[ghfromaltonbay]

The new Pearl Harbor Visitor Center was dedicated on 2/16/10. The Battleship Missouri is now next to the Arizona Memorial at Ford Island so the beginning and the end of the war are commemorated side by side. The Japanese surrender was signed on the deck of the Missouri in Tokyo Bay on 9/2/45. The exact spot is marked by a bronze plaque on the deck. Inside the Arizona Memorial there are 2 short walls in front of the rear wall where the names of those lost on 12/7/41 are listed. The leftmost short wall contains the names of those who survived on Dec. 7th, but have passed away since. These men wished to be entombed with their comrades, and the names and the dates their ashes were lowered into the Arizona are on this wall. The ranger explained that as of Feb. 2010 there were still 23 survivors of the Arizona still living. Since then, one more name has been added to that wall, and another will be added this Wednesday on the 70th anniversary.