By Becky Maxedon

Content sponsored by Anderson Toyota

On Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. As Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said, it was a day that will live in infamy.

One of the casualties of that day that brought the United States into World War II was the USS Arizona.

And the Marine Corps League Detachment 757 of Lake Havasu City was awarded a piece of that iconic battleship. They broke ground Thursday for the final resting place for the piece at London Bridge Beach.

In addition to the groundbreaking, Anderson Automotive and Power Sports marketing director Andrea Foote presented Bud Watts, past commandant of the Marine Corps League with a check for $50,000.

“Anderson Toyota is proud to announce that we are giving a $50,000 donation to the Marine Corps League. We are super excited about this project,” Foote said.

The location that will be home to the piece of the USS Arizona will be next to the flagpoles at London Bridge Beach where the number one ramada was. The city donated the parcel of land upon which the memorial will be built.

“The city tore down the ramada and moved all the stuff out and then we will get into the process of building the memorial to house the relic that we have that is about a 4-foot by 6-foot piece of the USS Arizona itself,” Watts said.

Watts said the organization received the relic about three years ago following a lengthy process of application.

Watts said the piece was among many removed in the early ‘60s when they built the original memorial which is in Pearl Harbor now.

“There were pieces of that memorial that had to be removed. One, for structural purposes and also to make sure the fittings worked for the memorial that’s there,” he said.

Watt said those pieces were all saved at Pearl Harbor by the Navy and Seabees. Congress, some years ago, authorized the Navy and the Seabees to release those pieces to certain groups who would qualify such as military organizations.

“There is a very complete vetting process you go through to be awarded one of those pieces. We went through that process. Took us almost a year and then in December 2019, they shipped it over to us,” he said.

Watt said what happened next almost put a wrinkle in the plan.

“Funny thing about what happened is that was when the pandemic and everything was going on. It arrived at L.A. Harbor (in San Pedro, Calif.). There were 300 ships out there. We were going ‘where is our piece of the USS Arizona?’

“This is irreplaceable. So, I’m calling all over and talking to many people at L.A. Harbor and finally they gave me the cell phone number of the harbor master. They said if you call him and leave a voice mail, I guarantee he will get back to you.”

Watts said the harbor master was off during the Christmas holidays at that time.

“So, I called and explained what I had and told him we were sweating bullets here and told him what we had. I think it was Jan. 3 or 4, he called me and said, ‘I understand we have a problem finding a piece of the USS Arizona.’

“I said yes, we do, and we need to find it desperately.

“I had all the invoice numbers and shipping documents, and I gave them to him. And about a day and a half later, he called me and he said, ‘Your piece of the USS Arizona is enroute to Lake Havasu City.’”

A piece of the U.S.S Arizona that will be part of a memrial at London Bridge Beach. Photo courtesy Ron Silva

Watt said the piece is in the city maintenance yard. It is kept in a special room called the Arizona Room.

There are only four pieces in Arizona. One is at the University of Arizona, one at the Capital, one at the Salt River Project, and the fourth is at Lake Havasu.

“We’re in the process of raising $500,000 to $700,000. Right now, with this check, we have about $140,000. We’ve received in kind donations where people are able to do major parts of the project for us by dropping a lot off the price tag,” Watts said.

Watts expressed his appreciation to Anderson. “Anderson has been such big a part of our community for so long. …They’ve done so much. They stepped up right away and said how can we help.”

To donate to the project, visit mcllhcdetatchment757.org and click on donations and then USS Arizona Memorial Fund. Checks may be sent to PO Box 311, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403. Make the check payable to the Marine Corps League and in the memo site, write USS Arizona Memorial.