USS Arizona Commissioned

The USS Arizona was commissioned on this date in 1916.

She was a Pennsylvania Class battleship that had been two years in construction at the time.  She would serve, of course, until December 7, 1941.

Her memorial:

The USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor Hawaii

The raised anchor of  the USS Arizona.

The memorial wall on the USS Arizona memorial listing the crew-members who lost their lives on December 7, 1941.

The crew-members who have chosen to be interred with their shipmates since December 7, 1941.

The USS Arizona.

Oil leaking from the Arizona, the "tears" of the ship.

This is a section of the memorial wall again, which I've posted due to the surprise of noting the name of one of the sailors.

 The oil leaking from the USS Arizona is estimated at the very small amount of five quarts per day.  None the less, the oil streak is clearly visible from the USS Missouri, which is docked some distance away.

 The USS Missouri as viewed from the USS Arizona memorial.

I last saw the USS Arizona memorial in about 1975, when I went to Oahu with my mother.  We went there to visit her Great Aunt Christine, who was born and raised in Hawaii, and who was an eyewitness to the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor.

At that time, the memorial was administered by the U.S. Navy, and those going to view it entered by small vessel through the mouth of Pearl Harbor.  The boat was boarded in Honolulu Harbor.  It was very dignified, and I recall a uniformed sailor was present at all times.

The U.S. Park Service now administers the site, and they do a nice job, particularly with a related facility nearby which commemorates the entire battle.  It remains a moving and somber site.