World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument

Even today, more than seven decades after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the number of sailors interred in the USS Arizona continues to grow as veterans of the battle have asked in their final wishes to be returned to the ship to spend eternity with their shipmates.

This Memorial Day marks the 50th anniversary of the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. Perhaps surprisingly, the white landmark that straddles the sunken battleship debuted 22 years after the war—on Memorial Day 1962. Here's why it ranks as one of the most moving experiences to be had on National Park Service property.

At Pearl Harbor, the dedication of a new $56 million visitor center highlights today's commemoration of the 69th Anniversary of the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack that plunged America into World War II.

In 1906, the Antiquities Act authorized the president to create national monuments by presidential proclamation. Fifteen presidents serving since then have invoked the Act to protect nationally significant natural and cultural resources.

It's been nearly 67 years since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, yet it still is sharp in many Americans' minds. Spanning nearly all of the Pacific Ocean, World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument preserves and interprets the stories and key events in the Pacific Theater during World War II. A new video sheds some light on the history of those who went down with the USS Arizona.

With fuel prices up, airfares up, and incomes stagnant if not down, is it any surprise that visitation to national parks on the Hawaiian Islands is down quite a bit this year?

The World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument recently proclaimed by President Bush incorporates the USS Arizona Memorial and eight other historic sites in Hawaii, Alaska, and California closely associated with the Pacific Theater of Battle. Adding this Monument to the National Park System helps people appreciate the tremendous geographic scale and complexity of the war and its aftermath.

Did you watch all 15 hours of the Ken Burns mega-series "The War" which wrapped up last night on PBS? I did! Having watched the series, I have wondered, what are the World War II sites managed by the National Park Service? I've come up with this list, with some parks units that you might not expect.