PBS will be airing a new documentary, Elvis and The USS Arizona this month.
According to Elvis News Examiner:
This year, Presley will finally get the historical recognition he deserves with a new documentary by the World War II Foundation called Elvis and The USS Arizona. In addition, filmmaker Tim Gray, the president of the foundation, is organizing the creation of a memorial plaque to be displayed in Honolulu to bring awareness to Presley’s role. Funds for the plaque will rely on public donations.
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| Above, the USS Arizona Memorial in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
And from the Always Elvis Fan Club:
Elvis was already heading to Hawaii to film a movie called Blue Hawaii. Col. Parker asked Elvis if he would consider holding a benefit concert at Pearl Harbor to help move the USS Arizona Memorial project forward. Elvis did not hesitate and said “yes” right away. Elvis already had a strong connection to Hawaii and was just coming out of the United States Army himself. The planning commission’s work continued.
On March 25th, 1961 Pearl Harbor’s Bloch Arena, which had hosted the “Battle of the Bands” between the battleships anchored at Pearl Harbor on the evening of December 6th, 1941, was chosen as the location to host the Elvis Presley USS Arizona Memorial benefit concert. The ghosts still echoed in old Bloch Arena from the “Battle of the Bands” on Battleship Row, especially since the entire USS Arizona band died on December 7, 1941, during the attack on battleship row.
The concert was sold out. Even the opening acts before Elvis took the stage (such as Minnie Pearl) had to buy their tickets. It was Elvis’s return to performing and there was no better cause one could imagine.
Airing on PBS stations throughout November check your local PBS listings for dates and times in your area.
The New Mexico (where I live) PBS will be showing it Monday, November 8 at 8:00 PM
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