The film, produced by Tim Gray and narrated by Jim Nantz with Kyle Chandler, will air on public televisions this fall. It recounts the contribution made by the wildly popular performer, Elvis Presley, and his sold-out performance on March 25, 1961, at Bloch Arena on Naval Station Pearl Harbor to raise money to complete the USS Arizona Memorial.
The Elvis Presley benefit raised over $60,000 for the USS Arizona Memorial and brought awareness of the fundraising effort. The memorial was completed and officially dedicated in 1962. Presley would visit the Arizona Memorial every time he performed in Hawaii.
Today, the USS Arizona Memorial is the most visited location in Hawaii, thanks in large part to Elvis Presley.
The mission of the nonprofit World War II Foundation is to tell the personal stories of those who were swept up in the most devastating conflict known to man and make these films accessible for free to students, educators, classrooms and the global public.
(Source: Seapower Magazine)