HONOLULU and PHOENIX, Dec. 10,
2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ford Island Control Tower, the
historic structure that witnessed and withstood the attack on
Pearl Harbor 77 years ago, will
soon be fully restored with a new working elevator thanks to a
generous gift from the Shoen family of U-Haul International.
The announcement came Saturday evening at the Pearl Harbor
Aviation Museum during the annual gala commemorating the events of
Dec. 7, 1941 and the heroism of our
WWII veterans.
Watch U-Haul Chairman Joe
Shoen's video to Pearl
Harbor and WWII veterans: uhaul.com/about/veterans.
Repairs on the tower began in 2010, necessitated by decades of
weather-related deterioration. This gift will allow the public to
visit the tower's upper deck, providing a 360-degree view of
America's first aviation WWII battlefield.
Pearl Harbor attracts about 2
million visitors each year.
U-Haul, founded by a U.S. Navy veteran and his wife as WWII was
nearing an end in 1945, has been recognized repeatedly as a leading
veteran-friendly employer. U-Haul proudly served as the Presenting
Veterans Sponsor at the Pearl Harbor Day 75th anniversary opening
gala in 2016.
"The Ford Island Control Tower remains an iconic symbol of
Pearl Harbor's resolve and the
brave veterans who served there, many whom gave their lives
defending our freedom," stated U-Haul Chairman Joe Shoen, son of company founders L.S. Shoen
and Anna Mary Carty Shoen.
"U-Haul honors our veterans and active military members for
their service and sacrifice. One way we can do this is by helping
to preserve a piece of American WWII history for present and future
generations to appreciate."
Elissa Lines, executive director
of the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum noted the restoration efforts
on the tower will now be completed before September 2020, when the global commemoration of
the 75th anniversary of WWII's conclusion will take place.
"This will be a day that we have all been dreaming about for
many years," Lines said.
The Ford Island Control Tower was a new building when the attack
on Pearl Harbor occurred, and was
not painted until 1942. Today, the brightly striped structure is
centrally located on the base, offering scenic views of the ships
and memorials in the neighboring harbor.
Among those memorials is the U.S.S. Arizona, which holds special
significance to U-Haul and more than 3,800 of its 30,000-plus Team
Members. The industry leader in do-it-yourself moving and
self-storage has been headquartered in Phoenix since 1967.
"The restoration of the Ford Island Control Tower will greatly
contribute to honoring the memory of those lost
at Pearl Harbor and serve as a symbol of America's
resiliency and resolve," said Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. "I thank the Shoen family for their
commitment to preserving this important icon of history and their
dedication to honoring America's veterans."
About the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization. Its mission is to steward America's first
aviation battlefield of World War II sharing the artifacts,
personal stories, the impact and response to the December 7, 1941
attack and the pacific region battles that followed, honoring those
who have defended our freedom so they might educate and inspire
future generations. Contact: 808-441-1000;
Marketing@PearlHarborAviationMuseum.org
About U-Haul of Hawaii,
Inc.
U-Haul of Hawaii, Inc. has
been in operation since 1984, when its first Honolulu store opened. Today, U-Haul serves
the Aloha State with company-owned facilities on Oahu, Maui
and the Big Island, as well as 22 U-Haul neighborhood dealers
across 16 cities. U-Haul soon plans to open a second store on the
Big Island in Hilo, complementing
its 2014 store acquisition in Kailua-Kona. U-Haul offers moving solutions,
including U-Box portable storage containers, for families
relocating between the islands or the mainland. Reach U-Haul of
Hawaii president Kaleo Alau at 808-836-0970.
About U-Haul
Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of
do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 21,000 locations
across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share
24/7 now offers customers access to U-Haul trucks every hour of
every day through the self-service options on their
internet-connected mobile devices. U-Haul customers' patronage has
enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to 161,000 trucks, 118,000
trailers and 42,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly 632,000
rooms and 55.2 million square feet of self-storage space at owned
and managed facilities throughout North
America. U-Haul is the largest installer of permanent
trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry and is the
largest retailer of propane in the U.S. uhaul.com
Contact:
Jeff Lockridge
Sebastien Reyes
E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com
Phone: 602-760-4941
Website: uhaul.com
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SOURCE U-Haul International