Pearl Harbor 75th Anniversary Events In Hawaii

Are you visiting Hawaii on the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor? On December 7, 2016, even if you are not attending the Pearl Harbor 75th Anniversary events in person, there are some live streams available for you to view throughout the commemorations.

With 75 years behind us, 2016 marks a major milestone since the attack on December 7, 1941 that pulled the United States into World War II. This year will also mark the first time a Japanese leader is visiting the site of the attacks on Pearl Harbor. (Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced he will be present at the commemoration.)

Take a look at some of the top Pearl Harbor 75th Anniversary Events.

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Commemoration

7:45 a.m. to 9:15 a.m., Kilo Pier, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam

The National Park Service and the U.S. Navy will co-host the 75th commemoration of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Due to security measures, guests are not permitted to bring handbags, purses, camera bags or other items that offer concealment to the ceremony. However, small personal cameras, cell phones, wallets, and bottled water are allowed. Also, remember to bring a photo ID. If you cannot attend the ceremony at Kilo Pier, a live stream will be available for viewing in the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center theaters (7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.) and online.

Parking Info:

For the general public
Parking for the general public will be available at Aloha Stadium. The Aloha Stadium parking lot will open at 4:00 a.m. Shuttles will start at 4:30 a.m. Access entry into stadium parking through Gate 3 & 4. This gate is located off Salt Lake Blvd. westbound, adjacent to Kamehameha Highway.

To get here, take the H-1 freeway to the H-201 eastbound. Then, take exit 1B and merge onto Kahuapaani Street. Turn right at the traffic light onto Salt Lake Blvd.

For invited guests
Invited guests can park in the vicinity of Kilo Piers on a first-come, first-serve basis. Reserved parking will be available only for Pearl Harbor Survivors/World War II Veterans (PHS/WWII) and Distinguished Visitors (DV) with proper PHS/WWII or DV parking passes found in their invitation. All other invited guests must park in general parking areas near Kilo Piers.

Note: The general public – without invitations or DOD ID – will be required to park at Aloha Stadium and board shuttle buses to the ceremony.

Live Stream Info:
The commemoration ceremony will be live-streamed online through multiple websites and platforms. For more details, click here.

Attack on Hickam Field Ceremony & Reception

7:50 a.m., located at Atterbury Circle, Hickam AFB

The ceremony is held at the same time as the ceremony at Pearl Harbor each year and is open to anyone with ID card access. This event is also open to the media.

Annual Wreath Presentation

8 a.m., located at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii Flagpole

Event details TBA.

Freedom Bell Ringing

11 a.m. to 1 p.m., USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, 11 Arizona Memorial Dr., 96818

Remember the service of loved ones to the United States by ringing the Spirit of Liberty Foundation Freedom Bell at the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park. For additional information about the Spirit of Liberty Foundation and their Freedom Bell, please visit: spiritoflibertyfoundation.com. This event is free and open to the public.

Public Tours of the USCGC Morgenthau

Noon to 4 p.m., located at the Aloha Tower Pier 9, 155 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96813

USCGC Morgenthau, a 378-foot-high endurance cutter, will be moored at Aloha Tower Pier 9. You can experience a free public tour from noon to 4 p.m. Please come by and tour the cutter as well as visit with Coast Guardsmen about what it’s like to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard before viewing the Pearl Harbor Parade.

Additionally, the USCG Silent Drill Team will perform on Pier 9 in front of the Morgenthau at 2 p.m.

75th Anniversary Pearl Harbor Mass Band Performance
Noon to 1 p.m., located at the Battleship Missouri Memorial, 63 Cowpens St., Ford Island, 96818

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, a Mass Band performance will feature more than 1,000 student musicians paying respect and remembering the tragedies of World War II by presenting “A Gift of Music” via international webcast on December 7, 2016. This is one of the most special Pearl Harbor 75th Anniversary events, as you can tune in from anywhere in the world. This event is free and open to the public. Furthermore, visitors who wish to tour the ship must purchase admission.

Fox Sports Pearl Harbor Basketball Invitational

2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Bloch Arena, 200-, 224 A Ave. Honolulu, HI 96818

Using sports as a backdrop, FOX Sports will pay solemn tribute to our nation’s joint military force while enlightening Americans about the world-altering events that occurred here in 1941 on “a date which will live in infamy.” This is a private event, but a live broadcast will be available.

On Wednesday, December 7, FS1 presents live coverage of Seton Hall vs. California at 2 p.m., and then Princeton vs. Hawaii at 4:30 p.m.

USS Oklahoma Memorial Ceremony

1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., USS Oklahoma Memorial, Ford Island

The USS Oklahoma ceremony commemorates the devastating loss of the ship as well as 429 of its crew members. The ship was torpedoed and capsized within just 14 minutes. She also represents the second greatest loss of life of the ships struck at Pearl Harbor. Since the inception of the Memorial on Ford Island, the National Park Service has conducted on every Dec. 7 a special ceremony in the early afternoon of that honored day. The public is permitted to attend by using bus transportation made available from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.

25th Infantry Division Commemoration Ceremony

3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Fort DeRussy Kalia Road, Waikiki, 96815

The 25th Infantry Division Commander will host a commemoration ceremony honoring the men and women of the United States Army serving on Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army Airfield on December 7, 1941.

Double Interment Ceremony

4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., USS Arizona Memorial

The interment ceremony, which takes place at the USS Arizona Memorial, is unique to the U.S. Navy in that the USS Arizona is the only ship that returns the cremated remains of a survivor who found himself aboard that ship on Dec. 7, 1941. Nearly 80 percent of the crew died when the forward magazines exploded and the ship then foundered in less than nine minutes. This special service invites the family members to participate in the ceremony, during which the urn of the survivor is placed in the well of turret No. 4 by National Park Service as well as Navy divers.

This year will be the first time in which two interments — for John Anderson (Boatswain’s Mate, Second Class) and Clarendon Hetrick (Seaman, First Class) — will take place. This is a private event; their families, along with invited guests and dignitaries, will witness this rare commemoration honoring their service and dedication to the U.S. Navy and to the battleship Arizona.

Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade and Public Ceremony

4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Kalakaua Avenue, Waikiki, Ft. DeRussy, Kalakaua Avenue, Kapiolani Park

This parade honors the remaining Pearl Harbor Survivors as the Grand Marshals. This is also one of the most well-known Pearl Harbor 75th Anniversary events, as it honors and recognizes all veterans, active duty military and their families. The parade starts at Ft. DeRussy, then continues along Kalakaua Ave., and ends at Kapiolani Park.

Historic Programs produces this event. Their mission: to ensure no one forgets America’s important history. They preserve our history by educating younger generations about America’s past. This is a free event as well as open to the public.

The History Channel is 2016’s presenting sponsor for the parade. The History Channel is also producing a two-hour special about the Pearl Harbor Survivors coming back for the 75th anniversary.

For more information about the parade, then please visit pearlharborparade.org.