USS Arizona Memorial Gardens ceremony honors Pearl Harbor victims

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — A breathing flag ceremony at the USS Arizona Memorial Gardens at Salt River honored the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed aboard the USS Arizona during the Pearl Harbor attack 84 years ago.

The USS Arizona casualties account for more than half of the total U.S. military service members killed on Dec. 7, 1941.

Pillars surround the memorial gardens. The taller ones light up around sunset. They represent each life lost. The pillars are positioned to match the exact width and length of the battleship that sank.

Navy veteran Jeremia Mueller paid his respects to the fallen who never expected to go under attack on what started as a peaceful Sunday morning.

“Bright and early in the morning. They were getting ready for a church service on a Sunday just like today,” Mueller said.

He brings his family to the memorial every year. As he tells his children about the remnants of the USS Arizona houseboat recovered years after the attack, he hopes the bravery and sacrifice will forever be remembered.

“We know they’re continuing to stand watch where they lie and we honor and remember them,” Mueller said.

The memorial gardens grounds are free and open to the public from dawn to dusk.

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