Natural Resources Canada's CanmetMATERIALS laboratory in Hamilton will produce an important part of the new USS Arizona Medal of Freedom to honour the officers and crewmen who lost their lives when the USS Arizona was bombed during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
On December 7, 1941, the USS Arizona was bombed and subsequently sank, killing 1,177 officers and crewmen, including five Canadians. Fire Controlman Third Class Lauren Fay Bruner was the second-to-last crewman to escape the ship. In 2015, he established the Lauren F. Bruner USS Arizona Memorial Foundation to preserve the history and memory of the Arizona's crew. As part of this legacy, his plans included establishing a USS Arizona Medal of Freedom, using actual steel that he and other survivors received from the wreck of Arizona from Navy commands at Pearl Harbor
CanmetMATERIALS was approached by the Foundation to help produce the USS Arizona Medal of Freedom by laser cutting a stylized "A" on the front of the 'sacred steel'. For this project, CanmetMATERIALS will roll 140 kilograms of steel taken from the salvaged superstructure of the Arizona, down to 1/16" thickness, which will then be shipped back to the US to be welded onto the Medal of Freedom's front face.
Once completed, the medals will be available in February for purchase online in by Americans and Canadians. Proceeds will be used to create hand-drawn portraits and biographies of each crew member, including the five Canadians, as a lasting legacy to honour the officers and crew members who sacrificed their lives.
CanmetMATERIALS laboratory was created in 1942 to assist Canada in its war effort and has since worked on important issues including tank tracks in the 1940s, to nuclear reactor components in the 1950s, to reducing emissions today.
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Quotes
"Natural Resources Canada is pleased to play a role in the production of the USS Arizona Medal of Freedom, to help preserve the memory of those who lost their lives on December 7, 1941, including fellow Canadians."
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Natural Resources
"The attack on Pearl Harbor was a pivotal moment during the Second World War, and while the losses suffered by our American neighbours are well-documented, we can too easily forget that five Canadians were killed that day, as well. These Medals of Freedom will help ensure that their names live on, and I'm grateful to the team at CanmetMATERIALS for the work they're doing in helping to honour all those who gave their lives at Pearl Harbor."
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay
Minister of Veterans Affairs
"Through the help of CanmetMATERIALS, the five Canadian USS Arizona heroes of World War II will be honored and their memory shared with future generations in both countries. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Lauren F. Bruner USS Arizona Memorial Foundation, we wish to express our sincere appreciation to Natural Resources Canada and CanmetMATERIALS for helping to honor true Canadian and American heroes for future generations."
Ed McGrath
Executive Director, USS Arizona Memorial Foundation
Quick facts
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CanmetMATERIALS is the largest research centre in Canada dedicated to fabricating, processing and evaluating metals and materials. Scientific and technical staff in Hamilton and Calgary research and develop materials solutions for Canadian industry in the energy, transportation and metal-manufacturing sectors.
