Description of Events

USS Utah Ceremony

• December 6th at 4:30 pm

• USS Utah Memorial

• OPEN to the public

• Visitors must have access to Ford Island (Military or Gov't ID)

The USS Utah Memorial Sunset Ceremony held every year on or around December 7th honors the loss of the USS Utah (AG-16) and 58 of her crew. The USS Utah was the first ship torpedoed in the attack on the Pacific Fleet. Struck by two torpedoes, the ship capsized and sank within 12 minutes.

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony

• December 7th at 7:30 am

• Pearl Harbor National Memorial

• OPEN to the public

• To plan your visit, please see our FAQ page.

On December 7, 1941, just before 8am, a surprise attack on a United States naval base at Pearl Harbor began, killing more than 2,400 Americans. Each year, on this day, Pearl Harbor Survivors, veterans, and visitors from all over the world come together in remembrance and honor. The acts of courage and heroism on that day have shaped the world as we know it. We honor this everlasting legacy now and always.

USS Oklahoma Ceremony

• December 7th at 1:00 pm

• USS Oklahoma Memorial

• OPEN to the public

• Visitors must have access to Ford Island (Military or Gov't ID)

World War II veterans, U.S. and allied service members, friends and family pay tribute to the 429 crew-members of the USS Oklahoma killed Dec. 7, 1941 in the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, during the USS Oklahoma ceremony held every December 7th. The casualties included 415 sailors and 14 Marines, who continued to fight even after the ship was struck by 9 torpedoes, causing it to capsize.  

Blackened Canteen Ceremony

• December 8th at 5:00 pm

• USS Arizona Memorial

• NOT OPEN to the public

• Invitation-only event

On June 20, 1945, during a bombing raid over Shizuoka, Japan, two Army Air Force B-29s collided, killing 23 crewmen. More than 2,000 Shizuoka citizens died as a result of the raid. Local farmer Fukumatsu Ito found a blackened canteen among the wreckage and began an annual ceremony - including a silent prayer and the pouring of bourbon whiskey from the blackened canteen onto the crash site - to honor those killed, both Japanese and American. On the 51st anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, Dr. Hiroya Sugano conducted the first Blackened Canteen Ceremony aboard the USS Arizona Memorial, and it became a tradition that continues today.