The USS Arizona Memorial was dedicated in 1962, and the battlefield site run by the National Park Service since 1980 is world renowned, but it's never been proclaimed by the president or legislated by Congress to be an official national park unit.

That could change if the memorial becomes a national monument under a directive from President Bush, who last month proposed giving Pearl Harbor monument status alongside such landmarks as the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon and Custer Battlefield.

The park service is particularly interested in certain sites receiving monument status on Ford Island, which has been called ground zero for the Dec. 7, 1941 attack.

The president directed Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to assess the "advisability of providing additional recognition or protection" to historic sites at Pearl Harbor and elsewhere in the Pacific that played important roles in World War II.

Frank Hays, Pacific area director for the National Park Service, said national parks usually have "enabling legislation" from Congress or a proclamation by the president that lays out the mission for that particular park.

The Arizona Memorial never received it, but that mission would be spelled out if the Arizona Memorial is declared a national monument.

"We've been focused on telling the Dec. 7, 1941 story," Hays said. "The proclamation may say, tell a little bit broader story about World War II in the Pacific. We don't know for sure, but it will give us that kind of foundation to work from."

The USS Arizona is the final resting place for many of the battleship's 1,177 crewmen who lost their lives in the Japanese attack.

The park service, which has operated the USS Arizona Memorial since 1980 under a cooperative agreement with the Navy, is responsible for the management of the memorial and shoreside visitor center on 11 acres.

The memorial grew out of wartime desire to establish some sort of memorial at Pearl Harbor to honor those who died in the attack. President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved the creation of the memorial in 1958. Its construction was completed in 1961 and the memorial was dedicated in 1962.

Hays said the park service is at the memorial only through an exclusive use agreement with the Navy.

"But that's the only document in existence, really, so we're not an official park unit," Hays said. "So a proclamation, if this monument occurs ... would actually provide that kind of formal designation as a National Park unit."

Although the president's memo suggested "Pearl Harbor" for national monument designation, Hays said the park service, in addition to the Arizona Memorial, is particularly interested in unspecified sites on Ford Island.

Hays said it's too premature to talk about those sites. He added that until there's a confirmed list for inclusion in a possible national monument at Pearl Harbor or even elsewhere in Hawai'i, he doesn't want to rule anything out.

Hays notes the Defense Department also has been tasked with conducting a national monument assessment.

"I don't know what sites they may identify — they may identify other Pearl Harbor sites," Hays said. "It's a work in progress."

Pearl Harbor already is part of a National Historic Landmark District, but national monument status would elevate its recognition and protection.

The non-profit museums that operate alongside the Arizona Memorial — the Battleship Missouri Memorial, the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, and the Pacific Aviation Museum-Pearl Harbor — could have their names forwarded for recognition under a national monument proposal, Hays said.

IN BRIEF

NAVY LIEUTENANT GETS PURPLE HEART

Navy Lt. Dennis J. Riordan, who's based out of Coronado, Calif., but was part of the Philippines effort directed by Special Operations Command Pacific based at Camp Smith, recently was awarded the Purple Heart.

Riordan was wounded when the helicopter he was flying in came under enemy fire on Dec. 17. The "seabee," a member of the Navy's combat construction force, was heading to a Philippine Marine Base to conduct a survey for future facility upgrades. Officials said Riordan was hit by shrapnel in the leg.

According to the Navy, Riordan is the second U.S. servicemember to receive the Purple Heart from Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines.

Army Special Forces Sgt. 1st Class Mark W. Jackson was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart in October 2002. Jackson, 40, and five Filipino soldiers were killed in Zamboanga, Philippines, when a man on a motorcycle set off a homemade bomb at a restaurant.

"A large part of the success of the SEALs is due to the remarkable combat service support brought to bear by seabees, supply clerks, enginemen, gunner's mates and other unsung heroes," said Commodore Thomas L. Brown, the commander of Naval Special Warfare Group One, in presenting the Purple Heart to Riordan.

About a dozen Hawai'i-based troops are currently serving in the Philippines as part of Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines, which is a subordinate unit of Special Operations Command Pacific.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.