed learning about the cages used to trap snakes,

which contain a tiny mouse protected by a small cage inside the trap. Though he was told a snake is actually a relatively dryskinned creature, Pool expressed his skepticism. "I think they're slimy," he said.

"They look like it."

Asan Beach unit attendees received free shuttle bus service -- operated by King Tours -- which ran every 20 to 25 minutes between four park sites. Passengers aboard the shuttle learned about the resources protected by park rangers, who acted as tour guides. Those up for a challenge were provided riddle pamphlets with clues leading to tokens placed at several locations for a scavenger hunt.

Events at other locations, including the park's T. Stell Newman Visitor Center in Sumay, consisted of museum tours, living history programs and more.Visitors were treated to more than 11,000 rare historical and cultural artifacts in storage.

M. Sarah Creachbaum, War in the Pacific National Historical Park Superintendent said even though 30 years is pretty young for a national park, she was thrilled to be a part of the park's progress.

"It's really exciting to see how much this park has grown in terms of staff and services over the years," she said. "It's really come a long way."

The War in the Pacific National Historical Park is home to coral reefs with 3,500 species of plants and animals. Its lands contain more than 400 species of vascular plants, including species found only on Guam, according to the park service.

Left: Park Ranger Ben Hayes gives a presentation about a soldier in World War II at the Asan Bay Overlook during the celebration of the War in the Pacific National Historical Park's 30th anniversary. (Louis J. Paulino/For Pacific Sunday News) Right: Cultural Resources Chief Tammy Duchesne provided tours of the vast artifact collection held by the NPS as part of the 30th anniversary events. f a l l

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Cyril O’Brien served in a line company with the 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division on Bougainville, and then as a Combat Correspondent in the battles for Guam and Iwo Jima. His spare prose describes the gruesome toll of desperate fighting. There are no dramatic metaphors, no artificial spectacle, no glamour or romance.

Mr. O’Brien was the keynote speaker at the National Park Service’s War in the Pacific National Historical Park 30th Anniversary. He spoke especially to the Chamorro in the audience; saying he had always wanted to come back to Guam, look the people in the eye, and say how proud he was of them. Proud of them for the years of cultural degradation and physical abuse they withstood under Japanese subjugation. Proud of them for fighting with the Americans to retake their island in 1944. Proud of them for the progress they have made since.

Marines land on Guam’s Asan Beach, July 21, 1944. Chonito Ridge, part of which is seen at upper left above, became one of the most hard-fought and costly battles in the recapture of Guam. At left, Mr. O’Brien speaks at the 30th Anniversary of the War in the Pacific Park. At lower left, the combat journalist files a story from Guam’s battlefield.

Looking History Square in the Eye The following was written by Cyril O’Brien in the field following the action he describes.

Mr. O’Brien related a story of something he remembered during the battle for Guam. A patrol came upon a Chamorro woman who, recognizing them as Americans, immediately began to dig in the ground.

She uncovered an American flag and gave it proudly to the group. The men took it back to their headquarters, inviting the woman to visit their camp when she could. When she arrived, they raised the flag in her honor.

Speaking of the desperate and suicidal Japanese Banzai attack on the night of July 25, “In the morning, you could walk across the bodies. Even though they were the enemy, I thought, what a tragedy to see 3500 of Japan’s finest fighting men lying dead.”

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Guam July 24—The first frontal attack on steep Chonito Ridge was made one hour after the Marine landing.

An infantry squad, led by Second Lieutenant James A. Gallo, 24, 172 Broadway, Haverstraw, NY., approached to within ten yards of the tip. The crest bloomed with machine gun fire. In the face of it the Marine company tried its first assault. The company was thrown back before it had advanced forty yards.

Failing in the first rush the company had formed a flimsy defense line not fifty yards from the enemy. Cover was scant. Some Marines had only tufts of grass to shield them. The Japs were rolling grenades down the crest, and blasting the Marines with knee mortars from over the summit.

Under the cover of dusk the company commander led a second attack. As the Marines rose machine gun fire swept into them. The commander, and three Marines reached the crest. The last fifty feet were almost vertical. The attackers grasped roots and dug their feet into the soft earth to keep from falling down the incline.

The commander went over the ridge. He never came back. The remaining three Marines were ripped by cross fire. One saved himself by jumping into an enemy fox hole.

Beaten again, the company retired to a small ravine, and remained there all night.

One Marine, shot through both legs, was

asking for morphine. Another's thigh was ripped by shell fragments. A PFC, his dry tongue swollen, tried to whisper the range of an enemy sniper.

At eleven in the morning of the 22d, with little more a third of their original number, the company rushed the hillside again.

Lieutenant Gallo led an assault on the left flank of the hill, but was thrown back.

Sergeant Charles V. Bomar, 33, 4002 Gulf St., Houston, Tex., with nine Marines attempted to take the right ground of the slope. Five were killed as they left the ravine. The sergeant and three others reached the top of the slope.

The Marines charged into the Jap entrenchment. The sergeant killed a Jap machine gunner with the butt of his carbine. The assistant gunner exploded a grenade against his body. The blast threw the Marines out of the hole. They jumped into vacated enemy foxholes. A lieutenant who had come to join them was shot between the eyes by a sniper. The sergeant killed the sniper with his carbine.

Unable to hold their positions, the sergeant and his companies returned to the shelter of the ravine. With the shattered remnants of the company they waited for nearly another 24 hours, until darting Marines on the top of the ridge showed Chonito had been taken from the rear. r e m e m b r a n c e

Essay Contest Winner Learned to Remember The National Park Service at War in the Pacific National Historical Park on Guam and the Arizona Memorial Museum Association sponsored a Pride for Parks essay contest in an effort to get kids on the island more involved with their natural and historical environment. If Grand Prize Winner Nicole Brindejonc is any indication, Guam’s history and its natural resources are in good hands.

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eep beneath the National Parks of America, history is told. There are hidden stories of the past. If you dig deeper into that history, you’ll learn the real importance and significance of the parks. I believe that national parks should be well kept and preserved for many years to come because they are pieces of our culture and our country.

By setting aside the most special places on Guam and Saipan, we can learn more about the battles and invasions that took place on our islands. It will become more like a sanctuary where we can go to remember the soldiers that fought for us, those who were killed, and the people who suffered. We can also commemorate our loved ones who we lost in the war and will never be forgotten. But these parks are also beautiful places where we can go to and relax with our family and just have fun with nature.

The national parks of America are filled with beauty, culture, and a great deal of history. By visiting any park, we can leave with a better knowledge of the animals that dwell there, the plants and trees that grow there, the culture of the civilians, and the background of the park and the historical events that took place there.

Before I set out on my journey to write my “Pride for Parks” essay, I had a very limited knowledge of the War in the Pacific Historical Park or any National Park. But I was very determined to learn more about the park so I started off by reading a couple of books and articles from the public library and the library located in the War in the Pacific National Historical Park’s main office. With my family, I also visited all of the other historical sites on Guam and discovered the purposes and uses of them. On my way I stopped by the War in the Pacific Historical Park’s

“It will become more like a sanctuary where we can go to remember the soldiers that fought for us, those who were killed, and the people who suffered.”

If I was the Superintendent of the parks on Guam and Saipan…I would try to create programs in the schools that would teach the students about the parks and the history behind them.... Virtual tours could be created to allow students to explore the parks and have fun without even having to leave the classroom. They would soon become attracted to the parks that they will try their best to preserve the history.

But most kids don’t take any interest in the parks and some don’t even know about them. But if they were really taught about them then they might actually see how exciting and fascinating they are. Students can read about the history in books, but if they were to visit the National Parks on field trips they would realize that these places are real and that the parks are places of bloodshed where thousands of people sacrificed their lives for our island.

The students will learn to respect the parks and help keep it clean and safe. If the students have a better understanding and expertise of the parks, the history of the war and the people who suffered and died in the battles of the past will never be forgotten. r e m e m b r a n c e

Visitor’s Center and viewed the short film, “Liberating Guam: The U.S. Comes Back”. This film made me realize how important that war was. If those soldiers hadn’t fought for us, we would probably be leading totally different lives today. The people that suffered and were killed for us have become a part of me and I have never been more interested in the War in the Pacific as I am today.

But on my journey, I not only learned about the National Parks on Guam and Saipan but also about the ones in the United States. With a Junior Ranger Gazette that I received from one of the park rangers themselves, I read about the different parks, animals, and I even became a WebRanger. I had so much fun while I was writing my essay and learning about the National Parks, and I’m pretty sure that any kid could too.

I think that more kids should get involved in the National Park Service because they will take interest in the past and help preserve it for the future. After this amazing experience and journey, I most definitely have pride for parks.

(Essay edited for length)

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War in th e Pacific NEWSWIRE US Army Finally Gets Oscar for Capra’s “Prelude to War”

by Bob Thomas - Associated Press LOS ANGELES - The Army, with a hand from Hollywood, has received a longlost Oscar back into its ranks.

The little statue took a long, and largely unknown path before being passed from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis to an Army general during a Wednesday night ceremony and screening.

In 1942, a few weeks after Peal Harbor, filmmaker Frank Capra joined the Army

and was assigned to create a film series, "Why We Fight."

Major Capra, who had directed such films as "It Happened One Night," "Lost Horizon" and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" was told to create the documentary "Prelude to War." He showed the finished work to Army Chief of Staff Gen. George C. Marshall, who insisted that President Roosevelt see the film.

In his 1971 autobiography, "The Name Above the Title," Capra wrote of a screening at the White House. Amid the applause at the end, FDR exclaimed: "Every man, woman and child in the world should see this film!"

"Prelude to War" was at first seen solely by soldiers in Army quarters, but the Army eventually relented and 250 prints were sent to theaters across the country.

The Academy staged a screening of "Prelude to War" on Wednesday night at the Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study in Hollywood.

"Sixty-five years later, 'Prelude to War' still continues to be one of the greatest documentaries ever made," said Ganis, the emcee for the screening.

In 1942, "Prelude to War" won an Oscar for Best Documentary by the U.S. Army Special Services but, Ganis explained, the prize wasn't an Oscar but a plaque. All of the awards were in plaster, not metal, during the war because of the metal shortage.

After the war the Army received an actual Oscar statue and it was stored in the Army Pictorial Center.

When the center closed in 1970, the Oscar disappeared.

Earlier this year, Christie's auction house advertised an Oscar for sale. It was the missing "Prelude to War" award.

The Academy notified the army, which claimed the prize.

On Wednesday night, Ganis presented a polished, 8-pound Oscar to Brig. Gen. Jeffrey E. Phillips, deputy chief of public affairs for the army.

Production almost complete on miniseries 'The Pacific' (HBO press release originally distributed August 16, 2007) Production has begun in Australia on THE PACIFIC. Shooting through mid2008, the epic ten-hour miniseries is executive produced by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Gary Goetzman, the creative team behind the Emmy®-winning 2001 HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers."

THE PACIFIC is produced by HBO Films in association with Playtone and DreamWorks Television. The production is based at Melbourne Central City Studios in Melbourne, Victoria, with filming taking place in and around Melbourne, where U.S. troops camped in 1943, and multiple locations in Far North Queensland. Kary Antholis, senior vice president, HBO Films, is the executive in charge of the project. THE PACIFIC is scheduled to debut on HBO in 2009.

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odysseys of three U.S. Marines - Robert Leckie (played by James Badge Dale), Eugene Sledge (Joe Mazzello) and John Basilone (Jon Seda) - across the vast canvas of the Pacific. The extraordinary experiences of these men and their fellow Marines take them from the first clash with the Japanese in the haunted jungles of Guadalcanal, through the impenetrable rain forests of Cape Gloucester, across the blasted coral strongholds of Peleliu, up the black sand terraces of Iwo Jima, through the killing fields of Okinawa, to the triumphant, yet uneasy, return home after V-J Day. THE PACIFIC is based on the books "With the Old Breed," by Eugene Sledge, which was hailed by historian Paul Fussell as "one of the finest memoirs to emerge from any war," and "Helmet for My Pillow,"

by Robert Leckie (recipient of the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Annual Award), as well as original interviews conducted by the filmmakers. Continuing the

World War II oral history work begun by his father Stephen E. Ambrose (author of the book "Band of Brothers"), Hugh Ambrose serves as a consultant on the miniseries.

Peleliu. September 14, 1944. Marine Pfc. Douglas Lightheart (right) cradles his 30 cal machine gun in his lap while his buddy Gerald Churchby takes time out for a cigarette, while mopping up the enemy on Peleliu. (Marine Corps 127-N-97628.) r e m e m b r a n c e

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PBY Pilot, Medal of Honor Recipient Nathan G. Gordon “Black Cat” Squadron PBY pilot Nathan G. Gordon passed away September 8, 2008 at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences hospital in Little Rock. Mr. Gordon received the Medal of Honor for his daring rescue of downed airmen in the Japanese-held harbor of Kavieng in New Guinea in February, 1944. His story below was related to Justin Taylan of Pacific Wrecks in 2003.

February 15, 1944 - Rescue Mission to Kaviengv Of course, we had no idea what was about to happen on that day... We got a call that an A-20 had ditched and to go to Kavieng for a rescue.

At the time, we were about 100 miles from Kavieng, at Vitu Island, off New Britain which was our rendezvous point for the mission. We had four P-47's with us as escorts.

(348th FG from Finschafen).

First Landing We went to the location we had been given, and could see dye markers, some wreckage and a raft. We could not see if anyone was down there though, so we put down in the water to find out for sure.

We were going to land in between the swells. I made a good landing by power stalling the plane. This meant bring it in really slow and cutting the power so the plane drops out of the sky straight down to land in the shortest distance. When the plane hit the water, the crew reported that some rivets had popped out of the bottom pontoon!

There was no sign of the crew, they must have been dead or drowned. We found some debris - oil, dye marker two life jackets and a half inflated raft.

Second Landing After taking, off, we got a call from a B-25 that was spotting from the air, and was radioing us instructions and coordinates of ditched planes... All six were in the water.

When we landed, we realized that we would have to cut the one engine when we picked up the crew. The swells were so high, they were right up to the engines which as you know are on the top edge of the wing of the PBY. We were afraid that they might hit the prop when we got close to them.

Gunfire from shore was hitting around us.

Machine guns, small arms and some larger shells. Luckily, none hit us, and I think the r e m e m b r a n c e

swells helped us here... We pulled right up to them, and Kelly at waist position threw out a rope and Joe Germean pulled them inside.

Joe was the strongest guy in our crew, and pulled in all of the B-25 crew.

We restarted the port engine without a problem, and took off once again, and started for home. I would say we got twenty miles out, when the same guy called again. "We got another crew for you to pick up". Two of the P-47's had left, because they were low on fuel.

Third Landing Our radio went off again, and we got the call from the spotting B-25 to rescue another crew. This plane had ditched about a mile from shore. Again, we power stalled to land,

and had to cut the left engine so as not to hit the crew in the water. This time it was another B-25 crew. Only three were there. Our remaining two P-47 escorts left while we were making the landing because they too were low on fuel.

We now had ten aboard, and we started for home. I would say we got about 20 miles away from Kavieng when again, our radio went off.

It was the same B-25 called in and told us about another crew, this time very close to the shore. Since our escort had left, I asked him "Are you going to stay with me?" and he replied back "Yes". We had been told that the Japanese had float planes there too, and I was afraid about meeting one of them now that we were alone.

Fourth Landing We would have to land closer to shore this time. I did not consult with the crew, there was no time for making decisions, I just did it, and nobody complained. That is what had to be done, there was no time to discuss things.

We made our final landing, only 600 yards from shore. We had to make our approach over the town, where later I was told some of the heaviest AA fire was coming from. There

Far left: Nathan Gordon (wearing sunglasses) and crew of PBY "Arkansas Traveler" in 1944.

Middle: Kavieng Harbor, New Guinea, February, 1944.

Above: Nathan G. Gordon at home in Ojai, California in 1996.

Photo by Cathy Cavoli.

Photos and interview with Mr. Gordon courtesy of Pacific Wrecks, a free, non-profit database about the Pacific War.

was a lot of fire coming at us from the shore.

Small arms and machine guns as well as larger stuff. Again, none hit us. The swells helped us here, as the plane would disappear to anyone trying to shoot at us from the shore when we were behind a crest. We did the same thing, and took the five of them in through the waist hatch. The pilot was Captain William Cavoli, who was from Newport, Arkansas and later would become a friend.

Head for Home We had a total of fifteen people aboard that we had rescued. Some were hurt bad, and the crew got to work helping them as best we could.

After the Kavieng mission, we were still flying daily missions, until September 1944.

Later, the whole crew was flown to Brisbane, where the Vice-Admiral presented the entire crew with the Silver Star, and me with the Congressional Medal of honor.

"Please pass my admiration on to that saga writing Kavieng Cat crew - Halsey.”

- Admiral “Bull” Halsey telegram Medal of Honor Citation "For extraordinary heroism above and beyond the call of duty as commander of a Catalina patrol plane in rescuing personnel of the U.S. Army 5th Air Force shot down in combat over Kavieng Harbor in the Bismarck Sea, 15 February 1944. On air alert in the vicinity of Vitu Islands, Lt. (then Lt. j.g.) Gordon unhesitatingly responded to a report of the crash and flew boldly into the harbor, defying close-range fire from enemy shore guns to make 3 separate landings in full view of the Japanese and pick up 9 men, several of them injured... By his exceptional daring, personal valor, and incomparable airmanship under most perilous conditions, Lt. Gordon prevented certain death or capture of our airmen by the Japanese." (Edited) f a l l

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AMMA Membership News Give a Gift of Membership this Holiday Season!

This holiday season, consider giving your friends or family a gift of membership with the Arizona Memorial Museum Association. Your gift of membership will support vital programs at AMMA’s parks, and the gift recipient will receive all the benefits of membership, including a one-year subscription to Remembrance magazine and a 15% discount at all of our bookstores. In appreciation of your gift, we will send you a complimentary AMMA tote bag, valued at $10.95. This offer is only available until December 20th! To take advantage, please call our office at 888-332-1941, or mail your name and address, the name and address of the gift recipient, your selected membership level (a full listing of membership categories and benefits can be found on the next page of this magazine), and a form of payment to the following address: Arizona Memorial Museum Association PO Box 22940 Honolulu, HI 96820-2340 We will send a membership card to your loved one, and you will receive a tax receipt along with your complimentary tote bag. Happy Holidays!

thank you for your support!

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