Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund to Unveil Centerpiece of New Memorial Museum & Visitors Center

Pearl Harbor, HI. December 4, 2006—On December 6, 2006, The Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund will unveil a new model of the USS Arizona battleship. That battleship (BB-39) is our nation’s most famous historical reminder of December 7, 1941.

During the attack on Pearl Harbor, a Japanese bomb sank the USS Arizona. It suffered 1,177 casualties. Under the clear Pearl Harbor waters, her final resting place is still visible. It has become a symbol of the sacrifice by all who were at Pearl Harbor and other Oahu Hawaii sites on that date of infamy and beyond. Over 1.5 million people visit the USS Arizona and its Memorial each year.

A gift from The Starr Foundation underwrote the building of the new model by world-renowned model maker Donald J. Preul, J&D Productions, Annapolis Maryland. The new model sets the standard for historical and technical accuracy and is the most accurate replica of the USS Arizona battleship extant.

The unveiling of the new model will lead the way for the future Pearl Harbor Memorial Museum & Visitor Center. The Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund is seeking $50 million dollars to complete a new Pearl Harbor Memorial Museum & Visitors Center. The current facility, which serves as an interpretive and educational gateway to the Memorial, is sinking, inadequate, and outdated. It will soon be unusable.

“We are very proud to unveil this fitting tribute to the USS Arizona on the eve of the 65th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks,” said George Sullivan, board member of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund. “We hope that this impressive new exhibit will inspire future gifts towards the new Museum & Visitors Center like the one The Starr Foundation was so generous to provide,” added Sullivan.

Media interested in attending the event should contact Dan Tudesco at 202-775-2657 or Donna L. Taylor at 202-294-2816.

WHAT: Unveiling of the USS Arizona New Exhibit Model
WHEN: Wednesday, December 6, 2006
4:30 p.m. Hawaii Time; 9:30 p.m. EST
WHERE: Visitor Center
USS Arizona Memorial Park
Honolulu, HI 96818
WHO: Interested media

About The Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund
The Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund is raising money to replace the USS Arizona Memorial's current museum and visitor center. The existing facility, which is in disrepair, will be replaced by a new state-of-the-art, Pearl Harbor Memorial Museum & Visitor Center once funds can be raised. The Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund also sponsors the Pearl Harbor Survivors Project (www.pearlharborstories.org), a project designed to collect survivor stories and memorabilia. All survivor stories will be added to the permanent oral history archive and maintained at the new Pearl Harbor Memorial Museum. To contribute to the cause and join this nationwide campaign, visit www.pearlharbormemorial.com and click on "Make a Donation."