NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Foundation Document Overview

World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument

Pearl Harbor, Hawai‘i 

Contact Information

For more information about the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument Foundation Document, 

contact: valr_superintendent@nps.gov or (808) 422-3399 or write to: 

Superintendent, World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, 1845 Wasp Blvd. #176 Honolulu, HI 968180
Purpose

World War II Valor in the Paci

National Monument, Pearl Harbor a

its partners preserve, interpret, and 

commemorate the history of World War 

II in the Pacific from the events leading 

to the December 7, 1941, attack on 

Oahu, to peace and reconciliation.

DoD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Barker, U.S. Navy.

Significance

Significance statements express why World War II Valor in 

the Pacific National Monument resources and values are 

important enough to merit national park unit designation. 

Statements of significance describe why an area is important 

within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context. 

These statements are linked to the purpose of the park 

unit, and are supported by data, research, and consensus. 

Significance statements describe the distinctive nature of the 

park and inform management decisions, focusing efforts on 

preserving and protecting the most important resources and 

values of the park unit.

•	Japan Attacks Oahu. World War II Valor in the Pacific 

National Monument, Pearl Harbor interprets and preserves 

sites and artifacts of the December 7, 1941, Japanese military 

attack on Oahu, which killed more than 2,300 military and 

civilian personnel, and compelled the United States’ entry 

into World War II.

•	 Pacific War Oahu. World War II Valor in the Pacific 

National Monument, Pearl Harbor works collaboratively to 

preserve the historic settings of Oahu’s strategic land, air, 

and sea commands that were crucial to the Pacific War effort.

•	 Remember the Sacrifices. Pearl Harbor serves as a focal 

point to honor and commemorate the sacrifices made during 

the Pacific War.

•	 Final Resting Place. Pearl Harbor is the final resting place 

of hundreds of crew members of the USS Arizona and USS 

Utah who made the ultimate sacrifice in the greatest loss of 

life during a single event in US Naval history. The National 

Park Service and the US Navy continue to honor WWII 

veterans through ceremonial and stewardship activities.

•	 Portal to the Pacific War Story. World War II Valor in the 

Pacific National Monument, Pearl Harbor serves as a portal 

to the Pacific War story, from its epic land, air, and sea battles 

to the violations of human rights and the long-lasting impacts 

of the war.

•	 Enduring Peace. The meaningful setting of Pearl Harbor 

provides unique opportunities for reconciliation among 

former Pacific War combatants. The memorials serve as 

icons of enduring peace and reminders of the healing that is 

still ongoing.
Fundamental Resources and Values

Fundamental resources and values are those features, systems, 

processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or 

other attributes determined to merit primary consideration 

during planning and management processes because they are 

essential to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining 

its significance.

•	 Historic Structures of Battleship Row. The shipwrecks; 

submerged resources; mooring quays F6 North and South, 

F7 North and South, and F8 North and South; the six 

Chief Petty Officer Bungalows; and other historic and 

archeological sites are tangible features of Battleship Row 

and the Pearl Harbor environs.

•	 The USS Arizona, the USS Utah, and the USS 

Oklahoma Memorials. The memorials provide 

opportunities for people to commemorate, remember, and 

understand the events and sacrifices of December 7, 1941, 

and the Pacific War.

•	 Physical Record. The original objects, records, manuscripts, 

photos, and oral histories that document the events of the 

Pacific War, including the buildup to war and its aftermath.

•	 Knowledge and Understanding of the Pacific War 

during WWII. The first-hand narratives from those 

who lived the story; evidence of the social, political, 

and economic impacts of the war; and ongoing research 

conducted at the monument contribute to site stewardship, 

protection of resources, and communicating the story.

•	 Ability to Reach People with an Authentic and Relevant 

Story of the Pacific War. World War II Valor in the Pacific 

National Monument, Pearl Harbor is an internationally 

recognized, accessible, and highly visited site that reaches 

many people through its exhibits, commemorative and 

ceremonial events, public programs, and guided boat tours 

to the USS Arizona Memorial.

•	 Sense of Place. Physical access to the Pearl Harbor 

National Historic Landmark landscape, artifacts, and 

remnants of the war inspire visitors to form their own 

meaningful connections with the Pacific War story and the 

sacrifices that were made.

Interpretive Themes

Interpretive themes are often described as the key stories 

or concepts that visitors should understand after visiting 

a park—they define the most important ideas or concepts 

communicated to visitors about a park unit. Themes are 

derived from—and should reflect—park purpose, significance, 

resources, and values. The set of interpretive themes is complete 

when it provides the structure necessary for park staff to 

develop opportunities for visitors to explore and relate to all of 

the park significances and fundamental resources and values. 

•	The diverse and complex impacts of World War II on the 

people of the Pacific shaped and transformed ways of life.

•	The memorials constitute places of remembrance and 

contemplation of the nature of war and the sacrifices of 

those who lost their lives during the Pacific War.

•	The devastating surprise attack on Oahu compelled the 

United States into an unprecedented world conflict no one 

was quite ready for, galvanizing all sides for a long, cruel war.

•	The war in the Pacific challenged the resolve, ingenuity, 

and moral compass of every citizen and soldier. The 

events deeply changed the world socially, geopolitically, 

environmentally, and militarily.

•	 Emerging from the destruction of the war, the world is still 

struggling to find new meanings of trust, respect, and peace 

for the future.
Description

World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, Pearl 

Harbor is located in Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, on the 

island of Oahu in the State of Hawai‘i. The Pearl Harbor area 

was designated a national historic landmark in 1964 for its 

strategic importance related to the United States’ annexation 

of Hawaii, and for the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack 

during World War II. Within close proximity to downtown 

Honolulu and the resort area of Waikiki, the Pearl Harbor site 

is the most visited destination on Oahu. 

Pearl Harbor is one of three locations where sites associated 

with the Pacific War were designated as part of the World War 

II Valor in the Pacific National Monument to commemorate the 

heroic sacrifices made in the cause of democracy and freedom 

during World War II. The monument also includes sites on the 

Aleutian Islands in Alaska and in Newell, California (Tule Lake 

Unit). The three locations are managed separately, but together 

tell the broader story of the Pacific War. 

The role of the National Park Service at Pearl Harbor has 

evolved over time. In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower 

approved legislation for the establishment of the USS Arizona

Memorial to commemorate military personnel killed in the 

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The USS Arizona Memorial 

was constructed over the hull of the sunken USS Arizona, 

and dedicated by the Pacific War Memorial Commission in 

1962. Visitation and management of the memorial was the 

responsibility of the US Navy until 1980, when operations 

were turned over to the National Park Service through an 

agreement with the US Navy. 

On December 5, 2008, an Executive Order establishing World 

War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument expanded the 

NPS mission and directed the National Park Service to manage 

the following sites at Pearl Harbor: the USS Arizona Memorial 

and Visitor Center (now referred to as the Pearl Harbor 

visitor center); the USS Utah and USS Oklahoma memorials 

(although not the shipwrecks themselves); six Chief Petty Officer 

Bungalows on Ford Island; and mooring quays F6 North and 

South, F7 North and South, and F8 North and South (part of 

Battleship Row). 

Central to the NPS mission at Pearl Harbor is memorializing 

those who fell during the December 7, 1941, attack on Oahu. 

The USS Arizona Memorial honors the 1,177 crewmen who died 

as a result of the attack. The hull is both a tomb for more than 

900 sailors who remain within and also serves as an artificial reef 

providing habitat for marine life. The USS Oklahoma Memorial 

honors 429 sailors who died when the ship capsized. The USS 

Utah Memorial, with its visible hull nearby, commemorates its 58 

dead. Although not within the monument boundaries, both the 

USS Arizona and USS Utah shipwrecks are designated national 

historic landmarks located in Pearl Harbor. 

The recently expanded and renovated Pearl Harbor visitor 

center offers excellent opportunities to learn about the Pacific 

War and the December 7, 1941, attack on Oahu. From this 

area visitors are able to access to other Pearl Harbor Historic 

Sites such as the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, the 

Battleship Missouri Memorial, and the Pacific Aviation Museum.