Top 10 Unbelievable Facts about the USS Arizona Memorial

Top 10 Unbelievable Facts about the USS Arizona Memorial

USS Arizona by Mmxx from Wikimedia Commons

Tragic historical events are always accompanied by stories of bravery and valour. Sometimes it’s just a massive loss. During the attack on Pearl Harbor, one such casualty was the USS Arizona battleship. The USS Arizona was the largest ship in the US Navy’s inventory.

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and damaged the USS Arizona. In 1914-15, the Arizona was constructed in the Brooklyn Naval Yard. It was commissioned on October 17, 1916. The Arizona then joined the battleship Pennsylvania. The Arizona was known as one of the most heavily armed ships in the US Navy at the time.

The Arizona had 22 of the 5 in (22.7 cm) and 12 of the 14 in (25.5 cm) guns. The Arizona was the biggest ship in the world, measuring roughly 608 feet (184.2 meters).

So, what do you need to know about the biggest ship in the world? Read along to find out about the navy battleship USS Arizona.

1. Fuel is still leaking from the Arizona wreck

USS Arizona oil by Famartin from wikimedia commons

On December 6, 1941, Arizona received a full supply of petroleum (almost 1.5 million gallons) in preparation for its anticipated passage to the mainland later that month. The next day, much of it contributed to the explosion and ensuing flames that destroyed the ship when it was attacked by Japanese aircraft. 500,000 gallons of fuel are still slowly pouring out of the ship’s buried wreckage, despite the blazing fire and the ravages of time: Arizona still spills up to 9 quarts of oil into the harbour every day, even 70 years after it was decommissioned. Environmental concerns prompted the National Park Service to launch a series of site studies in the mid-1990s to assess the long-term impacts of the oil spill.

Some experts have warned of a “catastrophic” oil explosion from the debris, which they say would cause considerable damage to the Hawaiian coastline and hamper US Navy operations in the region. The NPS and other government organizations continue to monitor the accident site’s degradation, but are hesitant to conduct substantial repairs or adjustments owing to Arizona’s status as a “war grave.” Indeed, the oil that frequently coats the surface of the water surrounding the ship has given an emotional heaviness to many who visit the monument and is commonly referred to as “tears of the Arizona” or “black tears.”

2. Twenty-three sets of brothers died aboard USS Arizona

USS Arizona whaleboat crew with Battenberg Cup 1931 by U.S. Department of Defense from Wikimedia Commons

On December 7, 1941, there were 37 documented pairs or trios of brothers deployed aboard the USS Arizona. 62 of these 77 men were slain, and 23 sets of brothers were slaughtered. Only one complete set of brothers, Kenneth and Russell Warriner, survived the assault; Kenneth was away at flight school in San Diego on the day of the attack, and Russell was severely injured but recovered. Thomas Augusta Free and his son William Thomas Free, the ship’s sole father-and-son combo, were both killed in combat.

Although family members frequently served on the same ship prior to World War II, US officials moved to discourage the practice following the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, no official rules were put in place, and by the conclusion of the war, hundreds of brothers had fought – and died – together. The five Sullivan brothers of Waterloo, Iowa, for example, joined together after discovering that a comrade, Bill Ball, had perished aboard the USS Arizona; their only condition was that they be sent to the same ship. All five siblings were killed in battle when their light cruiser, USS Juneau, was lost during the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands in November 1942.

3. The attack claimed the lives of the entire crew of the USS Arizona

USS Arizona memorial by Jill DeVito from Wikimedia Commons

The military battleship USS Arizona, which was attacked four times by Japanese aircraft and subsequently destroyed, was responsible for about half of the losses at Pearl Harbor. All 21 members of the Arizona’s band, known as US Navy Band Unit (NBU) 22, were among the 1,177 crewmen killed. When the attack began, the majority of its members were up on deck, prepared to perform music for the daily flag raising ritual. They went quickly to take up positions behind the ship’s gun turret. There has never been a period in American history when an entire military band was killed in combat.

NBU 22 had attended the last round of the annual “Battle of Music” competition involving military bands from US ships stationed at Pearl Harbor the night before the attack. Contrary to popular belief, NBU 22 did not perform, despite having previously qualified for the finals, which were scheduled for December 20, 1941. Following the attack, the unit was unanimously declared the winner of that year’s competition, and the trophy was renamed the USS Arizona Band Trophy.

4. Some former crewmen have chosen to be buried on the USS Arizona

The relationships formed by the crew members of the Arizona have persisted long after the ship was lost on December 7, 1941. Since 1982, the US Navy has permitted survivors of the USS Arizona to be buried among the wreckage of their ship. Following a formal military funeral at the Arizona monument, the cremated ashes are put in an urn before being dumped beneath one of the Arizona’s gun turrets by divers.

More than 30 Arizona crewmen who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor have selected the ship as their ultimate resting place. Crewmembers who served on the ship previous to the assault may have their ashes spread over the crash site, as may those who worked on other boats stationed in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Only 18 of the 355 crewmen who survived the bombing of the USS Arizona are still alive as of November 2011.

5. She served as a filming location

Another fascinating truth about the USS Arizona is that she was used as a filmmaking setting. Pat O’Brien and Gloria Stuart starred in James Cagney’s 1934 picture Here Comes the Navy. Here Comes the Navy was a romantic comedy that was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.

Arizona was one of two filming locations that were subsequently tragically destroyed. The rigid airship USS Macon (ZRS-5) was the other, and it was destroyed in an accident in 1935.

6. Assisted in the Earthquake of 1933

After a terrible earthquake struck Long Beach, California on March 10, 1933, the crew of the USS Arizona pitched in to aid. While moored in San Pedro, she dispatched a shore party to help with patrolling, communications, and the establishment of first aid facilities. In addition, crewmembers distributed food and assisted in the search for refuge for individuals displaced by the earthquake.

7. The USS Arizona Memorial Trophy

In 1986, the Navy established the USS Arizona Memorial Trophy in memory of the USS Arizona and her crewmen who perished. The Navy selects a ship every two years that has achieved the greatest degree of combat readiness. The ship receiving the accolade is chosen by the Chief of Naval Operations. The award is a 3-foot-tall bronze figure of a sailor carrying a miniature replica of the historic warship. The most recent ship to acquire the coveted accolade is the USS Monterey (CG-61).

8. The USS Arizona was named in honour of the country’s newest state

It’s no secret that the USS Arizona was named in honour of the state, but there was a reason why the name was picked at the time it was. The territory of Arizona was admitted to the union as the 48th state on February 14, 1912.

9. Elvis Presley Performed to Raise Funds for the Elvis Presley Memorial

Elvis Presley raised around 10% of the entire cost of the USS Arizona monument. A performance at Pearl Harbor’s Block Arena raised around $50,000. Millions of people visit this memorial each year.

10. Arizona’s Flag Officer was the first casualty of the Pacific War

The USS Arizona’s Rear Admiral, Isaac C. Kidd, died during the Japanese air strike on the ship. He turned out to be the first U.S Navy flag officer killed by enemy fire in the Pacific theatres. He was posthumously awarded the medal of honour.

So, what happened to the USS Arizona? Hundreds of sailors have been laid to rest on the USS Arizona. Following an examination a few months after the incident, the Navy opted to leave them and the ship there. The ship was considered to be a total loss and could not be recovered due to extensive damage.