Monday, December 7, 2009

68 years ago

This was the scene at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7th, 1941 as the U.S.S. Arizona burned and sank after being bombed by the Japanese in a sneak attack. 1,177 men lost their lives in the cataclysm. The battleship was authorized by Congress in 1913, one year after Arizona was admitted to the Union. She was launched in 1915, sponsored by Esther Ross, daughter of a prominent Arizona pioneer, W.W. Ross of Prescott.



After her sinking, she remained (and does to this day) on the floor of the sea. While the superstructure and turrets were removed, the body of the ship lies silently underwater, now part of the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial.


4 comments:

  1. My wife and I viisited Hawaii some years ago. We didn't get a chance to visit the memorial, but it sure is impressive and a great tribute to those brave men.

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  2. We've not been to Hawaii but the BRD has and visited the memorial.

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  3. Thanks for posting that second picture. It is both remarkable -- and eerie.

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