"Elvis and the USS Arizona" Review

Above, Elvis Presley performs at the USS Arizona Memorial benefit concert in 1961.

Last night, I saw the documentary, Elvis and the USS Arizona on New Mexico PBS. As this year marks 80 years since the Pearl Harbor attack, we will likely be seeing many commemorative programs such as this.

At first, I thought that the online listing was in error as the PBS station I normally watch (5.1) had a program on national parks following two hours of Antiques Roadshow. But there are several PBS stations in New Mexico and I had the find the right one, which I did (5.4). 

Above, an unused ticket recently auctioned.

Elvis and the USS Arizona gave a history of the battleship along with a look at the weeks prior to the December 7, 1941 attack through the letters of Arizona sailor Bill Woodward to his wife. Several women were also featured, for they witnessed the attack as children and also attended the benefit concert at Bloch Arena of Elvis Presley to raise funds for the building of the USS Arizona Memorial in 1961.

As it turned out, Bloch Arena was the venue for a "battle of the battleship bands" on the evening of December 6, 1941. The band from the Arizona participated and all band members were killed during the attack the next morning.

The hour-long program was interesting as movies and stills of the USS Arizona Memorial construction were shown. Bloch Arena as it is today was also shown. Movie footage of Elvis's arrival at Honolulu Airport was shown, which included Minnie Pearl, who was one of the opening acts of the benefit concert.

Above, the memorial wall inside the USS Arizona Memorial. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Over the years, Elvis would pay visits to the memorial whenever he was in Hawaii. 

Elvis and the USS Arizona was well worth a viewing. Check your local PBS listings for future broadcasts.

My grade: A.

Suggested reading: Aloha Elvis by Jerry Hopkins, Bess Press, 2007. The book details Elvis Presley's Hawaii visits from the 1950s to 1970s.