Latest news with #USSArizona
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
U.S. Navy announces updates for preservation of Pearl Harbor's USS Arizona
May 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy on Friday announced its plans for a preservation project coordinated with the National Park Service for Pearl Harbor's USS Arizona that includes the removal of its aging mooring platforms. The USS Arizona, a Pennsylvania-class battleship commissioned in 1916, suffered a direct hit from Japanese forces in December 1941 while stationed at Hawaii's Pearl Harbor. It sank within minutes, killing 1,177 of the 1,512 crewmen aboard. The ship is considered a war grave and remains the resting place of around 900 of the sailors and Marines who died during the attack. While the ship will always remain underwater and undisturbed, work is needed to ensure the site -- which now includes a national memorial -- is preserved and to prevent further environmental damage. After the attack, in 1942, mooring platforms were attached to the sunken ship to help with salvage operations of the ship's weapons and equipment to aid in the war effort after the U.S. joined World War II. "What the Pearl Harbor salvors did in the years following the attack and throughout the war was nothing short of miraculous," said Capt. Lee Shannon, the officer in command of the platform removal. "I don't know of any equivalent salvage effort before or since. The sheer magnitude of technical expertise, meticulous planning and grueling work under unprecedented and dangerous conditions, day in and day out, all the way up to the final peace treaty signing 80 years ago, makes me very proud of the Navy and the people of Hawaii." But the mooring platforms were not meant to be permanent and are deteriorating, posing a threat to the ship, the monument built at the site in 1962, and the environment around it. In October 2023, one platform partially collapsed, raising alarms about their structural integrity. Leaving the platforms in place risks damage to the ship's fragile hull, which could cause pieces to break off or shift underwater or pollute the harbor with oil and fuel. After a year of planning and analysis, the Navy has announced that it will install a new temporary mooring system to facilitate the removal of the aging mooring platforms. The temporary mooring system would then also be removed. "Before we are able to start platform removal operations, it is important to establish measures that further enable the safe removal of the platforms from the Arizona by containing the worksite and protecting the environment," said Matthew Englehart, a diving and salvage officer with the U.S. Pacific Fleet. The Navy is expected to begin placing containment buoys and anchors in the waters surrounding the USS Arizona Memorial site May 19 as a precautionary measure and in preparation for the upcoming removal, expected to take place later this year. It was not immediately clear how the preservation work would impact visitors. Some 2 million people visit the site, which is only accessible by boat, each year.
UPI
16-05-2025
- General
- UPI
U.S. Navy announces updates for preservation of Pearl Harbor's USS Arizona
1 of 3 | The USS Arizona is considered a war grave for about 900 of the sailors and Marines who died during the 1941 attack. The USS Arizona Memorial at Ford Island, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, was created in 1962. File Photo by John M. Hageman/U.S. Navy May 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy on Friday announced its plans for a preservation project coordinated with the National Park Service for Pearl Harbor's USS Arizona that includes the removal of its aging mooring platforms. The USS Arizona, a Pennsylvania-class battleship commissioned in 1916, suffered a direct hit from Japanese forces in December 1941 while stationed at Hawaii's Pearl Harbor. It sank within minutes, killing 1,177 of the 1,512 crewmen aboard. The ship is considered a war grave and remains the resting place of around 900 of the sailors and Marines who died during the attack. While the ship will always remain underwater and undisturbed, work is needed to ensure the site -- which now includes a national memorial -- is preserved and to prevent further environmental damage. After the attack, in 1942, mooring platforms were attached to the sunken ship to help with salvage operations of the ship's weapons and equipment to aid in the war effort after the U.S. joined World War II. "What the Pearl Harbor salvors did in the years following the attack and throughout the war was nothing short of miraculous," said Capt. Lee Shannon, the officer in command of the platform removal. "I don't know of any equivalent salvage effort before or since. The sheer magnitude of technical expertise, meticulous planning and grueling work under unprecedented and dangerous conditions, day in and day out, all the way up to the final peace treaty signing 80 years ago, makes me very proud of the Navy and the people of Hawaii." But the mooring platforms were not meant to be permanent and are deteriorating, posing a threat to the ship, the monument built at the site in 1962, and the environment around it. In October 2023, one platform partially collapsed, raising alarms about their structural integrity. Leaving the platforms in place risks damage to the ship's fragile hull, which could cause pieces to break off or shift underwater or pollute the harbor with oil and fuel. After a year of planning and analysis, the Navy has announced that it will install a new temporary mooring system to facilitate the removal of the aging mooring platforms. The temporary mooring system would then also be removed. "Before we are able to start platform removal operations, it is important to establish measures that further enable the safe removal of the platforms from the Arizona by containing the worksite and protecting the environment," said Matthew Englehart, a diving and salvage officer with the U.S. Pacific Fleet. The Navy is expected to begin placing containment buoys and anchors in the waters surrounding the USS Arizona Memorial site May 19 as a precautionary measure and in preparation for the upcoming removal, expected to take place later this year. It was not immediately clear how the preservation work would impact visitors. Some 2 million people visit the site, which is only accessible by boat, each year.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Retired Navy surgeon Cynthia Izuno Macri serves veterans, community
FREDERICK, Md. () — Dr. Cynthia Izuno Macri is a retired U.S. Navy cancer surgeon who not only dedicated herself to serving the country but who has devoted herself to serving her community. Macri is the daughter of a Japanese American parent. Her grandfather, who was a teacher in Hawaii, was interned after the Japanese military bombed USS Arizona, drawing the United States into World War II. 'He was arrested on December 7, 1941, right after Peal Harbor,' Macri explained. 'In fact, he was placed in a prisoner of war camp in Louisiana.' Macri's grandfather was one of 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent forcibly removed from their homes and held by the U.S. War Relocation Authority. After high school, Macri hoped to enlist in the Marines and then study to be a doctor, but the Marine Corps did not offer the option to segue to medical school. 'So I went to the Navy table and got a full scholarship,' Macri recalled. 'I was going to do my four years [in the service] and get out but stayed for 35 years.' Having gone through the process, herself, Macri has devoted time to helping those struggling to make the transition from military to civilian life. 'I started working with homeless veterans in transitional housing in Baltimore,' recalled Macri, who currently volunteers to help veterans in Montgomery County, Md. and Northern Virginia. Macri has a special bond with the Asian American Center of Frederick, a nonprofit organization that assists with health care, housing and job training. 'She gives back to the community,' said Elizabeth Chung, Executive Director. 'Even after retirement she serves as a volunteer doctor in a free clinic.' 'The arms of this organization are open,' Macri offered. 'They welcome everyone here. Being part of this organization makes me feel close to the community.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Let's do something great': Community weighs in as Lodi Unified rolls out early plans for new school
May 8—Lodi Unified School District teachers on Tuesday questioned why preliminary plans for a new campus did not include rooms designed for specific subjects such as art, music and science. Tokay High School science teacher Susan Heberle told the district's board of education that the proposed construction of Samuel M. Gantner School was exciting, and that this was an opportunity for staff to create something extraordinary for students. "Because it's going to be an elementary school, it's okay to put in a science room, or a project room, or even an art room," she said. "Because students need that. It's about looking to the future, something we can do that will help our kids flourish. Maybe if we used (the room) as a role model, we could add it to other schools." District staff presented the new campus' specifications to the board Tuesday, and while the plans proposed outdoor learning areas and "collaboration flex space" to give students more room to work together in smaller groups, there was no mention of rooms where students could play instruments or undertake scientific experiments. The school, to be located on an 11.5-acre site west of GracePoint Church at Vine Street and Westgate Drive, will focus primarily on TK-6 grades, with the possibility of accommodating seventh- and eighth- grade students in the future, if necessary. The school's capacity would be 650 students in TK-6 and 850 students if it were to accommodate seventh- and eighth graders. Preschool through third-grade classes would have about 24 students each, while grades 4-6 would have 30 students in each class. Staff added that the campus' design would prioritize flexible, adaptable spaces; combine mobile furniture with built-in storage; have a sink in every classroom; and include backpack storage needed at all grade levels. "Whether it's including middle school students or not, we want to continue to have these thriving middle school programs," music teacher Mary Guida said. "Tokay is a powerhouse because we have these feeder programs. So we need to make sure we have guaranteed space for every teacher that is going to be on that site." Former board member Ron Heberle said he liked the idea of Gantner becoming a K-8 campus, but only if it's planned well. He said the district should build the school with the intention that 850 students will be attending on day one. "If you're planning a school, you need to plan growth and build for growth," he said. "The population will increase, because Lodi's population is going to increase during the lifespan of the school. Don't build it for what you have now, build it's for what's coming down the road." The school's name was unanimously chosen by the board in 2003 to honor the first Lodian killed in World War II. Gantner was a Lodi High graduate and a young father who was stationed on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor when Japanese forces attacked on Dec. 7, 1941. As planes approached, Gantner raced to his battle station, a 5-inch anti-aircraft gun on the deck. He fired at the attacking planes but was wounded and taken to the ship's hospital. Soon after arriving though, medics noticed he was no longer in the treatment area. He was later seen back at his battle station with his crew, firing at the enemy. An official citation read, in part: "He maintained an effective fire with his gun, in local control, despite heavy casualties on his gun, bomb hits, exploding ammunition on deck, and serious fires, and was killed at his station." He was 21. His remains were buried at the Punch Bowl military cemetery in Hawaii. Board member Sherry Alexander said the district should take Guida's suggestions, as well as Susan Heberle's, into consideration. "A science, music and art, or even a STEAM area would be hugely beneficial," she said. "When we have a chance to do something great, let's do something great."
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Lodi Unified to discuss potential new school
May 3—After years of parents and teachers calling for a new campus to be built in Lodi, a new school has been proposed on the western side of town. The Lodi Unified School District Board of Education will get its first glimpse of the proposed Samuel M. Gantner Elementary School at Vine Street and Westgate Drive on Tuesday. The school, named after the first Lodian killed in World War II, will be located on an 11.5-acre site west of GracePoint Church. According to Tuesday's staff report, the campus will focus primarily on kindergarten-sixth grades, with the possibility of accommodating seventh- and eighth-grade students, if necessary. The school's capacity would be 850 students. Preschool through third-grade classes would have about 24 students each, while grades 4-6 would have 30 students in each class. Last year, district officials told the News-Sentinel that the district's student population had dropped around 10% — from 30,000 to less than 27,000 — in recent years. At that time officials said there were two new school sites ready to develop. One was Gantner and the other site was in North Stockton, west of I-5 in the Spanos Park neighborhood. Superintendent Neil Young said the district works with both county and city officials to anticipate new developments within the district. He says the growth numbers are used to develop the district's long-range plans and to project future student population. Behind the name Gantner was a Lodi High graduate and a young father who was stationed on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor when Japanese forces attacked on Dec. 7, 1941. As planes approached, Gantner raced to his battle station, a 5-inch anti-aircraft gun on the deck. He fired at the attacking planes but was wounded and taken to the ship's hospital. Soon after arriving, medics noticed he was no longer in the treatment area. He was later seen back at his battle station with his crew, firing at the enemy. An official citation read, in part: "He maintained an effective fire with his gun, in local control, despite heavy casualties on his gun, bomb hits, exploding ammunition on deck, and serious fires, and was killed at his station." He was 21. His remains were buried at the Punch Bowl military cemetery in Hawaii. The board unanimously approved naming the campus after Gantner in 2012. A destroyer-class escort named in his honor was launched at the Boston Navy Yard on July 23, 1943. The ship was later decommissioned and sold to China. Tuesday's meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the James Areida Education Support Center, 1305 E. Vine St. The meeting will also be livestreamed on the district's YouTube channel.
