A memorial at the University of Arizona remembers those who died on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Memorial honors lives lost on USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor
Last December, the USS Arizona Mall Memorial was dedicated at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, to help inspire future generations to reflect upon and honor the tragic loss of sailors and Marines killed aboard the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941.
The unique open-space design of the citizen-funded memorial includes a full-scale outline of the deck of the iconic ship as well as 1,177 brass medallions — one for each person killed on the USS Arizona.
Two of those people were from Holyoke — Richard Allen Owens and John Virgel Zeiler.
Each medallion has been inscribed with the sailor or Marine’s home state, rank or rating, and ship’s duties.
The next phase of the memorial is to assemble a short biography and a photo of each person so visitors can learn more.
Organizers are seeking information and photos for Owens and Zeiler.
What were their childhoods like? Why did they enlist? What were their goals in life? Did they know each other before they ended up on the USS Arizona?
To help, contact Bobbie Jo Buel Carter at P.O. Box 134, Tucson, AZ 85702; 520-401-6780; or bjbuelcarter@gmail.com.