USS Arizona memorial to open outside D-backs’ spring training stadium
Feb 19, 2020, 6:32 AM
A memorial for the USS Arizona will open outside Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the spring training stadium for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies (Photo: D-backs)
(Photo: D-backs)
During 2020 spring training, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies will be paying homage to the USS Arizona.
The USS Arizona Memorial Gardens, a to-scale outline of the ship that was bombed during the Pearl Harbor attacks, will open outside Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Saturday.
The memorial is made of more than 1,500 columns that represent the US forces who were on the ship during the Dec. 7, 1941 attack in which 1,177 sailors aboard the ship were killed.
Columns are lined up in the river outside the stadium. On land, there is an “enclosed relic center” for observers.
At night, the columns will be illuminated.
The opening will come a week after the death of one of the final living USS crew members. Donald Stratton died in his sleep Saturday night at the age of 97, his Facebook page announced.
The memorial will be located near the Home Plate parking lot.
Other spring training additions
Inside, Salt River Fields has a handful of new features for viewers. A new LED scoreboard replaces the 2011 version.
New areas to watch the game or get food include the Bud Light Seltzer Lawn, the Ultra Terrace, the Malibu Bar and Mustache Pretzels.
New food choices include a Philly cheesecake, Nashville hot burger basket and Beyond Meat burger.
