Press Release

The National WWII Museum Commemorates Pearl Harbor Anniversary with Symposium and Tour in Hawaii (2016)

Eight-day tour to feature historic site visits, survivor accounts and exclusive four-part symposium

The symposium, scheduled for December 2, will bring the tour’s featured historians together with Hawai'i Pacific University (HPU) faculty members to set the stage for the site visits to come. All set at the historic Aloha Tower in downtown Honolulu, the day will be filled with engaging lectures divided into four sessions: “Asia Aflame,” “The Road to Pearl Harbor,” “The Dawn of a New Age of Warfare” and “Eyewitnesses to the Attack: A Panel Discussion,” which will focus solely on eyewitness accounts from civilians, military and medical personnel who witnessed the attack. A final Q&A session follows the 45-minute presentation.

“The December 7, 1941 Japanese attack remains a focal point in the Museum’s exhibits and educational programming, figuring prominently in the Arsenal of Democracy galleries scheduled to open next June as well as in this richly layered educational tour,” said Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller, PhD, president and CEO of the Museum. “Pearl Harbor was one of the most decisive moments in world history and we’re honored to continue to commemorate the impactful occasion, along with the men and women who lived through the shocking experience.”

Following the full-day symposium, five days of guided site visits will take guests inside key stages of the Pearl Harbor attacks: the assault on airfields, the assault on harbors and the American response. Tour highlights include access to important historic sites; a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial, a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the attacks and a private, catered dinner on the deck of the USS Missouri, rounding out the experience in the very spot where Japanese surrender papers were signed at the end of the war. Throughout the trip, lectures by esteemed historians from the Museum, HPU and other local authorities on Hawaiian and Asia-Pacific history will give depth to site visits.

Additionally, guests will enjoy exclusive access to a dedicated oral-history collection produced especially for this travel program, including numerous firsthand accounts that will serve as informative vignettes between sessions. Every tour day will also include authentic Polynesian experiences, adding rich cultural context and highlighting what makes these stunning islands so unique.

For a detailed tour itinerary, visit: http://pearl75.org/symposium-tour/.

The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American experience in the war that changed the world—why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today. Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and now designated by Congress as America's National WWII Museum, it celebrates the American Spirit, teamwork, optimism, courage, and sacrifice of the men and women who served on the battlefront and the Home Front. For more information, call 877-813-3329 or 504-528-1944 or visit nationalww2museum.org. Follow us on Twitter at WWIImuseum or on Facebook.