The USS Arizona Memorial is fully open following the completion of preservation work

Heroes & Survivors of Pearl Harbor

The men and women whose courage defined a generation. Their legacy lives on here.
Behind the casualty counts and battle maps are 2,335 service members and 68 civilians who never left Pearl Harbor, and the tens of thousands more who did — carrying the day with them for the rest of their lives. This collection gathers their stories: Doris Miller manning an anti-aircraft gun he was never trained to fire aboard the USS West Virginia, an act that earned him the Navy Cross; the chaplains and corpsmen who pulled wounded shipmates from burning oil-slicked water; the cooks, mess attendants, and ammunition handlers whose names rarely appear in the official histories but whose actions kept other men alive.

You'll find first-person testimony from the men interred in the USS Arizona Memorial, oral histories from survivors who returned decades later to be laid to rest alongside fallen brothers, and articles on the fallen still entombed within the wreck of the Arizona — a sacred space honored by the U.S. Navy to this day with active-duty rendering of honors as ships pass.

To pay respects in person, reserve tickets to the USS Arizona Memorial before your trip; same-day passes sell out fast in peak season.

Their accounts are presented here unvarnished and in their own words wherever possible, with context drawn from oral histories, ship logs, and family archives. The greatest threat to their legacy is not time — it is forgetting.

Francis Flaherty: Hero of USS Oklahoma

September 03, 2018 ·  
On December 14, 1941, seven days after the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, John Flaherty received a box of Christmas presents from his brother in Hawaii. At about the same time, US Navy officials were confirming that Francis Flaherty, an officer aboard USS Oklahoma (BB-37), had been killed in the attack. This was an […]
Read More

Harry Simoneaux, Pearl Harbor, and the War in the Pacific

August 17, 2018 ·  
To be in charge of damage control during the attack on Pearl Harbor would guarantee witnessing the horrifying scene up close. Harry Simoneaux, a damage control officer aboard the destroyer tender USS Whitney (AD-4), was right in the thick of the attack that morning as he and his fellow crewmen were preparing to attend church […]
Read More

Pearl Harbor Survivor Ed Johann Turns 95

July 10, 2018 ·  
In 1941, one of the greatest tragedies in American history happened at Pearl Harbor, in the Territory of Hawaii, when Japanese airplanes launched a surprise attack on the Navy base on a quiet Sunday morning. Millions were affected by this attack, many of them just teenagers. One of these young men was Ed Johann. Fascinated […]
Read More

Bridge Named in Honor of Donald Stratton

June 12, 2018 ·  
More than 76 years have passed since the attack on Pearl Harbor and we are still finding new and inventive ways to recognize and honor the brave men who survived the Japanese onslaught. Recently, the Colorado General Assembly decided to honor USS Arizona survivor Donald Stratton in an unusual way. In recognition of his living […]
Read More

The Story of Haleiwa Fighter Strip

June 05, 2018 ·  
Prior to the outbreak of war in the Pacific, Haleiwa Fighter Strip on Oahu's North Shore seemed like more of an afterthought than an actual military installation. It served as an emergency landing field, but the strip was unpaved and potentially unfit for most incoming aircraft. As an auxiliary to Wheeler Field at the center […]
Read More

Pearl Harbor Hero Chief Boatswain Edwin Hill

April 12, 2018 ·  
On the morning of December 7, 1941, an aerial striking force of the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, in the US Territory of Hawaii. In the chaos and horror that ensued, there were men who were able to keep their wits and help those around them, putting their own lives […]
Read More

Black History Month: Doris Miller, American Hero

February 06, 2018 ·  
During the attack on Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941, many heroes stepped forward, putting their lives at risk in order to assist their fellow serviceman. Among them was a Cook Third Class named Doris Miller, an African-American sailor who had started his day serving breakfast to the crewmen aboard the USS […]
Read More

Navy Chaplain Awarded Silver Star

December 19, 2017 ·  
The attack on Pearl Harbor produced heroes of all kinds, and not all of them were fighting men. In a ceremony coinciding with the 76th anniversary of the attack, naval chaplain LTJG Aloysius Schmitt received a Silver Star for his selfless acts aboard the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) on Dec. 7, 1941. As a member of […]
Read More

Pearl Harbor Hero Doris Miller Statue Unveiled

December 07, 2017 ·  
Many heroes came out of the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, men who risked their  lives for the sake of their fellow serviceman. Many jumped into the flaming, oil-slicked waters to save the injured. Others refused to leave their posts until everyone was safely off their burning ships. Then there were men like Doris Miller, […]
Read More

A Very Special Birthday Present

November 22, 2017 ·  
What do you get a man who survived one of the most devastating events in United States history, a 97-year-old survivor who’s seen the world change time and time again, for his birthday? At this point, Mickey Ganitch likely doesn’t expect much from his birthdays, but for his 98th, which he celebrated on November 18th, […]
Read More
1 2 3 4 5 … 239

Find a Tour

Popular

Official Passport to Pearl Harbor

Self-Paced Tour

6-8 hours (approx.)
From $99.99
Popular

The Complete Pearl Harbor Tour from Waikiki

Scheduled Tour

10 hours (approx.)
From $199

Get Your Free Oʻahu Visitor’s Guide

Packed with insider tips, must-see sights, and exclusive discounts. Start planning your Oʻahu vacation now.

pearlharbor.org is a non-government site that provides information and assistance to those interested in visiting Pearl Harbor. It is operated by Mauka Tours, LLC a licensed Tour Agency in Hawaii. 
© 2026 Mauka Tours LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of UsePrivacy Policy