A Beautiful Memorial - The USS Arizona
Looking Back To December 7, 1941 - The Attack On Pearl Harbor
I'm sure that most everyone is familiar with the date December 7, 1941. It is an important date in American history. 74 years ago on December 7, 1941 was the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. This surprise attack lead to America's entry into World War II. Prior to this attack, the United States thought there was a chance that an attack could occur. They felt that moving the Navy fleet into the Pacific to Pearl Harbor would prepare us for any attack that could be inflicted on us. The military all trained on land and on the sea in case of an attack. However, we were not prepared for an attack by air. The Japanese felt that coming in by air would be the best way to almost guarantee a successful attack on America. The Japanese crossed the Pacific ocean without being detected by the American Navy. The morning of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese launched their planes from the aircraft carrier that had brought them across the Pacific. Pearl Harbor detected a plane coming in, but the word was given not to worry. They were expecting planes to come in from California later that day, and they assumed that they were arriving early. When the Japanese arrived and starting bombing Pearl Harbor, there was no time to get planes off the ground to fight back. By time American planes were in the air, the Japanese had already brought on an overwhelming amount of devastation. When the attack was over, there were sunken ships, destroyed aircraft and many victims.
USS Arizona - BB-39
Among the sunken ships was the USS Arizona. On that fateful day, the USS Arizona held a full crew and cargo. The cargo on board was 1,157lbs of armor-piercing bombs. When the Japanese bomb hit the USS Arizona, the ship exploded. With the type of cargo that was on the vessel, one could only imagine the size of the explosion and how loud it was. There were 1,177 crew members that died in the explosion leaving a mere 335 survivors. It was a catastrophic loss.
The USS Arizona Today
In 1962, the USS Arizona was declared a memorial. A platform was built above the vessel allowing visitors to come see the ship and honor those lost on that tragic December day in 1941. Now it is 2015, 74 years later, the ship rests at the bottom of Pearl Harbor with oil and fuel still leaking from it. Inside the ship lays all of those who were lost. It is an underwater grave for them, their final resting place. Some of the survivors have decided that when they pass, they would like to be put back inside the ship to rest with their fellow crew members. A qualified scuba driver will take their remains below the surface and put them inside a crack in the side of the ship. It has been said that when they are placing a crew member in their final resting place inside this crack that it feels as if the crew is pulling them back to be with them.
Our Visit To The USS Arizona Memorial
The visit to the USS Arizona memorial started bright and early in the morning since tickets are first come first serve. My husband's grandma was here for a visit, and we wanted to make sure she was able to get out to the memorial before she went back to the mainland. We got our tickets, and entered the site where there is a museum, gift shop and nice outdoor area that looks over the water to the USS Arizona. We had a little time to walk around before it was time to get over to the memorial, so we took photos. While we were taking photos, the U.S. Navy band started playing. As part of the 74th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the band comes to play every Thursday. It was a treat that we were lucky enough to be there on a Thursday morning. After a short video talking about how the attack on Pearl Harbor happened plus details on the USS Arizona, we took a short ferry ride over to the memorial. What we saw there is decently documented in the gallery of photos above even though it doesn't come close to the actual experience. It was certainly made you think about the events that happened that day, the lives that were lost, those who survived, and the families that were affected by this great loss. Inside the memorial is a wall with a list of everyone who were lost in the explosion of the USS Arizona as well as a list of the survivors. Looking out of the memorial, you can see the vessel below with the sea life that have made it their home. On the surface of the water, you can see the oil that is still leaking from the ship. This is shown in one of the photos in the gallery. In the inside of the memorial, there is an opening that allows you to look directly below to see the ship there too. This is a must see for anyone who lives on the island of Oahu or for anyone visiting.
The Survivors
While I was doing some research to fill in information I had forgotten from the tour, I came across a website that offers information about the men who survived the explosion of the USS Arizona, what they did after the war, etc. It's a very interesting read with photos from then and now. If you're interested in reading more about them, you can follow the link below to see more.