Pacific Historic Parks - USS Arizona Memorial

10/23/2026

🌺 A few more moments celebrating Pacific Historic Parks President and CEO Aileen Utterdyke, one of HONOLULU Magazine's 2026 Celebrating Wāhine Awards honorees!

As the first woman to serve as president and CEO of Pacific Historic Parks, Aileen continues to lead with purpose, empathy, and a commitment to empowering others.

We're proud to see her recognized among 37 exceptional women making a difference in the Hawaiʻi community.

Congratulations again, Aileen, on this well-deserved honor!

📸: Honolulu Magazine

10/23/2026

: Nearly four years after being sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor, USS West Virginia (BB-48) was present in Tokyo Bay as Japan formally surrendered, bringing World War II to an end.

On December 7, 1941, West Virginia sustained devastating damage and sank to the harbor floor, taking the lives of 106 crew members.

But her story didn't end there. Raised, repaired, and extensively modernized, the battleship returned to combat in the Pacific in 1944, participating in several major engagements before witnessing the war's end.

Learn more about USS West Virginia's remarkable history and the men who served aboard her.

10/22/2026

10/22/2026

🎉🇺🇸 Happy 100th Birthday, George Franks!

At just 17 years old, George Franks left his hometown of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, to serve his country in the United States Navy during World War II.

That decision began more than seven years of Navy service across two periods of enlistment.

George trained at Bainbridge, Maryland, and served in assignments that took him across the country and into the Pacific. He spent time at Pearl Harbor, advanced to Signalman Third Class, and served aboard or in connection with the USS Curtiss.

His military honors include the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Good Conduct Medal.

But George’s story is also a remarkable love story.

In 1954, he married Josephine Tummillo. Together, they raised four children, and their family has grown to include 14 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

From a 17-year-old Navy sailor to a husband of 72 years, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and beloved family patriarch, George has lived an extraordinary century of service, loyalty, family, and commitment.

Happy 100th Birthday, George Franks—and thank you for your service to our nation! ❤️🇺🇸

Help us make this milestone even more special by signing Mr. Franks’ digital birthday card and leaving him a message of congratulations and gratitude:

🔗 http://www.wwiimemorialfriends.org/birthday-card/george-franks

10/22/2026

🇺🇸 How do you know if an American flag was made in the United States?

Pacific Historic Parks Assistant Buyer Jordahn Rodrigues-Helenihi has five tips for identifying a truly American-made flag.

🔎 Tip #2: Understand what “Made in USA” means.

A truly American-made flag is not just sewn or assembled domestically. The full manufacturing process matters, including where the materials are produced, where the fabric is made, and where the flag is cut, sewn and finished.

The Pacific Historic Parks bookstore sells about 4,000 U.S. flags each year, all made in the USA in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The stars and stripes are flown above the USS Arizona Memorial, including on significant dates such as Veterans Day, Dec. 7, Independence Day and Memorial Day. Custom dates are available for those who want to select a date with personal significance.

Each flag is flown by US military service members and folded before being prepared for sale. Flags include a certificate of authenticity documenting the date flown.

Proceeds support Pacific Historic Parks’ education, preservation and restoration programs at Pearl Harbor and other historic sites across the Pacific.

For more information or to purchase a flag, visit pacifichistoricparksbookstore.org.

📷: US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Rusty Frank/DVIDS

10/22/2026

Pennsylvania resident Frances Hudak, who turned 103 yesterday, has plenty of history to remember, including working as a "Rosie the Riveter" during World War II and casting her first vote in 1944.

Her father, an Italian immigrant and World War I veteran, encouraged her to register to vote because he believed it was an American duty. Frances recalls voting for President Franklin D. Roosevelt in her first election.

During World War II, she joined millions of American women supporting the war effort on the home front, working at Fleetwings Aircraft Co. in Bristol, Pa., before returning to the Washington, Pa., area, where she worked as a bucker on military aircraft.

Wishing Frances a happy 103rd birthday!

Read more: https://www.observer-reporter.com/news/local_news/2026/oct/22/political-trailblazer-south-strabane-woman-who-has-voted-since-44-celebrates-103rd-birthday/

Frances Hudak is among the millions of Americans who have already cast their ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. But it’s far from the South Strabane Township resident’s first ballot. Hudak turned 103 years old on Wednesday, and she voted for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The cente...

10/22/2026

A new USS Arizona is taking shape, 85 years after the Arizona battleship was lost at Pearl Harbor.

The Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarine USS Arizona (SSGN-803) will carry the historic name into the future.

Listen as filmmaker Tim Gray of The World War II Foundation discusses his upcoming documentary, "Surfacing: A New USS Arizona Rises," which explores the connection between the two vessels and the enduring legacy of USS Arizona.

🎬 Save the Date! Pacific Historic Parks and the National Park Service have scheduled a screening of "Surfacing: A New USS Arizona Rises" on Friday, December 4, 2026, at 5 p.m. at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial theater. Stay tuned for additional details!

📷: The World War II Foundation; Julie Thurston Photography; DVIDS; PHP
🎵: Dmitrii Kolesnikov/Pixabay
Reel created by Rebecca Schwab

10/21/2026

US Navy Fireman 1st Class Howard L. Adkins, 22, of Nemours, West Virginia, killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor, was accounted for on Oct. 17, 2025, and buried on Oct. 8, 2026, at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. Members of his family were in attendance.

Howard was aboard battleship USS California, moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941. California sustained multiple torpedo and bomb hits, causing it to catch fire and slowly flood. Howard was one of 103 crewmen killed in the attack.

The remains of those who could not be identified, including Howard, were interred as Unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. In 2018, Defense POW / MIA Accounting Agency personnel exhumed these remains for further study in a laboratory, leading to Howard's identification.

📷: US Navy photos by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Lawrence Whaley

10/21/2026

Wishing a very happy birthday to Pearl Harbor survivor Forrest Stidham, who turns 103 today!

Forrest, who lives in Mason, Ohio, witnessed the beginning of the attack from his barracks on Ford Island and then helped crewmembers escape from USS Arizona. He went on to serve throughout the Pacific Theater as an aerial gunner during World War II.

Watch our interview with Forrest: https://www.pacifichistoricparks.org/oral-histories/forest-stidham

10/21/2026

: On December 8, 1941, just one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, 17-year-old Bill Glennon and a friend enlisted in the US Navy.

Bill became a gunner aboard a PV-1 Ventura patrol bomber, flying dangerous missions over Japanese targets in the Pacific during World War II.

During one mission, his aircraft was shot down, plunging Bill and six fellow crewmen into the frigid waters of the North Pacific, off the coast of Alaska. Bill was the last to escape the sinking plane and helped keep his fellow airmen together as they waited for rescue.

Fortunately, nearby Alaskan villagers spotted the men and came to their rescue, saving all seven crewmen.

Following his rescue and recovery, Bill was sent to the South Pacific to be a gunnery school instructor.

After the war, he returned home and married his sweetheart, Virginia, just a week later. They enjoyed 75 years of marriage and raised three children. Bill went on to a career in education as a teacher and school principal.

Bill, who turned 102 this month, continues to enjoy life surrounded by family and friends: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/15/bill-glennon-wwii-veteran-101/

Longtime Western Springs educator and WWII veteran Bill Glennon is still enjoying life at 101, drinking a daily Manhattan at lunchtime.