MESA, Ariz. — An important piece of American history has found a permanent home in an East Mesa museum.
A 5-foot piece of the U.S.S. Arizona has been obtained by the Commemorative Air Force Airbase Arizona Museum, next door to Falcon Field Airport.
The artifact was, the museum believes, part of the hull of the ship.
The U.S.S. Arizona was one of seven ships sunk during the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Service invasion against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in December 1941.
Jack Holder, a flight engineer on a Patrol Bomber, was stationed at Pearl Harbor during the attack. Holder and a few other men took cover in a drainage ditch to avoid Japanese planes targeting people on the ground.
“My most vivid memory is, ‘God, please don’t let me die in this ditch.’” Holder recalled while taking part in the unveiling ceremony at the C.A.F. Airbase Arizona Museum.
That day, and the lives lost during the attack, still weigh heavy on Holder’s heart.
“It’s something you never forget.” Holder said, looking back on that day. “And I think it’s something you never forgive for; I certainly haven’t.”
The C.A.F. Airbase Arizona Museum petitioned the Navy for a piece of the U.S.S. Arizona to further the museum’s mission of educating the public on the history and importance of aircraft during times of combat.
“This artifact enables us to give a poignant, visual reference to the significance of the attack,” said Museum Director Bobbie Carleton. “And the importance of the service and sacrifice of Americans who defend our country.”
For now, the artifact, a nearly square piece of metal, rusted after decades of living under the Pacific Ocean, is scarred with the damage telling of the strikes that sunk the battleship and killed 1,102 sailors.
Now, after seven decades, it serves as a reminder of many things: the brutality of war, the undying spirit of the Americans who fought bravely that day and the possibility that two nations, once vicious enemies, can reconcile their differences and become strong allies.
The artifact can be visited in a temporary display at the C.A.F. Airbase Arizona Museum until a permanent display can be constructed.