The Japanese aerial assault on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941, lasted about two hours.

The ensuing 67 years have not dimmed its power to move us: More than a million people a year visit the site where America entered World War II, and where its history and destiny changed forever.

At long last, the National Park Service will soon begin construction on a public project worthy of such a history.

The service still hopes to collect about $500,000 to meet its target of $52 million. The investment is a worthy one.

The current USS Arizona Memorial's visitor center and museum, a small, seedy-looking facility slowly sinking into the harbor, will be replaced with a much larger complex.

With more than double the exhibition space, the museum will be able to display many artifacts now held in storage. An education building will serve local students and the community, who have long ceded the place to tourists.

But more important, the new center and museum will allow the broader story of the Pacific War to be told, providing context and a deeper understanding of the history surrounding those fateful two hours. In other words, it will be far more than a place to wait for the shuttle boat to the USS Arizona.

It will prepare visitors, so when they finally arrive at the Arizona and stand over its rusted hulk — and the sailors still entombed there — they can more fully appreciate the significance of the memorial and the meaning of sacrifice.