^
A PICTORIAL HISTORY™^ ir"
,
The author
is
grateful to the following individuals and organizations for their help and cooperation
in
preparing
this publication:
Arizona Memorial Museum Association George Bacon Branch 46, Fleet Reserve Association Camera Hawaii CINCPACFLT Boat House Department of the Navy, Office of Information, Washington, D.C. '' Hawaii Army Museum Hawaii State Archives Kamaaina Graphics Fred
Kukonu Maizman
Irwin C.
National Archives, Washington, D.C. National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific National Park Service
OICC - MID-PAC Harbor Naval Base Library Harbor Naval Shipyard Photo Lab Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Aloha Chapter Pearl Pearl
Public Affairs Office Public Affairs Office Public Affairs Office Public Affairs Office
— — —
CINCPACFLT
COMFOURTEEN Hickam AFB Kaneohe MCAS
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard George's Episcopal Church Submarine Base Museum, Pearl Harbor University of Hawaii Archives VC-1 Photo Lab, Barbers Point NAS
Public Affairs Office
St.
"REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR
-
KEEP AMERICA ALERT”
These words, the motto of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, were the battle cry that awakened and united our country after that "Day of Infamy," Sunday morning, December 7, 1941. On behalf of the Pearl Harbor heartily endorse this publication for vividly presenting the historical record of Pearl Survivors Association, Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial so that all who read it may keep alive in their hearts the spirit and intent of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association to "REMEMBER PEAR L HARBOR - KEEP AMERICA ALERT." I
H. F. Garbuschewski
Past Hawaii State Chairman Peart
Harbor Survivors Assoc.
Copyright ©1977, 1978 First Revised Edition
©1979*Second
Revised Edition
©1981
‘Third Revised Edition
Pacific Basin Enterprises ‘All rights reserved
©1986
PEARL HARBOR and the
USS ARIZONA
MEMORIAL: A PICTORIAL HISTORY*
Complied, Written, and Edited by;
Richard A. Wisniewski
Designed and Arranged
by:
Herbert Goeas Printed
in
Honolulu, Hawaii by: Pacific Printing
&
Publishing, Inc.
Published & Distributed by: Pacific Basin Enterprises P.O. Box 8924
Honolulu, Hawaii 96830
Table of Contents Introduction
page
3
Dedication
page
4
page
5
Chapter
1
—
Pearl
Chapter
2
—
l\\e ^aXX\esW\'p
Chapter
3
—
"Operation Hawaii"
Chapter
4
—
Aftermath of the Attack
page 37
Chapter
5
—
Salvage Operations
page 39
Chapter
6
—
The War Years
page 43
Chapter
7
—
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
page 53
Chapter
8
—
USS Arizona Memorial
page 55
Chapter
9
—
Scale Models of the t/SSAr/zo/ta
page 61
Chapter 10
—
Visitor Center and
Harbor Prior to December
USS Arizona
—
7,
1941
(BB-39)
page 15
The Japanese Attack
page 19
Museum Complex
Selected Bibliography
page 63 inside
-
2
-
back cover
Introduction
While countless pages have been written about Pearl Harbor, most of those pages have December 7, 1941 attack itself and the events immediately preceding and following that historic "Day of Infamy." This publication, while also presenting those elements of the attack, tries to give the reader a broader, pictorial perspective of Pearl Harbor, the battleship USS Arizona (BB-39), and the resulting memorial and its shoresidesupport facilities. As the drawing above indicates, the gleaming white, 184-foot USS Arizona Memorial spans the remains of the sunken battleship without actually touching any part of it. Built more than twenty years after the attack, the memorial had the untiring support of numerous patriotic groups and individuals who persisted against great odds to honor their deceased comrades. The memorial has become a tribute, not only to the deceased crewmen of the USS Arizona, but to all military and civilian personnel who were killed on December 7, 1941. Finally, the memorial serves as a constant reminder to all Americans that a catastrophe such as the Pearl Harbor attack must not happen again!
dealt with the
THE AUTHOR
-
3
-
V
FLEET
This book Working with
is
RESERVE ASSN.
respectfully dedicated to the entire
membership of the
Fleet Reserve Association.
Harbor Honolulu Branch 46, the Fleet Reserve Association has, since 1964, continuously worked at making improvements to the USS Arizona Memorial and the visitor accommodations at the memorial landing. The membership of the entire association feels very strongly that Pearl Harbor continues to be a cherished part of our naval heritage. Pearl
-
4
-
Chapter
1
Pearl Harbor Prior to
December?, 1941
Unidentified U.S. Warship in Honolulu Harbor in the Late 1890's
Hawaii State Archives
When
Captain James Cook discovered the Hawaiian Islands 1778, the natives called the Pearl Harbor area "Wai Momi,” meaning “Water of Pearl." The name was derived from the fact that pearl oysters were found in the harbor. Pearl divers believed that a benevolent shark goddess protected the waters. Because a coral bar blocked the entrance, the Pearl Harbor area was not considered a suitable port site in those early days. The U.S. Navy's first contact with Hawaii came in 1826 when the schooner USS Dolphin visited the islands. While surveying the Pearl Harbor estuary in 1840, an observant Navy lieutenant named Charles Wilkes calculated that the obstructing coral bar could be blasted away to allow deep-draft ships to enter the harbor. In 1887, the United States obtained exclusive rights to Pearl Harbor through an amendment attached to a revised reciprocity treaty which continued to allow Hawaiian sugar to enter the United States duty-free. Although a naval vessel made a survey of the harbor in the spring of 1888, the United States didn't take advantage of its right to use Pearl Harbor and nothing was done to remove the coral bar until after the turn of the century. in
Raising the American Flag Over
The Spanish-American War strategic
(1898) quickly brought the importance of the Hawaiian Islands to the attention of
American public. In order to hold the Philippines after Dewey's capture of Manila, the United States needed a perma-
the
nent way station in the Pacific. Opposition to annexing the Hawaiian Islands quickly melted, and the islands' defensive value finally brought about annexation in August of 1898. Two American warships in Honolulu Harbor, the Philadelphia and the Mohican, sent several detachments of troops ashore to attend the formal annexation ceremonies and to assure an orderly transition.
Yet for
prepare the islands as
USS Boston in
Hawaii State Archives
During Annexation Ceremonies (August 12, 1898) lolani Palace
(Left) and Other Vessels Honolulu Harbor About 1898
several years thereafter, little
was done to
a fortress.
Hawaii State Archives
-
5
-
Dredging the Pearl Harbor Channel in the Early 1900's
Rear Admiral Corwin P. Reese and His Staff at the Hoisting of the Admiral's Flag at the Honolulu Naval Station in 1909
Hawaii State Archives
Hawaii State Archives
McKinley set aside Honolulu and elsewhere on Oahu
Prior to the turn of the century. President several large pieces of land in
for use by the
Army
concentrating
all
and the Navy with the specific intention of important naval and military installations on the island of Oahu. In May of 1899, the Naval Coal Depot at Honolulu, later renamed the Honolulu Naval Station, was commissioned and construction began on two piers adjacent to Honolulu Harbor. In 1902 and succeeding years, a channel into Pearl Harbor was dredged, further deepened, widened, and straightened to a depth of thirty-five feet and a width of some 600 feet. Large numbers of naval ships began visiting the islands, such as the sixteen-ship formation of the "Great White Fleet" which jammed Honolulu Harbor in December of 1903.
Map of Pearl Harbor and Attempting to Decide on How Best to Spend the More Than $10 million Appropriated by Congress in the Early 1900's a
Pearl
Harbor
in
1908
Official
Navy Photo
-
6
-
USS California (Armored Cruiser 6) Entering Pearl Harbor
in
Official
Navy Photo
1911
Congress didn't officially authorize the creation of
a naval
base at Pearl Harbor until 1908. In mid-December of 1911, the armored cruiser USS California became the first large ship to enter the newly-dredged channel and anchor off the Pearl Harbor Naval Station. In 1913, the admiral and his staff moved to a new administration building at Pearl Harbor. The Marines,
who
arrived in Hawaii in
1903 on
a
permanent
basis,
moved
to
the newly-constructed Marine Barracks at Pearl Harbor in 1914.
The Submarine in
Mortars on the Slopes of Diamond Head at Fort Ruger, c. 1906.
F- 1 (SS-20) Operating Hawaiian Waters About 1914
Hawaii State Archives
on the outskirts of Honolulu near Pearl Harbor. In Oahu, Schofield Barracks (1909) housed artillery, cavalry, and infantry units. Through the years, it expanded to cover over 14,000 acres, making it the nation's largest Army post at that time. Initially, Hawaii was part of the Military Department of California. But in February of 1913, Hawaii's Army units were combined into the Hawaiian Department, subordinate only to the War Department in Washington. (1907)
Honolulu and Pearl Harbor, a chain of up along the south shore of Oahu: Fort Armstrong at the entrance to Honolulu Harbor (1907); Fort DeRussy at Waikiki (1908); Fort Ruger at Diamond Head (1909); and Forts Kamehameha and Weaver to guard the entrance to Pearl Harbor (1913). In addition, the Army moved its headquarters from a temporary location in Kapiolani Park near Diamond Head to a permanent location at Fort Shafter protect
Navy Photo
Hawaii State Archieves
Fort Armstrong Near Honolulu Harbor
To
Official
both
fortifications sprang
-
central
7
-
cause according to legend, there once were coral caves under the site in which the great "Shark God of the South Seas" lived. Nevertheless, work progressed on the dry dock. Two attempts to empty the dry dock failed, and additional work had to be performed. On the third attempt, the dry dock collapsed in the afternoon of February 17, 1913. The natives declared that the shark god was angered. "Seismic disturbances" countered the construction engineers. While top engineers devised a new method to reinforce the dry dock with sixteen feet of concrete (twice the previous amount), native Hawaiians summoned a female /r a/7 t/na (priest or expert) to appease the angry shark god. This time, the dry dock held and it was formally opened on August 21, 1919. By 1921, the Navy had spent more than $40 million in Hawaii, nearly all of it at Pearl Harbor.
Recovered F-4 Submarine in Dry in Honolulu Harbor (1915)
Hawaii State Archives
Dock in its
The first submarines arrived in Hawaiian waters in 1914, and March of the following year, the United States Navy suffered first submarine disaster when the F-4, maneuvering with its
off Honolulu Harbor, failed to surface after a dive. It sank to a depth of 305 feet, claiming all twenty-one men aboard. Although the submarine was eventually salvaged, only four of the fifteen bodies that were recovered could be identified. A huge, gaping hole in the submarine's hull indicated that either an explosion or a collision had caused the disaster. In 1920, the submarines moved to the newly-established Submarine Base at Pearl Harbor. flotilla
German Gunboat Geier Burning in
Her Slip
in
Hawaii State Archives
1917
When World War
I
raged
in
Europe,
a
number
of
German
and merchant ships sought refuge in the neutral waters of Honolulu Harbor during the latter part of 1914. Hunted relentlessly, they had been driven from their Pacific bases by the combined fleets of the Japanese and British Navies operating in the Pacific. Faced with an ultimatum of either leaving Hawaii or being interned by the United States government, many of these German ships chose the latter alternative and remained
naval
in
Collapsed Dry Dock at Pearl Harbor (February 18, 1913)
Official
Hawaii's ports for nearly three years.
Navy Photo
German
Sailors Being
Taken to the
Hawaii State Archives
U.S. Immigration Station (1917) in 1917, the crews of the interned ships crippled their by setting fires, damaging boilers and machinery, smashing pipes and valves, and throwing instruments and logs overboard. After the United States declared war on Germany in April of 1917, the German crews were moved to the U.S. Immigration Station in Honolulu. Soon thereafter, they were sent to the mainland for internment. The damaged ships were repaired either in Honolulu or on the mainland. Most of them were later placed in the American merchant service with new names while the gunboat Geier and the collier Locksun joined the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor, with the Geier becoming the
Early
vessels
Formal Opening of the Pearl Harbor Dry Dock (#1 on August 21, 1919
Official
Navy Photo
)
In
October of 1909, construction began on the first dry dock Many natives in the vicinity were horrified be-
second-class cruiser Carl Schurz.
at Pearl Harbor.
-
8
-
Bird's-Eye View of the Pearl Harbor Naval Station Coaling Plant Taken
From Radio Tower #1 (August
Official
View of the Seaplane Station Southern Tip of Ford Island (March 5, 1926)
Navy Photo
Aerial
18, 1919)
demonstrated the adaptability of aircraft to a World War wide variety of weather conditions and terrain. Following the war, aviation advances began moving ahead, and Hawaii was not to be left out. Most of the pioneering aviation efforts in Hawaii fell upon the Army and the Navy. In 1917, the United States government purchased Ford Island in the middle of Pearl Harbor for joint use by the Army and the Navy. The island's low
made
it
easily accessible for seaplanes.
In
Between 1919 and 1921, Army and Navy seaplanes repeatedset new distance and endurance records flying between the islands as they studied various facilities and flying conditions. Aerial photographs began appearing in local newspapers revealing the unknown beauty of remote island places. The continued successes of the military pilots meant that commercial aviation was just around the corner. Small private planes began making their appearances, and the first commercial flying school opened in 1921. In 1922, Army squadrons moved to in Honolulu Wheeler Field near Schofield Barracks in central Oahu. ly
1919, the
Ford Island Air Station became Luke Field in memory of Lt. Frank Luke, Jr., an Army flier. In less than three weeks at the front in World War I, he brought down eighteen enemy planes. He was killed behind enemy fines after his plane had been
Panoramic View of the Navy Yard and Dry Dock #1 Looking East — July 8, 1920 (To the Left are the Battleships M/c/7/gan and South Carolina at 1010 Wharf and the Kansas Moored at Buoy #3.)
The
Pearl Harbor Naval Hospital
at Hospital Point
Navy Photo
forced down.
I
shoreline
Official
at the
Official
Navy Photo
Aerial
View of the Submarine Base Harbor in April of 1925
at Pearl
(1921)
-
9
-
Official
Official
Navy Photo
Navy Photo
View of Honolulu's Waterfront With Ships of
the Battle Fleet at
As Japan emerged into the twentieth century as a modern and military power, the United States changed its naval policy and began keeping a major portion of its fleet in the Pacific Ocean. Pearl Harbor thus became home for much of the Pacific Fleet. During the spring and summer of 1925, Pearl Harbor and the island of Oahu became the focal point for the largest joint maneuvers ever staged by the Army and the Navy. industrial
Commander John Rodgers and Crew^ After Their Rescue September, 1925
Hawaii State Archives
His
in
Anchor Offshore
in
the Mid-1920's
Practically the entire
Official
American
fleet
—
Navy Photo
eleven battleships, ten
light cruisers, sixty destroyers, eighteen
submarines, and various other support vessels (137 in all) manned by some 45,000 officers and men — swept down on Oahu for war games and amphibious-assault practice landings. At the height of the war games, a line of warships extended offshore all the way from Waikiki to Ewa Beach.
The PN9-1 Airborne Again September 22, 1925
in
National Archives
Hawaii,
August of 1925, the U.S. Navy attempted a nonstop from the West Coast of California to Hawaii, a distance of approximately 2,100 nautical miles. Since such a flight had never been attempted before, the Navy stationed ten guard
seaplane, the crew members of the downed craft made crude sails, rigged a primitive method of steering, caught rainwater
vessels along the flight path at 200-mile intervals to aid in navi-
Hawaiian
In
While the Navy conducted
late
flight
and rescue efforts. In addition, several of the guard Hawaii carried aviation fuel. Of the three seaplanes scheduled to attempt the historic flight, only one managed to get to Hawaii; and it did so in a most unusual way. Led by Commander John Rodgers, the PN9-1 averaged less than 70 knots and it ran out of fuel some 450 miles from Hawaii. Once the engines quit, so did the wind generator which ran the radio. Off course and without communications, the seaplane drifted helplessly at sea and nobody knew exactly where. gation
vessels near
1
Left to
right, Lt.
the
Byron
crew members J.
Connell,
are:
Pilot;
Otis
G.
Stantz,
Commander John
Rodgers; Kiles R. Pope, Chief Aviation Pilot and Chief MaMate; and William H. Bowlin, Mechanic.
chinist's
search for the missing
and attempted to "sail" their seaplane to the On the eleventh day of their seafaring odyssey, the submarine R-4 spotted the PN9-1 only fifteen miles off the coast of Kauai and subsequently towed it into Nawiliwili Harbor. From Kauai, the disabled seaplane was taken to Pearl Harbor on the fantail of the USS Pelican. At Pearl Harbor, workmen hurriedly rebuilt the PN9-1, and on September 19 it was airborne again over Honolulu, giving the Navy some muchfor
drinking,
Islands.
deserved publicity.
To
the
of Rodgers' historic occurred more than a year and a half before Charles A. Lindbergh's nonstop transatlantic flight of 1927. In Hawaii, Rodgers' flight Inspired a drive for flight,
Radioman;
a frantic
fully
appreciate
significance
one must be reminded that
it
airports in Hilo and Honolulu and also inspired several business-
men
in
Honolulu to open air-tour companies.
In April of 1935, Pan American Airways, Inc. began exploratory flights across the Pacific with its Pan American Clipper, a Sikorsky S-42 seaplane. It landed at the Ford Island Seaplane Base at Pearl Harbor on April 17 after a seventeen hour and forty-four minute flight from Alameda, California. From Hawaii, the clipper continued on to Midway, Wake, and Guam.
Pan American received a government On October 22, 1936, the Hawaii Clipper brought the first paying passengers from San Francisco to Honolulu in twenty hours. This flight marked the start of regular six-day-a-week passenger service between San Francisco and Manila via Honolulu. The fare to Honolulu was $278.00 one-way or $500.00 round trip. Other clippers followed, including the Samoan Clipper, which was lost in the South Pacific in early 1938, and the California Clipper, a giant new Boeing seaplane which inaugurated service to Auckland, New Zealand in 1939. The airline used the Ford Island Seaplane Base on a regular basis through early 1940.
The following
year.
license to carry transpacific passengers.
Hawaii State Archives
Army's Tri-Motor Fokker Monoplane "Bird of Paradise" at Wheeler Field, June 29, 1927 Arrival of the
Not to be outdone by the Navy, the Army made a successful nonstop flight between Oakland, California and Wheeler Field on Oahu in 1927 using a tri-motored Fokker Monoplane christened the "Bird of Paradise." The two Army pilots, lieutenants Lester J. Maitland and Albert F. Hegenberger, became instant heroes for several weeks until two civilian pilots accomplished a similar feat, although they crash-landed on the island of Molokai after running out of fuel.'' Other transpacific flights
followed, and in Airways began operations
quickly
November as the
first
of
1929,
Inter-Island
commercial interisland
carrier of passengers in Hawaii.
The Pan American Clipper Being
Official
Navy Photo
Greeted at the Naval Air Station, Ford Island Seaplane Base (April 17, 1935)
The Pearl Harbor Main Gate Looked in March of 1934
The Pan American Clipper Diamond Head April, 1935
Cruising Past
Official
as It
Pan in
Am
Navy Photo
World-Champion Swimmer Duke Pan Kahanamoku (Extreme Left, at Microphone) Hosts a Welcoming Ceremony at Pearl Harbor For the Crew of Pan American's China Clipper'^ (Arriving on the Morning of November
Photo/Kamaaina
Photo/Kamaaina
Graphics Collection
23, 1935, the China Clipper Brought the First Air Mail to the Islands.)
Graphics Collection
1 Air-mail pilot Ernest Smith and his navigator, Emory Bronte, survived the crash without sustaining injuries to themselves, but their Travelair "City of Oakland" was badly dam-
2The China Clipper was
piloted by Captain Edwin Musick, from the right. Governor Joseph Poindexter is standing beside him (second from the right).
shown
aged.
-
Am
11
-
third
USS West
Virginia (BB-48) Entering Pearl Harbor at Hospital Point,
USS Honolulu
(CL-48) Arrives^
Prior to Taking
Up Her
First
in
Honolulu Harbor on July
Duty Station
at Pearl
9,
May
25,
1935
1939
Official
Navy Photo
Official
Navy Photo
Harbor
I In a welcoming ceremony, the ship received a sterling-silver punchbowl set styled after a Hawaiian calabash. It was pre-
the nickname “Blue Goose" because of the blue seaplane she
sented on behalf of the territorial legislature and the children of the City and County of Honolulu. Later, the ship acquired
-
wore when serving The ship's motto was
carried and the blue coat of paint that she as flagship for the admiral
"Lanakila 12
-
Mau"
and
his staff.
(always victorious).
Units of the United States Fleet
Anchored Off
Pearl
Harbor
The outbreak of war
in in
Navy Photo
Official
1940 Europe,
the
rapid
successes
of
war machine in the spring of 1940, and the increasing tensions between Japan and the United States all combined to Hitler's
tip
the scales
involvement
The Carriers Saratoga (CV-3) and Lexington (CV-2) at Anchor Off
Official
Navy Photo
motivated by the events taking place and not all military leaders agreed with it.
cally
P-26A Pursuit Planes and B-18 Bombers "On Line" at Hickam Field
Change of Command (Admiral Husband E. Kimmel Relieved Admiral James O. Richardson in Ceremonies Aboard the Flagship USS Pennsylvania — February 1, 1941.)
Hawaii State Archives
Pacific Fleet
As the United States became alarmed at the build-up of Europe and Japan and the acts of aggression
military forces in
and
size
of American
meant more sion, the
return,
Army had
acted to increase the strength
Army
airfields as
and the naval shipyard.
it
and Navy units. In Hawaii, this well as improvements to Pearl Harbor
To accommodate
to give
up
the Army received a at the mouth of Pearl
On February Fleet
naval aircraft expan-
its
facilities
new
airfield,
on Ford Hickam
Island. In
Field,
in
1,
in
Europe and Japan,
Official
Navy Photo
1941, the United States Fleet (with
the Pacific and a Scouting Fleet
in
a Battle
the Atlantic)
was
reorganized into separate Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. Also on that date, the newly-renamed Pacific Fleet and its shore headquarters were permanently based at Pearl Harbor. Ironically,
lo-
Harbor. The $15 million conproject at Hickam began in 1935 and eventually covered over 2,000 acres of former brush and sugar-cane fields. As world tensions heightened later in the decade, additional bombers and fighters were shipped to Hickam, Wheeler, and
cated
favor of military preparedness as America's world war seemed inevitable. In an attempt to
exert a restraining influence on Japan's warlike policies, the United States Navy held its 1940 fleet exercises in the Hawaiian area. After the maneuvers, the fleet remained in Hawaii, being temporarily based at Pearl Harbor. This action was diplomati-
Diamond Head
associated with that build-up,
in
in a
the basing of this fleet at Pearl Harbor had the positive effect
struction
of immensely improving the base and having it better prepared for hostilities. Between the middle of 1940 and the middle of 1941, the civilian work force at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard more than doubled. Likewise, the number of naval
Bellows Fields. By 1940, Hickam Field had become the largest in the Pacific. As its expansion continued, there was no denying that the Army was preparing for both attack and counterattack. The Navy likewise prepared, establishing the Kaneohe Naval Air Station and the Marine Corps Air Station at Ewa (both on Oahu).’'
personnel
Air Corps station
the area
increased dramatically.
Navy Yard made
The
additional
independent of the mainland. Following the deepening and widening of the entrance channel, the Pearl Harbor Naval Base could now berth at the
it
virtually
the entire Pacific Fleet within its protective waters. As the military strengths of both the Army and the Navy greatly increased and as the numerous defense projects on Oahu created thousands of new jobs, Honolulu became a boom town, attracting thousands of skilled workers from the mainland.
I In 1942, the Marine Corps Air Station at Ewa became the Barbers Point Naval Air Station. In 1952, the Kaneohe Naval Air Station became the Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station.
-
in
improvements
13
-
Aerial
set
View of
Pearl
Harbor Shortly Before the December 7 Attack
As war clouds loomed over the horizon, Honolulu up a Major Disaster Council in June of 1941. Later
Official
hostile action might be possible at any moment, an attack was expected against the Philippines or some other country in Southeast Asia and not against Hawaii. Having at their com-
finally
the year, the territorial legislature passed the Hawaii Defense Act, commonly known as the M-Day Bill, which gave the governor extraordinary powers. Yet even in late November of 1941 when it appeared that negotiations with Japan seemed to be terminated for all practical purposes, and both the Army and the Navy had received messages from Washington indicating that in
-
Navy Photo
mand
an invincible fleet at Pearl Harbor, airfields filled with
planes, tons of munitions, thousands of military personnel plus
occasional
patrols
and
officers in Hawaii felt
14
-
radar watches,
immune from
high-ranking
attack!
military
°
The Battleship
USS Arizona (BB-39) Brooklyn Navy Yard, and the keel of laid during ceremonies on March 16, 1914. Miss Esther Ross, the daughter of W.W. Ross (a promi-
later that
this
Keel-Laying Ceremony For the USS Arizona (BB-39)
Battleship
March
16,
National Archives
—
1914
Named for USS Arizona
the 48th state to join the union, the battleship (BB-39) was the third naval ship to bear that name. The first Arizona was an iron-hulled side-wheel steamer built in 1859. During the Civil War, the Confederates pressed her into service and renamed her Caroline. She served as a blockade-runner until Union forces captured her in October of 1862. The following January, she was purchased from the Philadelphia Prize Court and fitted out as a naval vessel at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. On March 9, 1863, the United States Navy commissioned her Arizona. Having a crew of 91 officers and men, Arizona joined the West Gulf Blockading Squadron and took part in many Civil War engagements against Confederate ships and forts. On February 27, 1865, an accidental fire destroyed her about 38 miles below New Orleans while she was serving
same year
at the
mighty battleship was
nent pioneer citizen of Prescott, Arizona), officially christened Arizona on June 19, 1915. After launching, the battleship received its 13.5-inch main armor belt. Designed primarily for very long-range dueling, Arizona's main battery of guns consisted of twelve 14-inch guns mounted in four triple turrets, two forward and two aft. These massive guns could hurl 1,400pound armor-piercing shells out to a maximum distance of 18,000 yards. The secondary battery of twenty-two highvelocity 5-inch/51-caliber guns was designed to protect the battleship from torpedo attacks by destroyers. Because these guns were unsuitable for defending the ship against aircraft attacks, Arizona received four 3-inch/50-caliber semiautomatic antiaircraft batteries in early 1917. In addition, two underwater torpedo tubes, mounted aft just above the outboard propeller shafts (one on each side), augmented the main battery. Arizona's main propulsion plant consisted of twelve boilers which supplied steam to four sets of turbines, each set of turbines driving a propeller shaft.
duty on the Mississippi River. The second Arizona was the renamed screw
flagship
cruiser NeshaBut she carried the name Arizona for less than three months during 1869, and on August 10, her name was changed again to Nevada. But this wooden-hulled vessel was never completed, and her hulk was scrapped in 1874.
miny.
The Newly-Commissioned USS Arizona Departing New York on Her Maiden Voyage — November 10, 1916
Launching of the Arizona at the Brooklyn Navy Yard — June 19, 1915
Official
Navy Photo/
USS Arizona Memorial Collection
With Captain J.D. McDonald in command, A/'/zona was commissioned on October 17, 1916. After her commissioning, Arizona joined the Atlantic Fleet but remained based at Norfolk, Virginia throughout World War I, acting as a gunnerytraining ship and patrolling coastal waters. Being one of the first oil-burning battleships, Arizona was prevented from assisting other American battleships in European waters due to a scarcity of fuel oil in the British Isles. Following the signing of the
National Archives
On March 4, 1913, Congress authorized the construction of the third Arizona, a Pennsylvania-class battleship which would displace over 30,000 tons when completed. Construction started
Armistice, she became a unit of the Battleship Division then operating with the British Grand Fleet. But Arizona remained in British
- 15 -
waters for only a short time.
A
Bedding and Personnel Inspection
Aboard the Arizona
Official
Navy Photo/
USS Arizona Memorial Collection
Arizona at Anchor in the 1920's (Note the White-Faced, 10-Numbered Range Clock on the Mainmast Which Told the Ship's Gunners the Distance
Navy Photo/
Official
USS Arizona Memorial Collection
of Targets.) In December of 1918, Arizona joined the hotior accompanied President Woodrow Wilson to Brest, the Paris Peace Conference. When Arizona joined Fleet on August 21, 1921, the Navy had already
much
centrating
of
its
fleet in the Pacific.
Based
at
escort that
France for the Pacific
begun conSan Pedro,
Arizona initially served as flagship for Battleship Over the years, Arizona alternately served as flagship for Battleship Divisions Two, Three, and Four. Although she conducted operations along the West Coast of the United States, Arizona often entered the Caribbean Sea to participate in combined fleet maneuvers out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. California,
Division Seven.
USS Arizona
in
Dry Dock
Official
Navy Photo/
USS Arizona Memorial
Collection
Shortly after Arizona entered the Norfolk Navy Yard in 1929, the Navy placed her in a reduced-commission status and she underwent a major reconstruction. Tripod masts replaced the old cage masts, and the ship's bridge was greatly expanded and modernized. The thickness of Arizona's deck armor was
increased for added protection from aerial bombs and plunging New spotting planes with new launching and recovery equipment were added. Since these spotting planes extended the shells.
range well beyond the horizon, the Navy had developed propelling charges for the 14-inch guns. By combining this development with an increase in the maxielevation of the main battery (from 15 to 30 degrees), the Navy had extended the ship's firing range to 34,000 yards, almost twice the original range. Ten of Arizona's twenty-two 5-inch/51-caliber secondary guns were completely removed, and the remainder were moved to higher elevations on the ship. firing
new and more powerful
mum
reduction made weight available for more antiaircraft weapons, and the Navy Yard added eight new 5-inch/25-caliber guns (four on each side) atop the ship's new deckhouse. In addition, Arizona's fire-control equipment was modernized and her ventilating and piping systems were upgraded. The torpedo tubes were removed since they were considered useless because of the extended firing ranges of the main-battery guns. This
Arizona's Ship's
Crewmen
Cleaning the
Deck and Gun Turrets
Official
Navy Photo/
USS Arizona Memorial Collection
- 16 -
The Newly-Modernized >4 r/zo/73 Norfolk Navy Yard — March 2, 1931
National Archives
at the
USS Arizona
High During the 1930's
The Recommissioned Arizona
at Sea
in
the Water
National Archives
National Archives
Flying the Presidential Flag in 1931
The most extensive work that was performed on Arizona involved widening her hull by adding a 4 ft. 7 3/8 in. bulge or side of the ship. Built around the ship's outer the vicinity of her water line, the bulges increased the ship's defense against torpedo or underwater-bomb damage. While these bulges increased Arizona's displacement, they also provided more buoyancy to offset much of the extra weight
"blister” plating
on each
in
new armament and other equipment added. Six new three-drum boilers replaced the original twelve boilers, and new more efficient turbines enabled the battleship to maintain her maximum speed. (Actually, there was a slight reduction in the maximum speed from 21.0 knots to 20.7 knots.) The increased efficiency of this new equipment, combined with an increase in the ship's fuel-storage capacity, enabled Arizona to extend her cruising radius from 4,750 to 13,600 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots. Following the completion of this modernization, that the
Navy placed Arizona in full commission again on March 1, 1931. Although Arizona received additional overhauls during the next ten years, they did little to change the appearance of the ship. Rather, they were intended to bring the battleship to a war-readiness condition. After her last overhaul at the Puget Sound Navy Yard in June of 1941, Arizona had accommodations for 2,037 officers and enlisted men versus her original complement of 1,087 when she was first commissioned. the
President Herbert Hoover (Left) and Secretary of War Hurley Aboard the Arizona in March of 1931 (Note the Vought 03U Corsair Spotting Planes on the Catapult in the Background.)
- 17 -
Official
Navy Photo/
USS Arizona Memorial Collection
Rear Admiral Chester W. Nimitzl Microphone) Being Relieved by Rear Admiral Russel Willson (Right)
Official
Navy Photo
USS Arizona
Entering Pearl Harbor
Official
Navy Photo
(at
as
Commander,
Except for the major reconstruction at the Norfolk Navy Yard (1929) and a cruise to Puerto Rico with President Herbert Hoover on Board (1931), Arizona spent the remainder of her career based in the Pacific. Before being permanently based at Pearl Harbor, Arizona made two cruises to Hawaii (1925 and
Battleship Division
One, Aboard the
USS Arizona
at
San
Pedro, California (May, 1939)
1 Admiral Nimitz went to Washington to become Chief of the Bureau of Navigation. The skipper of the Arizona, Captain Isaac Kidd, later was promoted to Rear Admiral and held the
same command as his predecessors aboard the Arizona. Kidd was killed on board the Arizona during the Pearl Harbor attack.
1928) to participate in fleet maneuvers. While serving as the flagship for Battleship Division One, Arizona was transferred to her new base at Pearl Harbor in April of 1940. But she returned to the West Coast several times, paying visits to Long Beach and Los Angeles and undergoing an overhaul at the Puget Sound Navy Yard. Arizona returned to Pearl Harbor for the last time on July 8, 1941 to meet her ultimate destiny.
%
1
Arizona's Band Competing in a Pacific Fleet Band Competition the Evening Before the Attack
f
4
1^
Official
Navy Photo/
USS Arizona Memorial
- 18 -
Collection
TT
99 Chapter 3
Operation Hawaii The Japanese Attack
44/^
I
,
• •
for conquest. In addition to continuing the war with China, the comprehensive war plan included:
scheme 1)
simultaneously invading Thailand, destroying the United States Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor, and delivering air strikes against the Philippines and Malaya;
conquest of the Philippines, Borneo, Malaya (including Singapore), and Sumatra;
2) affecting the
3)
occupying Java and the Indies; and
rest
British
of the oil-rich Dutch East
4) establishing a defensive perimeter running as far east as Wake Island and the Marshall Islands.
Japanese Army General Hideki Tojo Replaced the Peace-Seeking Prince Fumimaro Konoye as Premier of Japan
National Archives
embargo and the freezing of Japanese assets by the United States, Great Britain, and the Dutch in the summer of 1941 made war inevitable. Since the United States was not about to reverse its foreign policy and restore trade
The United
States
oil
with an aggressive Japan, and since the Japanese Army was not about to lose face and make any compromises on its conquests in China and Southeast Asia, a stalemate had been reached and both sides moved toward a bloody conflict in the Pacific. Suddenly, oil became the paramount issue. Although Japan had been stockpiling oil for several years, this stockpile was only enough for about one year of war. With about eighty per cent of its oil imports cut off and fearing a general impoverishment of its economy and its military expanrelations
sion,
Japan had to make up
its
mind quickly.
The extensive diplomatic negotiations that followed the oil embargo bought time for both sides. Civilian elements in Japan's government hoped to find a solution satisfactory to the militarists. The militarists, in turn, needed time to formulate their plans and train their carrier air groups. The United States, while
Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, UN, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese
Combined The
Navy Photo
Fleet
attack
on
Pearl
Harbor was conceived by Admiral
Yamamoto, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet. Having served as a naval attache in Washington from 1925 to 1927, Yamamoto knew American ways, her industrial potential, and the manner in which Americans could Isoroku
and would fight if aroused. Although initially opposed to war with the United States, he resigned himself to war under pressure from the army-ruled Japanese government and its expansionist plans. Not being able to fight a long defensive war, Japan's only chance would be to seize the initiative and strike immobilizing the Pacific Fleet while Japanese forces invaded the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies. Japan's military leaders reasoned that the defensive perimeter that would be established would discourage the United States, Great Britain, and the Dutch from fighting an enemy so distant from their shores. Hopefully, by then, these countries would be so exhausted from fighting a two-ocean war that they would be ready to make peace with Japan and allow her to keep most of her conquests. first,
By
April of 1941, a carrier air-attack study
pleted and the Japanese
actively seeking peace, needed time to accelerate its industrial and military preparation and to reinforce the Army in the Philippines.
air
Official
a
a
had been com-
momentous
step
in strate-
organized the First Air Fleet, bringing together number of carrier divisions into one operational unit. While
gic thinking:
The Japanese Army's appointment of General
Navy took
it
advanced concept would create problems of tactics and difficulties, it would form the nucleus of a potential aerial striking force capable of amassing several hundred planes
Hideki Tojo as the new premier in mid-October of 1941 pushed aside the conservative elements and gave the militarists full control of Japan. In early November, the Japanese Army and Navy concluded a "Central Agreement" which outlined their
this
command
against a given target.
- 19 -
ber 7 (Hawaiian time) was tentatively selected. On December 2, Admiral Yamamoto sent a message confirming the 7th. Because the 7th was a Sunday, the Japanese Naval General Staff felt that surprise could be achieved
and that a majority of the Hawaiibased Pacific Fleet ships would be in port for the weekend, as had been the custom.
Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, UN, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Air Fleet and Commander of the Pearl Harbor Striking Force
To implement
Official
Navy Photo
First
and potentially formidable power, a permanent unified carrier commander had to be appointed. Seniority and protocol dictated that this position should be filled by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. Although Nagumo had no experience with air power, he did build a long and honorable naval career while serving aboard battleships, cruisers, and destroyers. In addition, he had traveled in Europe and the United States, had taught at the Japanese Naval Staff College, and had served on the Naval this revolutionary
instrument of sea
Japanese Miniature Model 1 of Pearl Harbor
Official
Navy Photo
By November 22, 1941, the task force had assembled in Hitokappu Bay on Etorofu, largest of the remote Kurile Islands. The vessels had arrived in small numbers and had kept radio silence throughout their trip. Thousands of drums of fuel oil were loaded aboard the carriers in the event that refueling at
General Staff. To make up for Nagumo's lack of naval aviation experience, the Japanese Navy Ministry assigned Rear Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka as his chief of staff. Kusaka had a good knowledge of the air arm, having commanded several carriers, including the large flattop Akagi. Also, Commander Minoru Genda, a true flier with a firm grasp of the capabilities of air power, was assigned to be the air officer of the newly formed organization. During the summer of 1941, the Japanese Fleet held maneuvers for its carrier planes. The planes practiced dive-bombing and making short and shallow torpedo runs at remote sites that resembled Pearl Harbor. Adding wooden fins to the torpedoes solved the problem of having them dive in the shallow water. Fins were also added to the armor-piercing bombs so that they would penetrate the armor-plated decks of the American ships. By September, work commenced on the actual attack, although no date had been set. In early November, just one month before the attack, the final approval was given, and the date of Decem-
On November 26, the task force northerly route to avoid detection by other ships and aircraft. Despite the anticipated bad weather, the northern route would greatly increase the chances for complete surprise. sea could not be accomplished.
sailed
The
on
a
carriers
steamed
in
two parallel columns with the The submarines, cruisers, and
ships protecting the rear.
battle-
several
destroyers protected the flanks of the carriers while the remaining destroyers steamed several miles ahead of the carriers in order to detect any approaching ships. High seas and gales washed men overboard, ripped signal flags, and combining with dense fog, threatened collisions during refueling. Nevertheless, the task force proceeded on schedule. While the task force had orders to sink any American, British, or Dutch ships encountered,
it
met only one
iThis model was propaganda movie.
vessel
—
a
Japanese freighter.
built after the attack for use in a Japanese
COMPOSITION OF THE JAPANESE ATTACK FORCE ATTACK FORCE
AIR
SCREENING FORCE
SIX CARRIERS
1
Akagi
LIGHT CRUISER
9 DESTROYERS
Kaga Hiryu
PATROL FORCE
Soryu
3
Shokaku
SUBMARINES
Zuikaku
SUPPORT FORCE
SUPPLY FORCE
2 BATTLESHIPS
2
8 OILERS
HEAVY CRUISERS - 20-
("1”
type)
Knowing that the Pacific Fleet ships would get underway in the event of an attack, the Japanese Navy sent an Advance Expeditionary Force of twenty-seven submarines ahead of the Pearl Harbor Striking Force. Sailing by different routes, the Advance Expeditionary Force had a threefold mission; reconnaissance, sending information to the Striking Force, and torpedoing any ships that might escape the air attack on Pearl Harbor. Five of these submarines carried two-man midget submarines clamped to the mother ships. These midget submarines carried two small torpedoes and were propelled by batteries. In addition, a third, much smaller force, consisting of only two destroyers, had departed Tokyo Bay around December with the independent mission of shelling Midway on the 7th 1
of December.
The oilers refueled the task force for the last time on December 3 and returned to Japan. Enroute to Hawaii, several submarines from the Advance Expeditionary Force broke off and headed for other patrol sections. The remaining submarines continued on, taking up prearranged scouting and patrolling sectors around Pearl Harbor at distances ranging from about one hundred miles to as close as about eight and one-half miles from the harbor entrance. During the night of December 6, the two-man midget submarines were launched in an attempt to have them penetrate the harbor and add to the chaos created by the
air
attack the following morning.
The USS Condor,
converted minesweeper, made the about 0342 hours on December 7 when it sighted the periscope of a midget submarine less than two miles first
enemy contact
a small
at
outside the entrance buoy to Pearl Harbor. The Condor then notified the night patrol destroyer USS Ward (DD-139) by blinker light. Unable to find the submarine, the Ward continued searching. About three hours later, a Navy Catalina seaplane sighted the same or another submarine and dropped smoke pots. Being nearby, the Ward attacked the midget sub at 0645, sink-
Japanese Special Envoy Saburo Kurusu (Left) and Japanese Ambassador Kichisaburo Nomura^
with gunfire and depth charges. At 0654, the Ward sent a coded message to the Commandant of the 14th Naval District. Because of delays in decoding, the duty officer did not receive the message until almost twenty minutes later. He then notified Admiral Claude C. Bloch, Commandant, who immediately ordered the ready-duty destroyer, USS Monaghan (DD-354), to assist the Wara. Owing to other delays and switchboard congestion, the Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, was finally notified and was on his way to his headquarters when the air attack began. ing
it
National Archives
In Washington, D.C. on December 7, Japanese Ambassador Kichisaburo Nomura and Japanese Special Envoy Saburo Kurusu, acting on instructions from their government, requested ^ After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, this photograph was widely circulated for propaganda purposes in an attempt to show the cunning duplicity of the Japanese. In fact, both Nomura and Kurusu were as stunned as Hull.
- 21 -
an interview with Secretary of State Cordell Hull at 1:00 P.M. (1300)1 in order to read Premier Tojo's reply to Mr. Hull's
dive-bombers, each carrying about 1078 lbs. of bombs mounted under the wings and armed with the same type and number of machine guns as the "Kates;" and 43 "Zeke" or "Zero" fighters, each armed with two 20mm and two 7.7mm machine guns.
November 26 "Outline of Proposed Basis for Agreement between the United States and Japan." Due to decoding and translating delays by the embassy staff, the interview was postponed until 2:00 P.M. (1400). By this time. Secretary of State Hull had already received a copy of Admiral Kimmel's message, "Air attack on Pearl Harbor. This is not a drill." Thinking that it might be a mistake since he had received no other word of war or hostile actions, Hull received the Japanese Ambassadors at 2:20 P.M. (1420). By this time, the second wave of Japanese attack planes had deployed. As the meeting progressed in Washington, Japanese attack planes swooped down on Oahu, adding further to the bloody massacre of American servicemen and the wholesale destruction of the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.
Japanese "Kate" Torpedo-Bomber Taking Off
"Zero"
Fighters, Fitted With Center-Line
Auxiliary Fuel Tanks, Prior to Take Off
National Archives
Homing in on a Honolulu radio station, the Japanese planes sped toward their targets. While the United States Army had six mobile-search radar units on Oahu, only one was operating on the morning of December 7: the Opana Mobile Radar Station located near Kahuku Point, the northern extremity of Oahu. On Sundays, it operated only from 0400 to 0700 more or less on a training basis. Starting around 0645, the operator began tracking one of the Japanese cruiser's float planes which was reconnoitering ahead of the bombers. His report to the watch officer
National Archives
was ignored. Desiring to gain more experience, the enlisted men
Warming Up
kept the unit operating. Within minutes, they detected a large of aircraft bearing northward at a distance of approximately 132 miles. Again the duty personnel at the Fort Shatter Information Center dismissed the sighting as being insignificant. Since at that time no identification system had as yet been put into operation, it seemed reasonable to assume that the planes were American. For one thing, the duty officer knew that a large flight of B-1 7's would be arriving from the West Coast that morning. In addition, several patrol planes were searching the fleet operating area, other planes from Ford Island were conducting joint exercises with submarines, and three task forces flight
at sea conducting a regular wartime search by aircraft and destroyers. Besides, wasn't Hawaii immune from attack?
were
Upon sighting the coastline of Oahu at about 0740, the Japanese planes began taking their positions in the attack formations. Around 0753, Commander Mitsuo Fuchida sent out the code words which told the Japanese carriers that the attack force had caught the Pacific Fleet by surprise — "Tora! Tora! Tora!" ("Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!"). At this time, the second wave
At
time difference between Washingand Hawaii was BVz hours, making this time just twenty minutes before the scheduled attack on Pearl Harbor (0750 Hawaiian time). 1
this period in history, the
ton,
Personnel of the Japanese Carrier Soryu Giving a "Banzai" Salute to a "Kate" Torpedo-Bomber Being Launched
Official
Navy Photo
D.C.
2The
figure of
since
it
183 planes in the first wave is frequently used was provided by Captain Mitsuo Fuchida during interrogation following the war. Fuchida was the senior officer of the attack group and an actual participant. Higher figures of 189 and 190 planes also appear in many publications. These higher figures may be based on earlier estimates by U.S. forces on the number of planes sighted and they may contain some overlap-
At 0600 (Hawaiian time) on December 7, the Japanese about 200 miles due north of Oahu, began launching the first wave of attack aircraft. This wave, consisting of 1832 airplanes, included the following types of aircraft: 49 high-level "Kate" bombers, each carrying one 1760 lb. armorpiercing bomb and armed with three 7.7mm machine guns; 40 "Kate" torpedo-bombers, each carrying one 1760 lb. aerial torpedo and armed with three 7.7mm machine guns; 51 "Val" carriers, stationed
ping as well as possibly including several reconnaissance planes earlier. Another possible explanation may be that interrogations of other Japanese officials yielded con-
which were launched flicting figures.
- 22 -
of approximately 170 planes was about halfway to Oahu. Like the first wave, they flew at staggered altitudes for greater maneuverability. But the second wave could not count on surprise, and the lull between the end of the first attack and the beginning of the second would enable United States forces to im-
prove their defenses to some extent.
Ford Island Hangars Burning
Routes of the Attacking Japanese Planes
Official
Diagram Compiled From Official Sources
I.— -
Ruined Seaplanes
Captured Japanese Photo Showing
Navy Photo
Official
at
Ford Island
‘
Official
..iiuj
Navy Photo
Navy Photo
the Pilot's View of Ford Island and "Battleship Row"
The first bombs struck Ford Island at 0755. At about the same time or shortly thereafter, the airfields at Wheeler, Hickam, Ewa, and Kaneohe were attacked by dive-bombers and strafed by fighters. Some time later. Bellows Field was also attacked. Only the Army field at Haleiwa, which had only a few reserve
training planes, escaped attack. Within minutes, a majority of the American fighters, bombers, and patrol planes were either destroyed or badly damaged, thereby eliminating any major threat to the attacking aircraft.
Wheeler Field Under Attack
Army
Signal Corps/
Hickam
- 23 -
AFB
A
"Val" Dive-Bomber Preparing
Official
Navy Photo
To Attack In
accordance with antisabotage measures, a majority of the Fire-Fighting
American planes were lined up in compact rows with only ten feet or less between wing tips. The Japanese found these parked planes to be perfect targets. Their bombs and incendiary bullets turned the parked planes into fountains of fire which quickly spread to adjacent aircraft. Returning waves of attackers often found so many planes damaged that they concentrated their fire on buildings and installations, including hospital tents.
To Save
Teams Attempting
Navy Photo/ Kaneohe MCAS
Official
a Stricken Plane at the
Kaneohe Naval Air Station
PACIFIC FLEET SHIPS PRESENT IN PEARL HARBOR ON December
ARCONNE
MONTGOMERY (DM- 17) MUGFORD (DD-389) NARWHAL (SS-1 6 7)
(AG Rlj
CACHALOT (SS-1 70) CALIFORNIA (BB 44) CASE (DD-370) CASSIN (DD-372)
OSCEOLA
CINCHONA
(YN-7) COCKATOO (AMc-8) COCKENOE (YN-47) CONDOR (AMc- 14) CONYNGHAM (DD-371) CROSSBILL (AMc-9) CUMMINGS (DD-365) CURTISS (AV-4) DALE (DD 353)
Hickam
VESTAL (AR-4) VIREO (AM-52)
WAPELLO
PATTERSON PELIAS
WEST VIRGINIA (BB-48) WHITNEY (AD-4) WIDGEON (ASR- 1)
(DD-392)
(AS-14)
WORDEN (DD-352)
(BB-38)
YG-15 YG-17
17)
YG-21
YMT-5
PYRO
YNg-17 YO-21 YO-43
RALPH TALBOT (DD-390)
YP- 108 YP- 109
RAMAPO RAMSAY
YTT-3 YT-119 YT- 130
REID
HULL
RELIANCE (USCG)
YT-152 YT-153 YW-16 ZANE (DMS- 14) YO-30 YO-44
(AO-12) (DM- 16) (AMc-30) (DD-369)
(DD-350) JARVIS (DD-393) KEOSANGUA (AT-38) MAC DONOUGH (DD-3S1) MANUWAI IYFB-17) MARIN (YN-53)
SACRAMENTO (PG-19) SAN FRANCISCO (CA-38) SCHLEY (DD-103)
MARYLAND
SELF RIDGE (DD-357)
(BB-46)
RIG EL (ARID LOUIS (CL-49)
ST.
228 Killed 364 Wounded
109 Killed 69 Wounded
TOTALS
National Archives
NAVY
2,004 Killed
710 Wounded
CIVILIANS
68 Killed 35 Wounded
2,409 Killed 1,178 Wounded
Compiled From
- 24 -
(YN-56)
WARD (DD-139) WASMUTH (DMS- 15)
REEDBIRD
MARINES
of the Thirty-Six PBY Patrol Planes Damaged or Destroyed at the Kaneohe Naval Air Station
(PC-152) (USCG)
HELM (DD-388) HENLEY (DD-391) HOGA (YT-146) HONOLULU (CL-48) HULBERT (AVD-6)
ARMY
One
TIGER
(AE-1) RAIL (AM 26) RALEIGH (CL-7)
(CL-50)
(AM-31) (AVD-11)
THORNTON
PT-28 PT-29 PT-30 PT-42
DOLPHIN
HELENA
TERN
PT27
PHELPS (DD-360) PHOENIX (CL-46) PREBLE (DM-20) PRUITT (DM- 22)
(SS- 169)
(A V-8)
(SS-199) (BB-43)
TENNESSEE
PT-23 PT-24 PT-25 PT-26
PERRY (DMS
DOWNES (DD-375) FARRAGUT (DD-348) GAMBLE (DM-15) GREBE (AM-43)
AFB
TAUTOG
TREVER (DMS- 16) TRACY (DM- 19) TUCKER (DD-374) TURKEY (AM-13) UTAH (AG- 16) VEGA (AK-17)
PENNSYL VANIA
(CL-8)
(AH-5)
TANGIER
(YT- 129)
DEWEY
(DD-349) DOBBIN (AD-3)
Signal Corps/
SOLACE
SOTOYOMO (YT-9) SUMNER (AG-32) SUNNA DIN (AT-28) SWAN (A VP-7) TANEY (PG-37) (USCG)
PT-21 PT-22
CASTOR (AKS-H
Army
SICARD (DM-21)
PT-20
CHENGHO (IX-52) CHEW (QD- 106)
DETROIT
SHAW (DD-373)
NAVAJO (AT-64) NEOSHO (AO-23) NEVADA (BB-36) NEW ORLEANS (CA-32) NOKOMIS (YT- 142) OGLALA (CM-4) OKLAHOMA (BB-37) ONTARIO (AT- 13)
CG-8 (USCG)
Billows From the Flight Line at Hickam Field
1941
(AR-1) MONAGHAN (DD-354)
ARIZONA IBB-39) ASH (YN-21 A VOCET (A VP-4) AYLWIN (DD-355) BAGLEY IDD-386) BLUE (DD-387) BOBOLINK (AM-201 B REESE (DM- 18)
Smoke
7,
MEDUSA
ALLEN (DD-66) ANTARES fAKS-3)
Official Sources
SHIPS’ POSITIONS
ON DECEMBER
^ ^ OHICKAM TOWIir
HICKAM FIELD -25-
@ 0 0
7th
RAMSAY, GAMBLE, MONTGOMERY TREVER, BREESE, 2ANE, PERRY, WASMUTH NARWHAL, DOLPHIN, TAUTOG, THORNTON,
HULBERT ARGONNE, SACRAMENTO, JARVIS, MUGFORD CUMMINGS, PREBLE, TRACY, PRUITT, SICARD, SCHLEY, GREBE BOBOLINK, VIREO, TURKEY, RAIL, TERN Compiled From
Official
Sources
mooring positions, launched
their attacks against their primary the eight battleships of the Pacific Fleet. In four separate torpedo-plane attacks, the Japanese launched their specially-fitted shallow water torpedoes at altitudes between forty and one hundred feet. Since the battleships were mostly moored in pairs, these torpedo-bombers attacked the outboard ships while the high-level bombers attacked the inboard ships from an altitude of about 10,000 feet. Several minutes later, a
targets
—
number
of dive-bombers
dropped their bombs on the stationary which made ideal targets. After making their runs, both the "Kates" and "Vais" then flew back over their targets, strafing them to kill any survivors. battleships
Voice of the Moment of Death. Wake Up, You Fools.")
"Battleship
Nevada
Row" Under
Attack: the
Official
Navy Photo
Official
Navy Photo
Bottom, Left; Then the Arizona With the Repair Ship Vesta! Outboard; the Tennessee and the West Virginia (Outboard and Already Hit); the Maryland and the Oklahoma (Outboard and Also Hit); and the Oiler Neosho (Hickam Field is Already Under Attack at the
Hospital Ship
USS Solace^
is
at the
Top of the Photograph.)
National Archives
Photographed Just as the Japanese Were Making Their Attack
Dive-Bombers View of "Battleship
Row"
marked with red crosses, the Solace was not attacked the Japanese. Her lifeboats quickly sprang into action picking up the wounded and returning them to the ship for treatment. One of the first small boats to reach the capsized Oklahoma was a lifeboat from the Solace. 1
Clearly
by
Torpedo
Hits
on the West Virginia and
the Oklahoma (Ford Island's PatrolPlane Hangars, at the Far Right, are Already Burning.)
2These charts were based upon the latest information supplied by the Japanese Consul in Honolulu. Since no aircraft carriers were in Pearl Harbor at the time of the attack, the battleships
Within about one minute after the attack had begun, the Japanese aviators, supplied with accurate charts^ of the fleet's
received the brunt of the attack.
- 26 -
Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd,
Commander
USS Arizona
Being Shattered
Official
By Explosions
Navy Photo
Battleship Division
One
Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh, Commanding Officer of the
USS Arizona
Official
Navy Photo
Although the USS Arizona was not the first battleship hit by the Japanese, only minutes separated the strikes against her and the other battleships. Moored inboard of the repair ship Vestal, Arizona received the most damage, suffered the most casualties, and became a total loss. Her inboard berthing did not offer Arizona much protection since her bow extended about 100 feet beyond the stern of the Vestal. A torpedo passing astern of the Vestal apparently struck the Arizona.^ But bomb hits did the most damage. One armor-piercing bomb penetrated the forecastle and exploded in one of the ship's forward magazines. The resulting fires and explosions wrecked the forward part of the ship, sent flames hundreds of feet into the air, and killed hundreds of men including Arizona's Commanding Officer, Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh, and the Battleship Division
Commander, Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd. Other bombs struck Arizona's superstructure while another one apparently went down her stack. So effective and so deadly were
several of the direct hits that the Arizona sank in about nine minutes, trapping hundreds of men below. Settling on the
harbor bottom, Arizona's superstructure remained above the looking like one mass of flames. Arizona lost over seventy percent of her complement; 1177 officers and men killed or missing. Of these, only seventy-five bodies were recovered, and the remaining men are still entombed in the surface
sunken battleship.
^ Some doubt still remains as to whether or not the Arizona was struck by a torpedo. A number of Arizona's survivors and the Commanding Officer of the Vesta! attest to this fact. However, divers later could find no evidence of a torpedo hit on or just below the ship's armor belt.
A Sailor Stationed on Ford Island Watches as the Battleship Arizona Explodes (To His Right is the BurnedOut Wing of a PBY Catalina.) -27
Official
Navy Photo
picked up by boats or swam over to Ford Island while others crossed over to the Tennessee. Later in the day, a working party returned and brought all fires under control. Despite the heavy damage inflicted upon the West Virginia, her casualties were light — 2 officers and 103 enlisted men killed or missing.
The West Virginia protected the Tennessee, which was moored inboard, from the torpedo attacks. But the Tennessee received two bomb hits early in the attack. Most of her damage came from flaming debris and burning oil from the exploding Arizona which was moored only 75 feet astern. Tennessee's casualties were light. Although her power plant remained intact, she was so wedged in by the sunken West Virginia that she could not get underway.
USS
l/Vest
Virginia Resting
Official
Navy Photo
on the Harbor Bottom
Moored outboard of the Tennessee, the HHest Virginia was damaged early in the attack. But alert personnel
also severely
topside had already sounded general quarters and many men were scrambling to their duty stations before the first torpedo hit. The "Wee Vee," as she was nicknamed, suffered numerous torpedo hits on her port side and she started listing heavily. In addition, several bombs also struck her, one of which started a fire. These torpedo and bomb hits against the l/Vest Virginia
knocked out
all power, light, communications, and the antiguns on the port side of the ship. Yet even without internal communications, damage-control personnel initiated counterflooding. This quick action, combined with the restraining effect of wire cables between the West Virginia and the Tennessee, corrected a 28-degree list to about 15 degrees, enabling the battleship to sink upright without capsizing.
A Tug
aircraft
and Several Smaller Boats Offer Assistance to the Capsized
USS Oklahoma (Maryland
is
Official
Navy Photo
in
the Background.)
Moored outboard of the Maryland, the Oklahoma was also Within minutes after bombs struck Ford Island, and about the same time as Oklahoma sounded
hit very early in the attack.
"General Quarters," three torpedoes struck her in rapid succesShe began listing heavily, and in a few minutes the executive officer. Commander Jesse L. Kenworthy, Jr. ordered "Abandon Ship." The men were ordered to go over the ship's sion.
starboard side as she rolled. As the Oklahoma started to capsize, struck her above the armor belt. Bombs exploded all around, and the men were strafed by machine-gun fire as they crawled over the hull of the ship. Oklahoma stopped
two more torpedoes
rolling
when
her masts got stuck
in
the
mud
of the harbor
bottom, about twenty minutes after the attack had started. She suffered 20 officers and 395 enlisted men killed or missing. Thirty-one members of her crew were rescued by workers cutting holes through her bottom.
A Motor
Launch From the California Approaches the Port Side of the Burning West Virginia (Tennessee is
in
National Archives
the Background.)
Showered by burning debris from the exploding A/-/zo/7a, the West Virginia was soon all-aflame topside. Nevertheless, for almost an hour and a half, her crew remained at their posts fighting fires, evacuating the wounded, passing ammunition, and the starboard antiaircraft guns despite the list. During of this time, the Japanese continued to dive-bomb and strafe the ship. It wasn't until about 1005 when all power was lost and the fires were raging out of control, that the damage control officer ordered "Abandon Ship." Many survivors were
firing
much
Rescue Parties at Work on the Capsized Oklahoma (Maryland is on the Right.)
- 28 -
National Archives
Protected from the torpedo attacks by the Oklahoma, the Maryland was the luckiest of the battleships. She received only and by one light damage caused by a fragmentation bomb armor-piercing bomb which entered the forecastle below the down a water line and detonated in the hold. Her crew shot
could launch its weapon. Many survivors aboard the Maryland and assisted her came Oklahoma the from officers with her antiaircraft batteries. She suffered only two missing. killed or men enlisted two and
torpedo plane before
it
USS Nevada Aground and on
Fire
Official
to undergo a materiel inspection, her watertight integrity in that her tanks and voids were open and being vented. In addition, too many of her officers were ashore and the crew was slow in sounding “General Quarters’ and setting condition "Zed." Shortly after 0800, two torpedoes struck the
About
was poor
below her armor belt. She began listing to port, although counterflooding prevented her from capsizing. About twenty minutes later, several bomb hits set off the antiaircraft ammunition magazine, which killed about 50 men and ruptured bow plates. Prior to getting underway, burning oil engulfed the stern of the California and the captain, who had come aboard after the attack had begun, ordered "Abandon Ship." Shortly thereafter, the wind changed and blew this burning oil clear of the ship, and by about 1015, many personnel had returned to the ship. But all efforts by her crew and other vessels to keep the California afloat slowly failed and she sank in the mud, slowly reaching the harbor bottom on the night of December 10. California lost six officers and ninety-two enlisted men. California
Navy Photo
Berthed alone, Nevada's movements were unrestricted. Her batteries opened fire very quickly, and she shot
antiaircraft
possibly two torpedo-bombers that tried to Despite her exposed position, the battleship took only one torpedo hit which was well forward, thereby leaving her power plant intact. In spite of flooding in many compartments, Nevada managed to get underway. As the ship moved
down one and attack her.
toward the main channel, a flight of "Val" dive-bombers spotted her and concentrated their attacks on her. Nevada received at least five bomb hits which thoroughly wrecked the forward part of the ship and much of its superstructure and caused fires which burned through the navigation bridge and the charthouse deck. Fearing that the Nevada might sink and block the channel, Admiral Furlong, aboard his flagship Oglala, ordered several tugs to assist the Nevada in clearing the channel and beaching on the hard bottom at Waipio Point, opposite the southern end of Ford Island. Once beached, the battleship's fires were brought under control. Nevada suffered light casualties — 3 officers and
47
enlisted
men
USS
Vestal After Beaching Herself
Official
Navy Photo
auxiliary ships moored on the eastern side of Ford Island not suffer the fates of the battleships. The repair ship Vestal, moored outboard of the ill-fated Arizona, received two bomb hits and suffered numerous casualties from a blast aboard the Arizona. This blast blew the Vestal's commanding officer overboard, but he swam back to the ship. Although listing slightly, Vesta! got underway around 0845 when burning oil from the Arizona threatened the repair ship. She grounded herself on Aiea Shoal to prevent further listing or loss of buoyancy. The oiler Neosho got underway rather quickly and did not sustain any damage. The twenty-three year old seaplane tender
The
did
killed or missing.
Avocet, a converted minesweeper, also escaped damage.
USS
California Ablaze and Struggling to Stay Afloat
Official
With the exception of the target ship Utah, the ships moored on the western side of Ford Island received either moderate or no damage. They received plenty of support fire from the destroyers nested in East Loch, from the tender Curtiss and the repair ship Medusa, and from minecraft moored nearby. Many of these destroyers and minecraft got underway between 0915 and 1000 and left the harbor for patrol duty. The seaplane tender Tangier escaped damage altogether, and the light cruiser Detroit, near-missed by a torpedo, also suffered no damage. A torpedo hit the light cruiser Raleigh outside fireroom #2, flooding it and the forward engine room. But prompt counterflooding, jettisoning of topside weights, and running out additional mooring lines prevented the cruiser from capsizing. Later in the attack, an armor-piercing bomb went right through the ship's thin-plated hull and exploded on the harbor bottom.
Navy Photo
Flagship of Vice Admiral W. S. Pye, the battleship California last of the dreadnoughts to be hit. Although berthed alone, she was less prepared than any of the other battleships.
was the
- 29 -
Utah, a former battleship, was completely defenseless in its role as a target ship. Within minutes after the attack started, Utah received two torpedo hits and she began listing so rapidly that the senior officer on board ordered "Abandon Ship." As crew members hastily crawled over the ship's side, they were strafed by returning Japanese planes. By about 0812, the ship had capsized, entombing some fifty-eight crewmen.
new
Berthed outboard of the light cruiser Helena, the minelayer Oglala was another of the ships sunk on December 7. Rear Admiral W. R. Furlong, Commander Mine Force Pacific Fleet,
USS
Raleigh After Being Torpedoed
National Archives
Island and launched a torpedo aimed at the pair of The torpedo passed under the Oglala and hit the Helena almost amidships on the starboard side. But the Oglala received the most damage, for the force of the explosion against the Helena ruptured the old sides of the minelayer. Then a bomb dropped between the two ships did further damage, causing Oglala to lose all power. Since the auxiliary submersible pumps
of
Ford
ships.
were unable to check the flooding, the crew, aided by a
Panoramic View of Pearl Harbor Showing Heavy Barrage of Antiaircraft Fire That the Japanese Planes Later Encountered
was aboard the
Oglala.
tug and
a severe strafing attack by Japanese planes. At her new berth, Oglala continued to flood, and about two hours later, she
capsized.
Shortly after the attack commenced. Quarters" and, realizing afloat (S.O.P.A.) in Pearl Ships in Harbor Sortie." crossed the southern end
in a
a
astern of the Helena
during
National Archives
Of the approximately forty destroyer types that were in Harbor at the time of the Japanese attack, only three suffered severe damage. Shaw, berthed in Floating Dry Dock Number Two, was heavily bombed by the same second-wave dive-bombers that attacked Nevada shortly before 0900. Being
Admiral Furlong called for "General that he was the senior officer present Harbor, had the signalmen hoist "All Within minutes, a lone torpedo plane
USS Shaw's Foward Magazine Blows Up
motor launch, moved the minelayer
Pearl
Spectacular Explosion
- 30-
Official
Navy Photo
electric power cut off, the fires spread freely, eventually reaching the depth charges and torpedoes stored aboard the ships. The resulting explosions, combined with the flooding of the dry dock, caused the Cassin to become unstable and she toppled on the Downes. The battleship Pennsylvania was luckier. She suffered only light damage from a bomb hit that
an overhaul status, Shaw's ammunition was stowed below and she could not open fire on her attackers. Two bombs penetrated her forecastle and the main decks and were in part responsible for severing her bow forward of the bridge. A third bomb ruptured Shaw's fuel tanks, spreading burning oil throughout the forward portion of the ship. The intense heat from this oil fire triggered the spectacular explosion that wrecked the for-
and
ward part of the ship. As the floating dry dock sank from bomb damage that it received, the forward section of the Shaw also sank. But her aft section remained buoyant and stayed afloat. These fires and explosions led to the sinking of the small tug Sotoyomo^ which also was in the floating dry dock.
Although there were a number of destroyers at the docks and piers of nese paid little attention to them. ships were less ready to open fire on
in
exploded below decks and
inflicted light casualties. cruisers, repair ships,
and
the Navy Yard, the Japa-
Undergoing
repairs, these the attackers. But most of
them sustained little if any damage. The light cruiser Honolulu suffered some damage but was repaired and returned to the fleet a month after the attack. The Japanese also ignored the Submarine Base. The Dolphin, Narwhal, and the Tautog were moored there while the Cachalot was at the Navy Yard. All of these submarines escaped damage.
USS Narwhal
(SS-167) at the Submarine Base During the Pearl Harbor Attack
National Archives Downes (Upright) and Cassin Dry Dock Number One With the Battleship Pennsylvania in the Background
Destroyers in
Navy Photo
None of America's priceless aircraft carriers were in port on December 7. Enterprise and other ships of Task Force Eight were about 200 miles from Oahu. They were returning after
The other two destroyers that received severe damage were the Cassin and the Downes which were located forward of the battleship Pennsylvania in Dry Dock Number One. They were hit at around the same time as the Shaw and were subjected to
having delivered Marine Corps fighters to Wake Island. Lexington and other ships of Task Force Twelve were enroute to
nearly all types of damage, including bomb hits, severe fires, explosions, and fragmentation damage. The bomb hits caused oil tanks to rupture and burst into flames, spreading fires throughout both ships which had to be abandoned. With water
USS
Official
^Although sounding Japanese, the tug's name actually coma part of the Sioux tribe of Indians.
memorated
National Archives
Enterprise (CV-6) Enroute to Pearl Harbor
- 31 -
Midway Island with a squadron of Marine Corps scout bombers. Saratoga was docked in San Diego. Earlier in the year, the carriers Hornet and Yorktown had been transferred to the Atlantic Fleet along with a number of battleships, cruisers, destroyers, oilers, and auxiliary vessels. In
the midst of the attack, eighteen Dauntless dive-bombers
from the carrier Enterprise flew into Pearl Harbor. Surprised, outnumbered, and low on fuel, most of them managed to land at various bases on Oahu. Also flying into Pearl Harbor during the attack were about twelve Army B-17 bombers from California. Unarmed and low on fuel, they were attacked by Japanese fighters and shot at by their own forces on the ground, but all of them managed to land at scattered locations all over Oahu. One even landed on a golf course. Over at Haleiwa Field, several Army pilots drove over from Wheeler Field, managed to take off in P-40's, returned them to Wheeler for additional ammunition,
amd eventually joined the aerial battle, claiming downed enemy planes in the process.
a
submarines with gunfire and depth charges about an hour before the attack. The destroyer Monaghan rammed and depth-charged another one, sinking it about 45 minutes after the attack had
commenced. Another midget submarine ran up on a reef near the entrance channel and it was fired upon by the destroyer Helm. But the Japanese submarine managed to slip away, submerge, and evade its searchers. Because the submarine had sustained damage, it eventually beached off Bellows Field on the windward side of Oahu where one officer surrendered. The other two small submarines were also lost, but their fate is uncertain. They may have been sunk by the various antisubmarine attacks reported by the light cruiser St. Louis, the destroyer Blue, and^the destroyer-minecraft Breese and Ramsey. None of the torpedoes fired by these midget submarines did any damage.
number of
Tank Farm For
Fuel-Oil Storage Near the Submarine Base
Beached Two-Man Japanese Submarine Near Bellows Field
Army
Signal Corps/
Hickam
AFB
The mission of the Japanese submarines assigned to the Advance Expeditionary Force was a complete failure. The long-range "I" type submarines did not torpedo a single one of the many ships that entered and departed from Pearl Harbor and Honolulu Harbor. Aggressive patrolling and depth-charging by U.S. destroyers and other patrol craft completely nullified the threat posed by these large submarines even though they remained deployed south of Oahu until mid-January of 1942. Planes from the carrier Enterprise sunk the !-70 in an attack on
December 10. The fate of the five midget submarines launched prior to the attack was equally dismal. One or more of them entered the harbor because the gate in the antitorpedo net was open for a number of hours. The destroyer Ward sunk one of these small
- 62 -
National Archives
After about two hours, the battle ended and the last enemy planes departed the islands and returned to their carriers. Losing only twenty-nine planes, the Japanese had accomplished what
they had set out to do and Admiral Nagumo decided against launching any further attacks. The Attack Force promptly
headed northward prove to
at high speed. Nagumo's decision would be very beneficial to the United States because a
number of important targets were left intact or only slightly damaged. Most of the Navy Yard and its repair shops and dry docks escaped serious damage. They would become indispensable in repairing, refloating, and reconditioning most of the ships that were sunk or damaged during the attack. In addition, the huge oil-storage tanks scattered around Pearl Harbor remained untouched. Although the attack was a smashing success, it would eventually become a hollow victory for the Japanese. Instead of dividing Americans, the attack united and aroused them and ended the indecisiveness, disunity, and delays that plagued both Congress and the nation.
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Chapter 4
Aftermath of the Attaek
Wrecked Engines of Army Air Corps P-40-B's at Hickam Field
of the 29 Japanese Planes Shot Down During the Pearl Harbor Attack
One
Official
Hawaii State Archives
Navy Photo
Ruined PBY at the Kaneohe Naval Air Station (There Were 36 PBYs at Kaneohe at the Time of the
Navy Photo/ Kaneohe MCAS
Official
Attack; 27 Were Destroyed; 6 Were Damaged; and the Remaining 3 Were
Out on
Burned-Out Tents
at
Wheeler Field
Army Signal Corps/ University of Hawaii Archives
damage was slight when compared to what the The homes in this photograph were destroyed by fire. Although three separate fires destroyed an enthat tire block in this district, the fire department concluded one projectile fired from Pearl Harbor started the first fire and that sparks probably caused the other two fires. 1
Patrol.)
Civilian
military
suffered.
King Streets
- 37 -
in
Honolulu
Camera Hawaii
Warhawk Pursuit Planes and Hangar at Wheeler Field
Curtiss P-40
at the Kaneohe Naval Air Station
Mass Burial
USS Arizona
as
Army
Signal Corps/
Hickam
AFB
Navy Photo/ Kaneohe MCAS
Official
She Appeared on December 12, 1941
Privately at
Owned
Vehicles
Kaneohe
Kaneohe
Sailors Placing Wreaths Over Graves of Fellow Shipmates Killed During the Pearl Harbor Attack
Navy Photo/ Kaneohe MCAS
Official
Navy Photo/ Kaneohe MCAS
Official
Official
- 38 -
Navy Photo
Chapter 5
Salvage Operations cofferdams to importance of
underwater repairs. Because of the formidable task at hand, Rear Admiral William R. Furlong, former Commander of Minecraft whose flagship Oglala had capsized, became the full-time Commandant facilitate
the
of the Pearl Harbor
Homer
which became
a part of
One
of the
Navy Photo
Official
9,
N. Wallin took over the Salvage Division
the Navy Yard.
most important projects of
early salvage
work
recovery of antiaircraft guns, their directors, ammunition, and other supporting equipment from the sunken or disabled ships. This equipment was either used on other ships or installed around Oahu's air bases and around the Pearl Harbor compound. In order to refloat and dry-dock the sunken ships, all guns above the water line as well as other heavy objects such as safes, boats, cranes, anchors, anchor chain, heavy machinery, ammunition, oil, and supplies had to be removed. Divers working in the murky waters of Pearl Harbor performed much of this recovery work. involved
(L to R) Rear Admiral William R.
Navy Yard on December 25. On January
1942, Captain
Furlong, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, and Captain Homer N. Wallin Inspecting Salvage Operations on the USS Oglala
the
The first order of salvage operations after the Pearl Harbor attack dealt with freeing trapped men, particularly those in the
Oklahoma and Utah. Using Morse code these men known by tapping on the structures with wrenches or other tools. By cutting holes through the bottoms of these ships, the rescue parties were able to reach a number of trapped men who had found safety in air pockets. The last man from the Oklahoma was not rescued until the early morning hours of December 9. capsized
made
,
their presence
Formal salvage operations began on December 14 under the Commander James M. Steele who had previously commanded the Utah. Several Honolulu companies provided hoisting barges and other waterfront equipment. The Pacific
direction of
Bridge
Company,
expertise
in
in
using
addition to furnishing divers, supplied its underwater concrete and building large
USS
Cassin in Dry
Dock Number One
National Archives
The less damaged ships received immediate attention. The battleship Pennsylvania was removed from Dry Dock Number
One on December 12 and the destroyer Downes was righted and set down on permanent blocks while the destroyer Cassin toppled condition. The Navy Yard replaced one damaged guns with another taken from the l/Vest Virginia. The cruiser Honolulu went into dry dock on December 13 and remained there until January 2 of the following year. The cruiser Helena also went into dry dock early during salvage operations, and on January 5, 1942, she sailed on half power for the Mare Island Navy Yard. Without dry-docking, the battleships Maryland and Tennessee were fully repaired by the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard and were ready for action by December 20, 1941.
remained
in
a
of Pennsylvania's
Removing a 14-Inch Gun From the Sunken Battleship California
Official
Navy Photo
The
hulls of the destroyers Cassin
and the machinery and usable
- 39 -
and Downes were scrapped and parts of these two
fittings
were sent to Mare Island where the ships were rebuilt using the labeled parts shipped from Pearl Harbor. Downes was completed in November of 1943 and Cassin in February of 1944. Both ships, initially classified as "lost," gave good acvessels
counts of themselves
in
various Pacific campaigns.
USS Nevada Entering Dry Dock on February 18, 1942
False Bow USS Shaw
The
Being Fitted on the
Official
Navy Photo
first
repair ship Vesta! received
craftsmen,
and
of the severely
1942, she was back
the
Navy Photo
and other electrical equipment were sent to the Navy Yard for drying out and reconditioning. In early February, six men were overcome by poison gas.l Thereafter, temporary ventilation was greatly increased and frequent air samples were taken. Divers spent over 950 hours doing salvage work on Nevada. On February 12, she floated again and was dry-docked on the 18th for additional repairs. On April 22, Nevada joined a convoy heading for the West Coast. She arrived at the Puget Sound Navy Yard on May 1. There she was totally overhauled and modernized, and she returned to active service in time to participate in the Aleutian Campaign in December of 1942.
temporary repairs from her Harbor Navy Yard finished permanent repairs in mid-February of 1942. Also about this time, the cruiser Raleigh departed on one engine for Mare Island and permanent repairs. The destroyer Shaw, originally thought to be a total loss, was fitted with a false bow in late January after her entire forward section was cut off. In addition, the Navy Yard installed a temporary mast and bridge. On February 9 amid great jubilation, Shaw departed for Mare Island, the
own
Official
Pearl
damaged in
ships to put to sea. By the fall of action and ultimately earned eleven battle
World War II. The Navy Yard constructed wooden and steel patches to cover bomb and torpedo holes on the battleship Nevada. As stars for service in
suction
pumps
gradually reduced the water level in the flooded smaller holes and drains and workmen cleaned the compartments of oil and refuse, using a hot caustic solution to cut the oil. Great care was used in safeguarding personal property and protecting classified information. Motors ship,
divers
plugged
Divers Emerging
From
the
Official
Navy Photo
Sunken Arizona While work proceeded on the Nevada, the Navy Yard conwooden cofferdams for the California and began applying patches to the West Virginia. Although the salvage of structed
the California was similar to Nevada's, California was much more severely damaged and the salvage work involved the recovery of a number of bodies. She came afloat on March 24 and was placed in dry dock on April 9. California left Pearl Harbor under her own power on October 10 for the Puget Sound Navy Yard where she was further repaired and modernized. Slightly less than one year later, she rejoined the Pacific Fleet, winning seven battle stars for World War II service.
1Jhe interaction of stagnant water and paper products Prefabricated Patch For a Torpedo Hole in the Battleship Nevada
Official
spaces caused hydrogen-sulphide gas to form. high concentrations, it is odorless. pressurized
Navy Photo
- 40-
in
In
Salvage
Work on the
Battleship
Official
Navy Photo
California
USS West
Virqinia
Approaching Dry Dock on June
Rejoined the Pacific Fleet
in
8,
1942 (She
Salvage Workers Preparing to Sink Pontoons in an Effort to Refloat the Capsized USS Ogla/a
Official
The Refloated Oglala Preparing to Leave Pearl Harbor For the
Navy Photo
Navy Photo
Official
Navy Photo
West Coast
dock itself might sustain serious damage. After several months, the Navy Yard decided to right the ship, refloat her, and put her into dry dock for repairs. By using pontoons and a wooden cofferdam, the Oglala was refloated after several tries and placed in dry dock on July 3. After temporary repairs at Pearl Harbor, she sailed under her own power to the West Coast where the Los Angeles Shipping Company refitted Oglala as a repair vessel for diesel propelled craft (ARG-1) and she was recommissioned on February 28, 1944.
Oglala was considered to be a total loss and the only work done on the minelayer was removing her masts and topside structure. In order to free urgently needed dock space, the Navy Yard proposed beaching her or burying her at sea since she was an old ship. Another proposal put forth
the
Initially,
early
Official
July of 1944.)
salvage
dynamited and for underwater divers and cutters to collect the pieces for urgently needed scrap. But this plan had serious drawbacks, since crane service and underwater cutters were at a premium and the possibility existed that called for the ship to be
- 41 -
Righting of the
USS Oklahoma
Although the
made
size
Official
and general condition of the Oklahoma Navy decided to rid the harbor
at a critical time, greatly
salvage questionable, the
make the berth available for other ships. The Navy worked closely with the Pacific Bridge Company on a scheme to first right the ship and then dry-dock it for repairs. Twenty-one electric shore winches anchored in concrete were on Ford Island to right the ship. An air bubble, divided into five parts to prevent loss of air pressure for the whole ship installed
Official
lightened the ship's weight. Prior to
and during the righting operation, strain gauges insured that an equal pull was being applied on each hauling wire as the winches were operated in unison. When Oklahoma was nearly upright, divers cut away structural wreckage and took measurements for temporary patches. In addition to the patches, a wooden cofferdam helped improve the ship's stability during refloating.
of a derelict and
O/f/a/roma in Dry Dock After Being Stripped of Her Guns and Auxiliary
Navy Photo
Navy Photo
Sunken Remains of the t/SS C/fa/? After Being Partially Righted
Official
Navy Photo
Machinery
Oklahoma was placed
Because of the Utah's capsized position in a nonessential salvage personnel gave her a low priority. Eventually, some ordnance material was removed from the Utah and she was partly righted in early 1944. But the Navy deemed future salvage work uneconomical and no further work was performed on her. The Navy decided not to distrub the final resting place
dry dock on December 28, 1943 with a list of nearly three degrees to starboard in order to favor the port side and its patches. During the ship's time in the Navy Yard, she was stripped of her guns and some of her auxiliary machinery. Because of Oklahoma's extensive damage, no thought was given to return her to active service. Decommissioned on September 1, 1944, she was sold for scrap in early December of 1946. On May 10, 1947, she left Pearl Harbor in
tow
in
berth,
of the
West Coast. However, on May 17, during a storm about 500 miles northeast of Hawaii, the tow line parted and Oklahoma plunged to the depths of the Pacific Ocean. for the
men
still
entombed
in
the Utah.
1
1A memorial for the Utah was constructed on Ford Island and formally dedicated on May 27, 1972. Utah Senator Frank E. Moss was the guest speaker.
at sea
- 42 -
Chapter 6
The War Y ears EXTU
jj^onoluiu
WAHI fUl
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 7.- President Roosevelt announced this morning that Japanese planes had attacked Manila and Pearl Harhor.
IMia
JtfUESE six
KNOWN
DEAD, 21 INJURED, AT
landing sites were intentionally littered with old trucks, large pieces of scrap, tree branches, and other obstacles. When these and other materials were not available, open trenches crisscrossed park lawns, ripe pineapple fields, and even school
The Army took over all civilian airports and The Hawaii Territorial Guard was called into service and ROTC units from the University of Hawaii and Oahu's high schools formed the nucleus of this organization. Other groups including the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Legionnaires to name only playgrounds.
grounded
all
private planes.
a few, sprang hospitals, the
IT
and
fire units,
into action and offered their services to area Major Disaster Council, first-aid stations, police and anyone else needing assistance.
HUES EMERGENCY HOSPITAL
Honolulu Star-Bulletin/Branch 46,
FRA
iMi mm*» V
-
The Two Top-Ranking Army and Navy Officials in Hawaii:
Short
—
L
National Archives
Kimmel —
Official
Navy Photo
Gen. Walter C. Short (Left) and Admiral Husband E. Kimmel Lt.
Lieutenant General Army's Hawaiian Department, visited Governor Joseph B. Poindexter to ask for martial law. Short told the governor about the damage at Pearl Harbor and Hickam Field and expressed his fears that the Japanese would attempt an invasion the next day aided by local Japanese saboteurs. He further stated that martial law was "absolutely necessary" for the military to function adequately in the face of an invasion or local uprisings. Reluctant to relinquish control, Governor Poindexter telephoned President Roosevelt and discussed the situation with him. Poindexter felt that under the circumstances, he should defer to the judgment of the military. Roosevelt approved. Assuming that martial law would last only a short time,l Poindexter issued a proclamation later in the day placing the territory under martial law and suspending the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus. The
Shortly after Walter C. Short,
proclamation
Armed
Sentries
Territorial
From
Hawaii's
Guard on Duty
Downtown Honolulu
at a
University of Hawaii Archives
exercise
all
noon on December
Commanding General
also
the
authorized
the
7,
of the
commanding
general
to
powers normally exercised by the governor
and further authorized the commanding general to exercise the powers normally exercised by judicial officers and employees of the territory. General Short likewise issued a proclamation in which he declared that he was taking over the government and assuming the position of military governor of Hawaii.
Building
(Glass Doors and Windows Were Taped to Prevent Shattering.)
Shortly after the Japanese attack ended. Army troops took up defensive positions around the perimeters of the main islands to meet any anticipated landing attempts from the sea. Possible
f
- 43 -
Actually, martial law continued for almost three years.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt Asking Congress For a Declaration of Warf Against Japan on Dec. 8, 1941
National Archives
Governor Poindexter (Left) and Honolulu
Mayor
Lester Petrie Being
University of
Hawaii Archives
Fingerprinted
As soon as martial law was declared, Army Intelligence, aided by the FBI and local police, started arresting residents who were considered dangerous. Working from lists that were prepared months in advance, the arresting officers rounded up most of the Oahu suspects in a matter of hours. By the end of the following day, 482 suspects were in custody at the Immigration Station — 370 Japanese, 98 Germans, and 14 Italians. In addition, surveillance was established over several hundred other suspects. The Japanese consulate in Honolulu had been placed under guard around noon on December 7, and sacks of papers were seized and turned over to Army and Navy authorities. On December 8, civil-court functions were suppressed. Working from plans made months before Pearl Harbor, the military
Army Tanks Guard to lolani Palace
the Entrance
governor's executive officer, Lt. Col. Thomas H. Green, set up new system to administer criminal laws in the territory. Henceforth, civilians would be tried in provost courts presided over by Army officers. The penalties handed down would have
Werner Stoy/ Camera Hawaii
a
Housing many
important territorial offices, lolani Palace beehive of activity as Army units surrounded the palace and the military governor's executive officer set up headquarters inside. Suddenly, the tranquil paradise of the
became
Pacific
no regard to the provisions of Hawaii's or the United States'
a
statutes.
On December 20, the military governor froze wages and terms of employment for Oahu's war workers as of December 7. A week later, the registration and fingerprinting of the entire civilian population over six years of age began on Oahu. In March of the following year, it was extended to the outer islands. All islanders were required to carry identification cards bearing their fingerprints and fines were levied against those caught without one. To discourage hoarding and to prevent large amounts of cash from being available to foreign agents or invaders, islanders were forbidden to hold more than $200 in cash after January, 1942. Businesses could not hold more than $500 except to meet payrolls.
was transformed into an armed camp. Martial law put
into effect blackouts, curfews, the regulation of food sales, gasoline rationing, censorship of mail and news releases originating in Hawaii, a realignment of business hours to conform
to the blackouts, temporary prohibition, and countless other restrictions. In addition, a number of publications, especially those owned or controlled by Japanese, were discontinued. 1 Thirty -three minutes after Roosevelt gave his famous "Day of Infamy" speech. Congress passed a resolution declaring that
a state of
war existed between Japan and the United
States.
- 44 -
Japanese message indicating that a surprise move was imminent. Nor was the public informed about the total extent of the losses suffered at Pearl Harbor and the insufficiency of fighter planes, antiaircraft guns, and radar on Oahu. By inference, these omissions placed the blame squarely on Hawaii's top military commanders, Kimmel and Short.
Pyramidal Tents Under Construction Sand Island Detention Center
Honolulu Publishing
Company
at the
On December
8, the Sand Island Detention ’Center was Located near Honolulu Harbor, the center occupied the existing facilities of the Territorial Quarantine Hospital. Within a week, about 300 Japanese had been transferred to the newly activated center. The Army added various improvements, including a trio of fences and pyramidal tents for ''temporary'' living quarters to supplement the four two-story buildings already on the grounds. Divided into four compounds, the center could accommodate approximately 400 people at any one time. In Hawaii, alien- and native-born Japanese accounted for slightly more than one-third of the total population of the islands, or roughly 157,000 persons. Since Hawaii was over 2,000 miles closer to the war zone and would soon become a
activated.
many people, administration in Washington, wanted a complete evacuation of the Japanese in Hawaii similar to that being conducted on the West Coast. Although detailed plans had been drawn up to evacuate some 100,000 Japanese to the mainland or to move them to another island, preferably Molokai, neither plan was adopted. During the entire war, only 1,8751 persons of Japanese ancestry were moved from Hawaii to mainland relocation and internment camps. Most of those sent to the mainland were "Issei" (first generation) or "Kibei" (dual vast staging area for future military operations,
including
citizens
the
educated
in
Japan).
Citizens Attempting to Book Passage Out of Honolulu Shortly After War Was Declared^
Secretary of the IMavy Frank
Knox
Werner Stoy/ Camera Hawaii
National Archives
Desiring to view the destruction at Pearl Harbor firsthand and hoping to ward off a nasty Congressional investigation. Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox traveled to Hawaii, arriving on the morning of December 11 in a Navy seaplane. On that date, both Germany and Italy declared war on the United States and Congress responded in kind. Staying only a few days, Knox promptly returned to Washington and made a report to President Roosevelt on December 14. His report blamed Japanese fifth columnists in Hawaii and inadequate fighter planes and antiaircraft guns. He did not accuse either Admiral Kimmel or Lt. Gen. Short of any dereliction of duty. But at a press con-
Werner Stoy/
Civilians Being Instructed in
Camera Hawaii
the Use of Gas Masks
IWar Relocation Authority figures. Only 981 were sent to the mainland during the first weeks of the war. Many later arrivals were family members who were allowed to join the internees.
2Close to 30,000 people were evacuated to the mainland during the first few months of the war. Most of them were
ference held later, Knox omitted, for security reasons, the fact that Kimmel and Short had not been informed of a decoded
military dependants and island
- 45 -
women and
children.
The Roberts Comm.ission2
in
Hawaii to
Investigate the Pearl Harbor Attack
University of
Hawaii Archives
Operations had all fulfilled their obligations by consulting and cooperating with each other and with their superiors, and had given warning of probable hostilities to the responsible commanders in the Hawaiian area. The report concluded that the lack of readiness in Hawaii was due to the failure of Kimmel and Short to take the necessary actions and properly evaluate the
The commission cited these errors causes for the success of the attack. While a majority of Americans apparently agreed with the commission's verdict, a ground swell for further investigations soon developed both in Congress and in the press. The Roberts report only opened the door for further and wider investigations.^ seriousness of the situation. of
Lieutenant General Delos C. (Center),
New Commanding
Emmons
Werner Stoy/ Camera Hawaii
General of
the Hawaiian Department
judgment
as the effective
commission consisting of and one civilian to investigate the Pearl Harbor attack, determine responsibility for its success, and make recommendations. Headed by Associate Supreme Court Justice Owen J. Roberts, the commission also included: Major General Frank R. McCoy, USA (Retired); Brigadier General Joseph T. McNarney, USA; Admiral William H. Standley, USN (Retired); and Rear Admiral Joseph M. Roosevelt appointed
President
two Army
Reeves,
officers,
USN
two Navy
(Retired).
a
officers,
On December
17,
1941, before the
commission started holding meetings in Washington, the White House performed a major house-cleaning task: it replaced Hawaii's top military commatiders.i This action clearly indicated to the American public, and undoubtedly to the commission as well, that as far as the White House was concerned, the blame for Pearl Harbor was in Hawaii and not in Washington!
Barbed Wire Strung on Waikiki Beach in Anticipation of a Japanese Invasion
On January 24, the commission made its report public. The report stated that the Secretaries of State, War, and the Navy and the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Chief of Naval
Werner Stoy/Camera Hawaii
^Counting Knox's personal inquiry, there were nine investigations into the tragedy of Pearl Harbor between December 11, 1941 and May 31, 1946. The last, the U.S. Congress Joint
1 Admiral Chester W. Nimitz replaced Admiral Kimmel as Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet; Lieutenant General Delos C. Emmons replaced Lieutenant General Short as Commanding General of the Hawaiian Department; and Major General Clarence L. Tinker replaced Major General Frederick L. Martin as Commander of the Army Air Force in Hawaii. Kimmel and Short were allowed to retire without facing trials by courts-
Committee on the Investigation of the Pearl Harbor Attack, contains 39 volumes and includes the reports issued by the Roberts Commission, the Army Pearl Harbor Board, the Navy Court of Inquiry, and the Hewitt Inquiry together with endorsements and other supporting material. The other three investigations were the Hart Inquiry (Navy), the Clarke Investigation (Army), and the Clausen Investigation (Army). These various investigations left many crucial questions in doubt as field officers and the Washington establishment traded charges and countercharges, witnesses changed their testimony, and files were destroyed or "mislaid."
martial.
2Members of the Roberts Commission are: (L to R) Admiral William H. Standley; Associate Supreme Court Justice Owen J. Roberts; Rear Admiral Joseph M. Reeves; Major General Frank R. McCoy; and Brigadier General Joseph T. McNarney.
- 46 -
Harbor, Admiral Nimitz and his staff had the priceless advanknowing Japan's intentions. The cracking of the topsecret Japanese naval code, the constant surveillance and interpretation of all Japanese radio traffic, and the invaluable assistance provided by "coast watchers," mostly Australians left behind on Japanese-occupied islands, all combined to give Nimitz a remarkably accurate forecast of Japanese planning. tage of
During the early months of 1942, Nimitz had cautiously begun to carry the war back to the Japanese using his carriers. Doolittle's raid on Tokyo strengthened Admiral Yamamoto's argument for the seizure of Midway which could be used for future attacks on Hawaii and possibly the West Coast of the United States. The Japanese hoped that such an attack would force the Pacific Fleet into action while the odds were still in Japan's favor. Japan's Imperial Headquarters concurred and then reached an agreement to capture Port Moresby in New Guinea in May, seize Midway and the Aleutiansi in June, and move against Fiji, Samoa, and New Caledonia in July. stop any further Japanese advances in the New Guineaarea, Nimitz sent the carriers Lexington and Yorktown, together with their task forces, to rendezvous with another joint Australian-American force in the Coral Sea in early
To
Solomons
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Assuming
Official
May. The ensuing Battle of the Coral Sea became the first in naval history in which no ship on either side ever caught sight of an enemy ship, the whole battle being fought by carrier-based aircraft. With both sides evenly matched, the battle was over by noon on May 8, and each side suffered heavy losses.^
Navy Photo
Command
of the Pacific Fleet Aboard the Submarine Grayling
Admiral Nimitz arrived at Pearl Harbor on Christmas Day and assumed command of the Pacific Fleet on December 31, 1941. Morale at Pearl Harbor had reached an all-time low as the Japanese retained the initiative. In early January of 1942, Japanese planes began pounding the advanced Australian air base at Rabaul in the Bismarcks as a prelude to an amphibious landing later in the month which quickly overwhelmed the small Australian garrison there. A deep-running torpedo struck the carrier Saratoga on January 1 1 some 500 miles southwest of Oahu, but she managed to return to Pearl Harbor under her own power. Shortly thereafter, she proceeded on to Bremerton for permanent repairs and modernization. The United States naval station at Pago Pago in Samoa was shelled by a Japanese submarine prior to the arrival of Marine reinforcements. Also, the oiler Neches was torpedoed and sunk on January 23. With no other tanker to spare, a bombing attack on Wake had to be called off. In addition, the Pacific Fleet was stretched to the limit providing escorts for convoys between Hawaii and the West Coast and to other Pacific bases and Australia.
Admiral Nimitz on the Flight Deck USS Enterprise Decorating Members of Her Crew For Gallantry
By May 21, Nimitz and his staff at Pearl Harbor had an accurate outline of the Japanese plan to attack Midway and the western Aleutians thanks to the tireless efforts of his codebreakers, led by Commander Joseph J. Rochefort. In a few more days, Rochefort would provide the key missing pieces of Admiral Yamamoto's master plan; the precise times and dates. On May 27, Nimitz interrupted his schedule of intense briefing sessions to attend a ceremony on the flight deck of the carrier Enterprise to decorate members of her crew for gallantry earned in earlier operations. Later that afternoon, whistles and cheering sailors welcomed the arrival of the crippled carrier Yorktown as she slowly entered the harbor trailing a long oil slick. Tugs immediately nudged the carrier into dry dock. Several hours later, Nimitz joined dock workers surveying Yorktown's hull damage. A number of her bottom plates had been sprung open
February and March, the tide began to turn somewhat as United States carriers conducted raids on Wake Island and the Marshall Islands. These raids, while not dealing the enemy a severe blow, nevertheless helped boost Navy morale and made Admiral Halsey the country's first naval hero of the war. In addition, the carrier Lexington, operating some 3,000 miles from Pearl Harbor, took part in the first aerial fight between Japanese and American carrier planes deep in JapaneseIn
controlled waters, some 300 miles east of Rabaul. This action further helped to enhance the morale of all carrier pilots in the fleet. Also Admiral Nimitz, who retained nearly all of Kimmel's staff, helped restore confidence to the defeated fleet through his calm and gentle demeanor and his courage, tact, and leadership.
Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt had agreed at the Arcadia Conference, held in Washington in January of 1942, that the first priority should be the war against Germany. The strategy in the Pacific would be defensive until the European
war turned
National Archives
of the
^The
of the western Aleutians would block the from the United States to Japan and also serve
seisure
shortest route
as a diversion for the
and the growing military power of the United States enabled the Allies to take the offensive. At Pearl for the better
2 In
States
- 47 -
Navy
Midway
attack.
the carrier Lexington, the United lost the destroyer Sims and the fleet oiler Neosho.
addition
to
losing
by near misses from Japanese bombs dropped in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Nimitz had to have her repaired in three days so that she could join the Midway operation. Some 1,400 shipyard workers labored around-the-clock welding large steel patches on her hull, shoring up bulkheads, and completing other temporary repairs. Although she couldn't be restored to full watertight integrity or make full speed, Yorktown was steaming off Oahu on May 30 receiving her complement of aircraft.
War Dog
in Trainirtg at
Armstrong on Oahu
Fort
U.S.
Army Signal Corps/ Army Museum
Hawaii
Beginning in May of 1942, island residents were urged to "volunteer" their dogs to the military for war work. The "Dogs for Defense" training center established at Fort Armstrong on Oahu, with branches on Maui and Kauai, was one of a number of such centers opened throughout the country. Out of some 3,000 dogs "volunteered" by their owners in Hawaii, about 900 were eventually accepted after having qualified as to size, age,
Douglas Devastator Torpedo-Bombers on the Flight Deck of the Enterprise Enroute to the Battle of Midway
National Archives
For the invasion of Midway and the diversionary invasion of the western Aleutians, Admiral Yamamoto, undeterred by the results of the Coral Sea Battle, assembled a sizeable armada of surface ships including 4 fleet carriers, 4 light and 4 seaplane carriers, and over 170 other vessels. Expecting to achieve surprise, Yamamoto believed that American forces would not leave Pearl Harbor until after Midway had been invaded. Moreover, he also believed that
two American
carriers
temperament, aggressiveness, and physical
fitness.
Dogs
designated for sentry and patrol duty received six weeks of training and were assigned to serve in Hawaii and many forward areas. Others, designated to serve as scout or attack dogs, received more training and saw action on many of the major battlefields, including Guadalcanal and Okinawa. The Army
assumed no responsibility for the dogs other than to return to their owners at the end of the war. Prior to being discharged, the dogs were returned to Fort Armstrong for deprogramming to "unlearn" everything vicious they had
them
been taught.
had been sunk
the Battle of the Coral Sea and that two others were operating in southern waters near Australia so that Nimitz would have no carriers to use against him. But Nimitz had three fleet carriers (Enterprise, Yorktown, and Hornet) to throw against Yamamoto's formidable force. In addition, Nimitz would utilize the defense forces of Midway and the Aleutians. in
The subsequent American victory at Midway in early June marked the turning point in the Pacific war and the beginning of Hawaii's change from an outpost of defense to a staging area for future operations as the United States prepared to take the initiative. This victory, which was Japan's greatest naval defeat in its recent history, bought time for the United States to rebuild
her battle fleet and put her immense industrial resources to work. It also avenged the attack on Pearl Harbor.^ All that the Japanese had to show for their grandiose operation was the occupation of two remote islands in the Aleutians which were lost the following year. Although Hawaii's citizens could now breathe a sigh of relief, it would take another six months for General Emmons to announce that the islands were safe from invasion even though the possibility still lingered that the Japanese might launch air raids or commando attacks against critical
military targets.
New Japanese
Pacific Basin Enterprises Issue of Currency2 Used in Hawaii Between July, 1942 and October, 1944 (Shown Smaller Than Actual Size)
four carriers: the Akagi, Admiral Nagumo's flagship; the Soryu; the Kaga; and the Hiryu. All had been veterans of the Pearl Harbor attack. The United States lost only one carrier, the Yorktown. ^All
together,
the
lost
2The new currency, issued to prevent hoarding and amounts out of the hands of foreign agents and
to further avenge the Pearl Harbor attack, U.S. Army fighters shot down the plane carrying Admiral Yamamoto to a base in the Solomon Islands in April of 1943. Thus ended the
As
large
if
was imprinted with "HAWAII" on the obverse and had the serial numbers and seal in a different color (brown). The regular currency that was exchanged for the new bills was burned under the supervision of a committee representing the major Honolulu banks. invaders,
reverse and
career of the Japanese naval officer who had conceived the attack on Pearl Harbor. Intercepted radio messages had warned
the Americans of
to keep
possible
Yamamoto's movements.
- 48 -
authorities governed the day-to-day activities of
all
civilians
who
and worked in the territory. Whenever any new civilian problem arose, be it traffic control, collection of garbage, rent control, or regulation of bars and restaurants, the military's quick answer was another general order. Every violation called for punishment by fine or imprisonment or both. Minor offenders were tried before the provost courts which imposed lived
up to $5,000 or imprisonment up to five years or both. Major offenses were tried before military commissions which were authorized to award the death penalty. Deficiencies in the general orders themselves didn't matter since the provostcourt judges interpreted them and convicted the defendant for fines
violating the "spirit" of the general order. The vast majority of cases tried in Hawaii by military authorities were before provost
University of
Businessmen's Military Training Corps With Antitank Gun (Aug. 30, 1942)
Hawaii Archives
To supplement the regular defensive forces in Hawaii, the Army formed the Organized Defense Volunteers. At their peak 1942, these volunteers numbered some 20,000 men and 400 women. Serving as secondary troops, they guarded beaches and other important points, aided the provost marshal for in traffic control and riot duty, acted as guides and scouts regular troops who were unfamiliar with the terrain or populacarrying out a tion, and stood ready to assist the Army in Many of the occur. invasion an should plan'' earth" "scorched in
the
fall
individual
of
units
were made up of plantation workers
who
covered the rural areas of the islands. Honolulu had three groups: the Businessmen's Military Training Corps (BMTC), composed of Caucasians and part-Hawaiians; the Hawaii Defense Volunteers, composed primarily of Chinese, but it also included other races; and the Women's Army Volunteer Corps whose members were trained to take over men's jobs, thereby freeing them for active service in an emergency. Many members of the BMTC had served in World War and consequently their average age was higher than the other groups. Appearing to be everywhere, these volunteers discouraged sabotage, helped to reassure the population, and channeled patriotic fervor into constructive I
courts and the defendant could not appeal the sentence imposed upon him. patriotic fervor high, the provost courts Initially, with received favorable comments from civic and business leaders for their swift and sure methods of administering justice. But as
moved farther from Hawaii, lawyers and community leaders began criticizing the provost courts and the military for their unlawful searches and seizures, arrest and detention with-
the war
bail, trials without juries in criminal cases, and the continued suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. Following the appointment of Ingram M. Stainbacks as Hawaii's new governor, the War Department and the Interior Department reached an understanding that there would be a substantial modification of martial law. But the military in Hawaii stubbornly resisted
out
and gave up only some of
its
jurisdiction.
Realizing that the military governor did not intend to surrender the reins of power without a fight. Governor Stainback and his attorney general. Garner Anthony (a vocal critic of martial law), flew to Washington to put their case before the Secretary of the Interior, Harold L. Ickes. In Washington, Joseph R. Farrington, Hawaii's newly elected delegate to Congress, gave his unqualified support to the governor and his attorney general. Following several lengthy conferences, mili-
action.
Hawaii State Archives Restoration Day Ceremony in the Hall of Representatives^ (March 10, 1943)
Under assumed
martial all
for taxation.
the military governor of Hawaii had executive, and judicial powers except simply promulgating general orders, military law,
legislative,
By
Hawaii Archives
^Stainback was a judge of the United States District Court
value.
for the Territory of Hawaii. Martial
the center of this picture are: (L to R) Governor Stainback, at desk with leis; Harold Rice, President
^Dignitaries seated
University of
Gen. Robert C. Richardson, Jr. Becomes the New Commanding General of the Hawaiian Dept, in Ceremonies Held on June 1, 19434 Lt.
(Center)
^This highly secret plan sought to deprive the conquerors, as well as the conquered, of such basic essentials as food, water, transportation, and electricity. It also called for the demolition of harbor facilities, bridges, and other structures of military
law
all
but closed up his
and he was appointed legal advisor to the military governor, a position in which he rendered little advice.
in
division
of the Senate; Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, with leis; and Roy Vitousek, Speaker of the House. The Hall of Representatives was in the throne room of lolani Palace.
'*Lt. is
- 49 -
Gen.
on the
Emmons
right.
is
on the
left
and Governor Stainback
tary and civilian authorities reached a compromise agreement which returned some eighteen functions to civil authorities. But the military would continue with a modified form of martial law and would maintain control over certain other areas such as labor, vice, and curfew violations. In addition, petitions for writs of habeas corpus were still forbidden. In
face-saving
a
move. Governor Stainback
rope and suspension bridges and a fifty-foot tower to train men how to jump off cliffs into the water below. Later a model village
dubbed
"Little
Tokyo" was
built to give the
men
training
house-to-house street fighting in anticipation of an invasion of mainland Japan. As the war progressed, Oahu alone had over in
fifty sizeable
Army
reservations.
and General
Emmons
each issued identical proclamations so as to avoid a admission that the military was retreating from its illegal^ control of civil government. The proclamations were issued concurrently on February 8, 1943 and they took effect
public
civil authority. At a cerethe throne room of lolani Palace on March 10, civilian and military leaders observed "Restoration Day." On June 1, Lieutenant General Robert C. Richardson, Jr. replaced Lieutenant General Emmons as Hawaii's military governor. The Office of Military Governor continued to function without change until July 21, 1944 when its name was changed to the
on March 10, substantially restoring
mony
held
in
Office of Internal Security. General orders were few in number thereafter and were concerned only with military matters. Three months later in a proclamation signed by President Roosevelt, martial law in Hawaii
Army
Exercises in Amphibious Warfare Being Conducted on the Beach at the Waimanalc Amphibious Training Center
was formally abolished on October 24,
1944. Simultaneously with the termination of martial law, the President signed Executive Order No. 9489 which allowed General Richardson to designate Hawaii as a military area and issue security orders to control curfews, blackouts, air raids, enemy aliens, travel, censorship, and ports and harbors. Astonishingly, curfews and blackouts were maintained until July 11, 1945!
U.S. Army/ University of
Hawaii Archives
on Oahu Naval installations in the Hawaiian Islands also devoured thousands of acres of land to meet war demands. Amphibious training centers opened at Waianae in mid-1943 and later at Waimanalo, training tens of thousands of men in island warfare. The Pearl Harbor Navy Yard expanded by six or seven times in terms of new shops, equipment, and pier capacity. On the base itself, warehouses, storage areas, and ammunition dumps overflowed in all directions. Over a thousand acres at Iroquois Point were condemned for an important staging area. Many other acres around Pearl Harbor were used for warehouses, hospitals, and other uses. The Navy dredged Keehi Lagoon and turned it into a seaplane mooring basin in October of 1944. Being adjacent to Honolulu's commercial airport, the two became the Honolulu Naval Air Station whose far borders touched the Army's large air headquarters, Hickam Field. Together they evolved into a gigantic air-transport network moving cargo, passengers, mail, and casualties. In addition, both the Army and the Navy burrowed deep underground facilities for storing gasoline, oil, and ammunition.
U.S. Army/ University of Hawaii Archives
Three Visiting U.S. Senators^ Learn How to Fire Hand-Held Knee Mortars at the Ranger and Combat Training School at Schofield Barracks O
The
savage,
six
months
of jungle
fighting
that charac-
seesaw struggle to wrest Guadalcanal from the fanatical Japanese defenders demonstrated the need to train American troops in jungle warfare. In December of 1942, the Army opened the Ranger and Combat Training School at Schofield Barracks. From a small beginning, the school quickly expanded as the Army created a jungle in the hills and valleys of central Oahu complete with cleverly camouflaged dugouts and connecting foxholes. The Army also built a stream with terized
the
’On February 25, 1946, the U.S. Supreme Court, Duncan v. Kahanamoku by a six-to-two
the case of
ruling in
decision,
AJA's^ Assembled on the Grounds of lolani Palace in Honolulu Prior to Joining Mainland Elements
held that martial law as exercised in Hawaii far surpassed the authority granted in the Hawaiian Organic Act. By the time this decision was rendered, most provost-court prisoners had already
been released and few sought redress
in
the courts.
^Left to right, the Senators are; Ralph 0. Brewster of Maine; Albert B. Chandler of Kentucky, being instructed by Lt. Col. Francois D'Eliscu (in T-shirt); and James Mead of New York.
of the
442nd Regimental Combat
Team
at
Camp
Hawaii State Archives
Shelby, Mississippi
^The excellent battle record achieved by the AJA's (Americans of Japanese Ancestry) in numerous European campaigns helped rebuild public confidence in the Japanese community.
^August, 1942 to February, 1943.
- 50-
Neighbor Island
Army camps were
usually smaller and
more
widely scattered. Maui had two naval air stations, a large Marine camp (Camp Maui), and the Navy Demolition Training Station at
Kamaole. Maui also had close to
fifty training areas
where
Marines practiced amphibious landings and underwent jungle training. The uninhabited island of Kahoolawe and several isolated parts of Molokai were used for target practice. Molokai also
had
a
small naval air station.
Camp Tarawa was
the Big
Marine camp, located at Kamuela. Naval activities were concentrated at the Hilo Naval Air Station. On Kauai, the Army built an airport at Barking Sands and the Navy and Coast Guard took over the waterfront at Nawiliwili. The Marines also conducted amphibious and jungle training on Kauai. Island's largest
Soldiers and Sailors in
The
Company
First
Stationed
in
of WAC's to be the Pacific Theater
Hawaii State Archives
on Liberty in 1944
hundred men or even one for every one thousand men, depending on who you believed. In addition, training schools and practice maneuvers seemed to occupy most of the servicemen's time. Wartime pressures often made salesclerks, bus drivers, and other service-related people rude and uncaring. Mainland promoters were plentiful, hawking their "get rich quick" schemes on unsuspecting and naive young men. Hotel Street became one of the most famous thoroughfares in the Pacific, offering an assortment of honky-tonk bars and cheap attractions. Houses of prostitution flourished as the "ladies of the evening" competed with the bars, shooting galleries, tatoo parlors, swing bands, and the like for the Gl's dollars. In
Arrive in Honolulu
marked contrast
to the activities being
seedier parts of Honolulu,
(Note the Aloha Tower
in
Hawaii State Archives
Downtown Honolulu
many
conducted
homes
in
the
the city took in aviators and submariners in need of rest and relaxation. Some of these homes were large private estates located in lush green valleys or near private beaches. The host or hostess paid all
Camouflage.)
private
in
expenses for food, entertainment, and lodging. The Army and Navy YMCA, rechristened the USO Army and Navy Club,
Troops Embarking at Pearl Harbor
a
Navy Transport
Official
Navy Photo Jerry Colona (With Mustache) and Bob Hope (Far Right) at Schofield Barracks During One of Their
The number of troops in the islands fluctuated sharply as the United States launched its various offensives against Japanesein the Central Pacific. Army strength on Oahu from around 43,000 at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack to a high of 253,000 in June of 1945 as the United States planned an offensive against Japan itself. Naval strength in the 14th Naval District was around 5,800 when the war started, reaching a peak of over 137,000 in December of 1944. Marine Corps strength varied the most, climbing from less than 7,500 in late 1943 to a high of 1 16,000 in August of 1945.
held
islands
USO
varied
The
Tours
a centrally-located point in downtown Honolulu for dances, silent movies, auctions, and other types of entertainment. The USO also sponsored many tours by Hollywood stars like Bob Hope, Jerry Colona, Jack Benny, Betty Hutton, Boris Karloff, and many others. The Navy took over the Royal
provided
a day while enlisted Fort DeRussy catered mostly to Army personnel and was the biggest recreation center in the midPacific with its clubs, dance floors, and large swimming beach.
Hawaiian Hotel, charging officers $1.00
men
thousands of servicemen and defense workers who came to Hawaii expected to find soft moonlight, waving palm trees, sunny beaches, and beautiful girls. While these distinctive features of Hawaii were present, they were very elusive. Blackouts and curfews limited social activities and the opportunity to enjoy the soft moonlight. Hordes of people crowded the beaches, diminishing the beauty supplied by nature. Girls were in short supply, there being one for every one
hundreds
U.S. Army/ University of Hawaii Archives
of
paid
nothing.
At the opposite end of Waikiki Beach, the Navy opened "The Breakers" which provided activities similar to those offered by Fort DeRussy. Likewise, Kilauea Military Camp on the Big Island served as a vacation and rest spot, as did "The Tradewinds" on Maui.
- 51 -
near the top in monthly competitions with all other naval establishments in the country. Fund-raising organizations such as the USO, the Red Cross, Community Chest, March of Dimes, and the Army and Navy Relief Societies, also received generous donations of money, food, and clothing.
(L to R) General Douglas MacArthur, President Franklin D, Roosevelt,
University of
Hawaii Archives
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, and Admiral William D. Leahy
By mid- 1944,
military strategists had completed plans for an Formosa and the shores of China, using some troops. In July, President Roosevelt journeyed to
offensive to take
696,000
Hawaii to meet with Admiral Nimitz and General MacArthur in an attempt to personally arbitrate the bitter differences that the
two
military
leaders had concerning future offensives in the Pacific. MacArthur, feeling honor-bound to recapture the Philippines, strenuously opposed by-passing them. He also pointed out the great difficulty the services would have in amassing so many troops for the Formosa and China Operation.
Roosevelt tended to sympathize with MacArthur, and after he returned to Washington, Roosevelt canceled the proposed offensive. Instead, General Buckner's 10th Army was scheduled for
Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and MacArthur was ordered to take
the Philippines. In a
number of
naval battles that followed in the Leyte Gulf, destroyed the Japanese Imperial Navy. In future engagements, the Imperial Navy could no longer effectively challenge the United States Navy. Without adequate naval forces, the Japanese resorted to kamikaze or suicide
American
attacks
pilots
virtually
an attempt to neutralize the American Fleet. Locked into their bomb-filled planes, the kamikaze pilots operated as human guided missiles, crashing their planes into enemy ships. in
In early January of 1945, Admiral Nimitz moved his headquarters from Pearl Harbor to Guam in order to be closer to the battle front. In mid-February, the first of many groups of American prisoners of war began arriving in Hawaii after they
Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz^
Official
Navy Photo
Signs the Japanese Surrender
Document on Board the USS Missouri Beginning in early July, the Allies launched an unprecedented air blitz against Japan itself, using carrier and land-based
These attacks were supplemented by naval artillery barrages launched from the battleships Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. While these attacks destroyed much of Japan's industrial capacity, the Japanese government seemed to be preparing for a final” confrontation. American military planners estimated that an invasion of Japan might cost as many as one million casualties! President Truman and his advisors then decided to use the atomic bomb in an effort to bring the war to a quick end. On August 6, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, leveling the city and killing over 80,000 people. Three days later, a second atomic bomb planes.
produced On Auannounced Japan's acceptance of an unconditional surrender. On September 2, 1945, Japan formally surrendered in a ceremony held on board the battleship Af/ssot/n anchored in Tokvo Bav similarly devastating results on the city of Nagasaki. gust 15 (Japanese time). Emperor Hirohito publicly
had been released from prisoner-of-war camps in the Philippines. After a short rest, they proceeded on to the mainland.
Jubilant Sailors Celebrating the Restoration of Peace
War- Bond Sales Booth
in
Honolulu
Honolulu Advertiser/ Univ. of Hawaii Archives
Werner Stoy/ Camera Hawaii
During the early afternoon of August 14 (Hawaiian time), Honolulu's citizens received word of Japan's surrender. Air-raid sirens wailed, church bells pealed, and alarms clanged. Sailors, soldiers. Marines, and civilians "invaded" the streets of downtown Honolulu celebrating the end of the war. Traffic slowed to a standstill as impromptu parades snaked through the streets. Another, more formal celebration took place on September 1
Because of wartime boom conditions and a shortage of luxury goods, Hawaii's citizens responded generously to the
many war-bond drives conducted in the islands between December of 1942 and December of 1945. Hawaii exceeded its
(Hawaiian time), marking the official V-J Day, the formal Japanese surrender. The highlight of this celebration was a "Victory Parade" viewed by an estimated 135,000 spectators.
quota each and every time. Street dances, auctions of captured Japanese equipment and hard-to-get appliances, and theater parties that required the purchase of bonds to gain admittance, all helped boost bond sales. The 14th Naval District at Pearl Harbor, based on dollar volume per capita, was always at or
^Standing directly behind Admiral Nimitz are (L to R) General MacArthur and Admirals Halsey and Forrest Sherman.
- 52 -
^
National Memorial Cemetery of the Paeifie
The Cemetery
in
Punchbowl Crater
U.S.
Army Photo/
The Mausoleum
Cemetery Collection The National Memorial Cemetery of the Punchbowl Crater, a long-extinct volcano. "Puowaina," means "Consecrated Hill" or
Pacific Its
is
located
Army
at Pearl
Harbor (January
5,
Signal Corps/
Cemetery Collection
1949)
into the trenches and bulldozers filled the trenches with
in
Hawaiian name,
The
"Hill of Sacrifice."
flags
dirt.
were returned to the distribution center for shipment
to the deceased's next of kin.
were held in the crater. Also, offenders of Hawaiian "kapus" (tabus) were sacrificed in the crater. As peace and Christianity spread throughout the islands, Honolulu grew into a small prosperous city, and the once barren plain of Punchbowl was planted with trees and other foliage. Prior to World War II, the Hawaii National Guard used the area as a training ground. During the war, it served as an observation and fire-control station for the har-
Many
secret burials of Hawaiian Alii (royalty)
bor defense system. In 1943, the Territory of Hawaii offered
Punchbowl to the War Department for use as a national cemetery. But Congress lacked sufficient funds, and the actual establishment of the cemetery was delayed for a number of years. Prodded by veterans groups and the military. Congress finally acted in 1948.
To handle the thousands of expected interments while still preserving the dignity of the burial ceremonies, military planners established a three-day cycle. During the first day, the caskets to be interred were set out at a distribution center
Rows
and draped with flags that had been tagged with the serviceman's name and rank. On the following day, the flags were removed, folded, and placed in plastic envelopes while the caskets were loaded on flat-bed trucks. At the cemetery, trenches were dug and the location of each grave was identified at the bottom of the five- foot trenches. On the third day, the military services provided an escort and transported the caskets to’ the cemetery. The caskets were then put next to the open trenches and the tagged flags were placed on the appropriate caskets. The honor guard arbitrarily selected one casket as a symbol for the entire group and its flag was unfurled. Clergymen of the Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant faiths then conducted their respective burial services. The firing of three rifle volleys and the sounding of taps completed the ceremonies. Cranes lowered the caskets
Army
of Caskets Awaiting Burial
Signal Corps/
Cemetery Collection
On January
4,
1949, an
unknown serviceman
Harbor attack became the
killed in the
interment in the cemetery. In a short time, the daily rate of burials reached the planned figure of 216. During the next six months, nearly 13,000 servicemen were buried in mass ceremonies. They had been Pearl
first
from temporary graves on remote Pacific islands or from mortuaries and cemeteries in Hawaii and on the mainland. Public burials began on July 19, 1949 and the interment of famed war correspondent Ernest ("Ernie") T. Pyle was one transferred
of the first on that day. Formal dedication ceremonies for the cemetery took place on the fourth anniversary of V-J Day, September 2, 1949.
-53
Cemetery Collection Clergymen Conducting Burial Services, February 24, 1949
Army
The 30-foot sculptured figure of Columbia holding a laurel branch and standing on the symbolized prow of a Navy carrier dominates the memorial. Beneath her are the words of sympathy penned by President Abraham Lincoln to a bereaved mother who lost five sons in the Civil War: "THE SOLEMN PRIDE
Signal Corps/
Cemetery Collection
THAT MUST BE YOURS TO HAVE LAID SO COSTLY A SACRIFICE UPON THE ALTAR OF FREEDOM." Annual ceremonies at the memorial include an Easter Sunrise a Hawaiian Folk Mass as well as special ceremonies on Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and December 7th.
Service and
Punchbowl Memorial
U.S. Army Photo/ Cemetery Collection
plans for the cemetery had called for a memorial honor servicemen who had died in the Pacific during World War II. Because of the Korean Conflict, the scope of this project was expanded and construction commenced on Memorial Day, 1958. But delays in the preparation of the battle maps stretched the project from five to eight years and outdated the memorial as the United States became involved in Vietnam. Administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission, the present memorial was officially dedicated on Initial
to
May maps
1,
1966.
It
Interior of the
1
Columbia
is
the
feminine personification of the United
^The front of the chapel displays the symbols that represent the religious preferences of most of those who are interred in the cemetery: the Jewish Star of David; the Christian Cross; and the Buddhist Wheel. These symbols are also engraved on the
consists of a chapel, a gallery of mosaic mural major battle actions of World War II and
the Korean Conflict, and a monumental stairway bordered by eight marble walls called the "Courts of the Missing." On these walls are engraved the names of American servicemen " .
Photo by Author
States.
detailing the
.
Punchbowl
Memorial Chapel^
headstones that mark the grave sites throughout the cemeIn September of 1951 (and thereafter), flat headstones replaced upright crosses and other markers that had been used in the past.
flat
.
whose earthly resting place is known only to God." In 1980, two half-courts were dedicated at the base of the stairway to honor the missing from the Vietnam War.
tery.
- 54 -
Chapter 8
U SS Arizona Memorial
View of the First Arizona Memorial — An Honor Platform With Flagstaff Aerial
Official
of the USS Bennington (CVS-20) Rendering Honors^ to the Sunken Arizona
Hawaii State Archives
Ralph Edwards, Host of
NBC
Crewmen
Navy Photo/
PWMC
Collection,
Hawaii State Archives
Official
Navy Photo/
PWMC
Collection,
While the theme "Remember Pearl Harbor" rallied America's mighty war machine during World War II, the idea of building a memorial to permanently fix the event in the nation's memory faded as postwar concerns preoccupied the United States. But in 1949, the Territory of Hawaii set up the Pacific War Memorial Commission (PWMC) to plan and raise funds for the erection of war memorials in the territory. Chaired by H. Tucker Gratz, the commission received hardly any operating funds from the territorial legislature, thereby severely hampering its efforts. During early March of 1950, Admiral Arthur Radford, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet, ordered the installation of a flagstaff on the protruding base of the Arizona's rear mast. He also ordered the raising and lowering of the flag on a daily basis. Later in the year, a wooden honor platform was built over the amidships portion of the sunken battleship. On 1950, the Navy installed a commemorative metal of the flagstaff. Another plaque was welded to the deck of the sunken target ship USS Utah resting on the bottom of the harbor on the opposite side of Ford Island. While these small steps sought to acknowledge the significance of the Pearl Harbor attack, the time wasn't ripe for actually con-
December plaque
7,
at the base
momentum
"This
began to build, and in 1955 the Navy Club dedicated a ten-foot-high basalt stone with a plaque that honored the memory of all American servicemen killed in the Pearl Harbor attack. The following year, the Fourteenth Naval District Commandant formally requested the Pacific War Memorial Commission to raise funds for an Arizona memorial.
structing a memorial. But
is
Your Life"
Publicity Photo/
PWMC
Collection,
Hawaii State Archives
lQn Memorial Day
in 1958, 1,102 Naval and Marine Corps and enlisted men assembled on the Bennington's flight deck to spell out "ARIZONA" in tribute to the 1,102 shipmates entombed in the sunken battleship.
officers
- 55 -
THE PACIFIC WAR MEMORIAL COMMISSION Piaacb
*
jj.
*
^
*
Governor William F. Quinn (Center) Receives a Photograph of the Official Design of the USS Arizona Memorial From H. Tucker Gratz (Right) and
PWMC Collection, Hawaii State Archives
Louise (Mrs. Walter F.) Dillingham
But the design and construction of the memorial actually before the fundraising effort was completed. While a number of suggestions for a memorial had been put forward, the Navy had specific ideas based upon security and transportation requirements. Although the Navy didn't impose any design specifications, it did stipulate that the memorial had to be in the form of a bridge that would not touch any part of the sunken battleship and that it had to be capable of accommodating started
NOTICE
this
Absolutely
H( \\l<
is dll
A GUARANTEED 100
receipts
from ticket
sates
must
BENEFIT PERFORIlffANCE go to
The USS Arizona Mcniorial Fund.
200
lOH
Announcing His March 25th (1961) Benefit Performance For the USS Arizona Memorial Fund Elvis Presley Poster
PWMC
people.
Collection,
Hawaii State Archives
With the help of John A. Burns, Hawaii's only delegate to Congress, a bill to build an Arizona memorial without federal funding passed Congress in March of 1958. During the next year and a half, the PWMC's Arizona Memorial Fund received about $155,000: $50,000 from Hawaii's territorial legislature; $95,000 in donations as the direct result of a special broadcast of the television program "This is Your Life" hosted by Ralph Edwards; and another $10,000 in donations attributed to the fundraising efforts of Darrel Brady, a Southern California fundraiser and publicist. In addition, a sold-out Elvis Presley concert held at Pearl Harbor's Bloch Arena on March 25, 1961 raised well over $64,000. While the Pacific War Memorial Commission sought to be the sole fundraising organization for the Arizona Memorial, a number of other independent fundraising groups conducted their own campaigns. The most successful of these groups was
Workers Securing End Piles That Will Support the Memorial
Official
Navy Photo/
PWMC
Collection,
Hawaii State Archives
the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA), a national organization of active and retired Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel. In 1959, the FRA presented the Navy with a check for $40,000 which represented the proceeds from its Arizona
In August of 1959, a committee, composed of Navy officers and Louise Dillingham (chairwoman of the PWMC's design committee and vice chairwoman of the PWMC), commissioned the architectural firm of Johnson & Perkins, Preis Associates. Architect Alfres Preis' first concept, which would have allowed visitors to descend to a subsurface enclosure and view the underwater remains of the Arizona through portholes, was flatly rejected by the Navy. His second concept, the present memorial, was approved. The Navy started site preparation in early 1960 after the PWMC released approximately one half of the more than $500,000 that the memorial would eventually cost. In October of the same year, the Walker-Moody Construction Company secured the contract to build the memorial. Dedication ceremonies took place on Memorial Day, 1962.
model-kit campaign. 1961, the $tate of Hawaii appropriated another $50,000 Congressman Olin Teague of Texas pledged that if the state would contribute a total of $100,000, Congress would appropriate sufficient funds to cover any shortfall in the Arizona Memorial Fund. During that same year, Hawaii's Representative Daniel K. Inouye introduced a bill authorizing $150,000 for the memorial. After a strong lobbying campaign by numerous groups and individuals, the bill was signed into law by President Kennedy on Beptember 6, 1961. In
after
- 56 -
USS Arizona Memorial Early Construction Photograph of the Memorial's Bridge-Like Structure
Official
Navy Photo
"The form, wherein the structure sags in the center but stands strong and vigorous at the ends, expresses initial defeat and ultimate victory.
Navy Photo/
PWMC
Official
Collection,
Hawaii State Archives
"Wide openings
in walls and roof permit a flooding by sunlight view of the sunken battleship eight feet below, both fore and aft. At low tide, as the sun shines upon the hull, the barnacles which encrust it shimmer like gold jewels ... a beau-
and
a close
tiful
sarcophagus.
"The
overall effect is one of serenity. Overtones of sadness have been omitted to permit the individual to contemplate his own personal responses. his innermost feelings." Alfres Preis, Architect .
Arch Forms Used to Support the Poured Concrete
Official
.
Navy Photo/
PWMC
Collection,
Hawaii State Archives
Being an enclosed bridge, the memorial spans the sunken remains of the battleship Arizona without touching any part of the ship. The memorial is 184 feet long and varies in width from 27 feet at the center to 36 feet at the ends. Its height varies from 14 feet at the center to 21 feet at the ends. The memorial is divided into three sections: a museum room; an assembly area which can accommodate 200 people for ceremonies; and a shrine room which contains a marble wall listing the names of
Arizona's 1,177 crewmen killed in the December 7th attack. The flagstaff, which was temporarily relocated during construction, is mounted on a portion of the battleship's superstructure and doesn't touch any portion of the memorial itself.
iQnly 75 bodies were ever recovered from the Arizona, and still entombed in the sunken battleship.
the remaining 1,102 are
- 57 -
mam CAPTAIN JOHN OANIE;. McDONA-^ CAPTAIN JOS'AM SLUITS MertEAN* CAPTAIN JOHN HAVEHi DAYTON. CAPTAIN WILLIAM WOODWARD CAPTAIN JEHU valentine OMASE. CAPTAIN G£0R6£ Ralph marvEll, DAPTAiN JOHN RUSSELL YOUNG 8LA
Plaque on the Memorial Listing All of Arizona's Commanding
JIJM
MAT ,i27
JON 192:8 iEP i9i APR. s&:
,
JUN 1932
SEP 1935 DEC 195* JUN 1956
DEC >957 :>EP
4959
FEB. 1940
FEB.I94I
Photo by Author
Officers
—
-
-
-
—
—
The Memorial's Assembly Area
Official
Navy Photo
DEDICATED TO THE ETERNAL OF OUR GALLANT IN
» ’
THE USS ARIZONA/^'
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN ACTION ' 7 DECEMBER 1941 "
“from today on the OSS ARIZONA WILL AGAIN FtY OOR COUNTRY’S FIAO lOST AS FROUDLY AS SHE DID ON THE MORNING OF 7 DECEMIER IE4I,
AM SORB THE ARIZONA’S CREW Will KNOW AND AFFRECIATE WHAT WE ARB DOING” admiral A.W. RADFORD. I
OEM
7
MARCH
tfse
may god MAKE
HIS FACE TO SHINE UPON THEM
Dedication Plaque Authorizing the American Flag to be Flown Over the Sunken Remains of the Aa/zo/73
Photo by Author Dedication Plaque For the
USS Arizona Memorial - 58 -
Photo by Author
MEMORIAL
ARIZONA
U.S.S.
war memorial of the pacific PEARl. HARBOR. HAWAII OF THl IN CON HKMOBArlON ARMIO lORCF.S OF THE UNITED ElVES TO THEIR IHF.IH STATES WHO GAVJ ATTACK ON PEARl. H F. COUNTRY during' IN
.
HONOR or
Mt.NBI.HS
ANII
THl.
I
HARBOR.
;
’>isiH'riif''<
CFHOVfD
inUDFSUIlOS CS»STTD tY 87TH
.,
lOSOBfSS
-
ArFl4V£DSmHm8 6.l'IM JOBS F USSIDY
MCtflt li.J“'lft
CWICHI D tISMItIjRtt rSiSIDf ST
19A1"
7.
PUBLIC LAW B7-20I
inH'. ifif
tB
11
DECEMBER
ON
HAWAII.
-
PtESlOISI
One APPROPRIATED FUNDS. PRIVATL THE U.S.S. ARIZONA MEMORI.At. WAS BUll.I WITH lUNDS CONTRIBCriD BY aMII' 'AN-; IROM THROUGHOUI BN IHE UNITED STAirs. AND $100,000 DONATED IIIL STATE or HAWAII, THE PACIFIC W AR Ml MORI AL C OM MLSSION EXPRESSFS IN
ADDITION TO ITD.OCC
IN
marine CORPS
ber 7, 1976, this memorial is located on the grounds of Arizona's state capital in Phoenix.
,
ADMV
II
S
MVY
Commemoration Plaque Presented to the Navy by the Jewish War Veterans
U.
S.
Other objects salvaged from the Arizona include both of the
VETERANS
GRATITUDE TO THE MANY PUBLIC OIvTtTALS. GROUPS ORGANIZATION'. OTTU I! PU.BLK AND PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND ENTERPRISES. AND THOL.'ANDS OF DONORS WHOSE SUPI’IMM M.A'i POSSIBLE THIS MEMORIAL TO THE 2.T41 HONOR! D HI AD. c
Official
battleship's
Navy Photo
Anchor Memorial
in
Phoenix, Arizona^
Phoenix Republic & Gazette Photo Courtesy of Fred Kukonu
Photo by Author
Arizona's Bell
front of the anchor is Gary T. Cummins, the superintendent. Although he arrived at Pearl Harbor in August of 1980 (barely two months before the visitor center opened), Mr. Cummins' experience, dedication, 1
objects from the sunken Arizona have been salvaged and placed on display over the years. One of these objects is the ship's bell. Originally, the bell was presented to the state of Arizona. In 1966, Arizona's governor (Paul Fannin) returned
Numerous
Navy and
Standing
visitor
in
center's
first
and winning personality helped him in guiding the new center through its early growing period. His assignment at Pearl Harbor ended in August of 1985 when the National Park Service transferred him to Washington, D.C.
was subsequently installed in the museum room of the Arizona Memorial on a base of Vermont marble. Chief Warrant Officer John H. McCarron, one of the few survivors of Arizona's 1,550-man crew, unveiled the bell at ceremonies conducted aboard the memorial on Memorial Day, 1966. Personnel of the Navy tender Bryce Canyon (AD-36) constructed the wooden frame that currently supports Arizona's bell. It was attached to the bell in June of 1981. the bell to the
Photo by Author
bow anchors. Cast in Chester, Pennsylvania in 1911, each anchor weighs 19,585 pounds. One of these anchors is prominently displayed at the entrance to the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center. The other anchor was made into a memorial to honor the ship's crewmen. Dedicated on Decem-
,
„
of Arizona's Anchors on Display USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center"*
at the
it
Kukonu (right), currently an employee of the NaPark Service, is presenting an American flag that was previously flown over the Arizona Memorial to the late Arizona governor Wes Bolin. ^Fred
tional
- 59 -
The National Park Service holds two official ceremonies on the Arizona^ Memorial each year; Memorial Day and December 7th. On these special days, representatives from as many as fifteen separate patriotic organizations attend the memorial services and present wreaths to honor their deceased shipmates. These groups include the Fleet Reserve Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion, Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, and Gold Star Mothers just to name a few. In addition, smaller groups frequently hold private ceremonies throughout the year.
Anchor Cross^ on the Face of the
Photo by Author
Altar at St. George's Episcopal
Church
at Pearl
Plaque on the Sanctuary Wall at George's Identifying the Anchor Cross
Harbor
Photo by Author
St.
*1
Although
made from
it
was actually was removed from the sunken Arizona
shines like silver, this anchor cross
steel
that
during salvage operations.
Former President Gerald Ford^ on the Arizona Memorial (December 7, 1975)
Mr. Ford was the first American president to memorial on an anniversary of the attack.
Official
Navy Photo
Representatives of Veterans Organizations Attending Memorial Services on the Arizona Memorial (December 7, 1976, the 35th Anniversary of the Attack)
-60-
Pearl
visit
the
Henry C.T. Chang/ Harbor Survivors Association
Chapter 9
Scale Models of the U SS Arizona
An Employee
of Boucher-Lewi$ Working on the Scale Model of the Arizona
Boucher-Lewis/ Branch 46, FRA
Harbor Branch 46 of the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) conceived the idea of building a scale model of the USS Arizona and conducted a fundraising drive among the association's national membership. Branch 46 selected the firm of Boucher-Lewis, a precision model builder based in New York. Constructed of kiln-dried wood and nonferrous metals, the completed model measured six feet, three inches in length and weighed 325 pounds. It was built to exact specifications Pearl
Formal Dedication Ceremonies For the Scale Model
Official
Navy Photo
The Scale Model in Its Airtight Case (December 7, 1967)
Official
Navy Photo
Navy blueprints to a scale of 1/8 inch to the The model itself cost $7,500, and with its airtight case,
using official foot.
stainless-steel base, and formica-covered display stand, the model's total cost came to almost $10,000. During formal dedication ceremonies held on the Arizona Memorial on De cember 7, 1967, President Bernard P. O'Hare of the Fleet Reserve Association officially turned the scale model over to Admiral Richard B. Lynch. Today, the model is housed in the museum at the U8$ Arizona Memorial Visitor Center.
DECEMBER
7,
y--
t-..
TEttS MODBI>
-
1967 .
OF TBE|
ARIZONA CONSTRUCTED 1/8'* TO ; THE FOOT, WITH ALL FITTINGS \ EXACTLY TO SCALE. FUNDS F0R| THIS PRECISION MADE MODEL WERE DONATED BY THE SHIP-f MATES AND LADIES OF THE FLEET RESERVE ASSOCIATION BRANCHES AND UNITS, PLUS ITS MEMBERSHIP AT LARGE t^ THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. tr.S.S.
IS
Membersi of
FRA
Pearl Harbor Branch 46, Inspect the Scale Model of the
USS Arizona From
After
Its
Official
Navy Photo
*
Long Journey
the East Coast
1 Left to right, the members are; Phil Shear (DM1), then president; C.E. Burns (BMC); Joseph Depositor (DKC); "Skip" Ogilbie (SKC); Ebb Hall (YNC); Frank Ott (DM1); and Lloyd
Dedication Plaque For the
Ashley (PR
Scale
1 ).
- 61 -
Model
Photo by Author
The
Starr Family 1 With a Representative
of the Arizona Memorial
Photo by Author
Mrs. Esther Ross
Museum
Arizona
// as
Hoggan Christens
Don
Fou ndation
President of Branch 46,
Arizona II, a 27-foot scale model of the original Arizona, was constructed entirely by hand by Mr. Leon Starr and his family. Mr. Starr has been building models of one kind or an-
Starr
or another.
and wood.
in
The model It is
the production oi Arizona
1
in
FRA
Looks On
II is at Pearl Harbor, exactly where Leon would be when he received his initial inspiration the model battleship. The Arizona Memorial Museum
hoped
to build
it
Foundation (AMMF) organized dedication ceremonies for the model and they were held at Pearl Harbor on October 17, 1977, the 61st anniversary of the commissioning of the original Arizona. Mrs. Esther Ross Hoggan formally christened Arizona // with a sprinkling of champagne. Mrs. Hoggan (then Miss
in his
entire family shared
Navy Photo
Today, Arizona
spare time since childhood. After carefully studying numerous photographs of the famous battleship, the Starr family started work on the model in August of 1976. The
other
Official
Stevens, Past
one way
constructed of fiberglass, polyester, accurate in every detail from the fire axes and is
Esther Ross, daughter of a pioneer Arizona family) christened USS Arizona on June 19, 1915 at the New York Navy Yard. This was Mrs. Hoggan's first visit to Pearl Harbor and the final resting place of the Arizona. Pending the construction of a permanent shelter, Arizona II is kept in storage at Pearl Harbor to protect it from the elements. It is displayed at special occasions such as parades and memorial ceremonies.
hoses to the moveable guns, search lights, and the 360 portholes in the model's hull. Construction took three months, and the completed replica proved its seaworthiness at Marina Del Ray, California during December 7th ceremonies.
the original
fire
1 Pictured above (left to right) are: Leon Starr; his mother Marie Starr; Gloria May, foundation representative; wife Evelyn; and son Ronald.
Arizona
Official
1
- 62 -
Navy Photo
V isitor Center
and Museum Complex began building to provide imArizona Memorial. In 1968, Hawaii's Congressman Spark Matsunaga, a former member of the Pacific War Memorial Commission (PWMC), presented the rough draft of a bill to the Navy and the PWMC. The bill, subIn
the
late
1960's,
proved shoreside
interest
facilities for the
mitted to Congress the following year, was the first of many that died in committees. It proposed to build a new visitor center complete with a theater and museum complex. But the entire issue soon became a political football as the Navy fought any attempts to transfer the responsibility for operating and maintaining the memorial and its shoreside facilities to the National Park Service (NPS) or any other agency for that matter. In addition, the Navy feared that it might lose funds for other construction projects if Congress passed the bill as it was then worded. With the Vietnam War in high gear. Congress
and the Navy wanted the the
new
visitor center.
PWMC
to lead a fundraising drive for in turn, looked to Congress
The PWMC,
money, fearful that it might not be able to repeat its previous success in raising funds for the Arizona Memorial. The National Park Service remained silent for several years and then tended to side with the Navy in many of its objections. These objections caused many bills for the new visitor center to die in one house of Congress or the other.
for the
Utah Memorial on the Opposite Side of Ford Island (It Was Dedicated on May 27, 1972.)
Visitors Waiting in
Long Lines
Official
Navy Photo
Members
Photo by Author
of the Arizona Memorial Raising
(August, 1976)
Funds'! at the Old
During 1963, the first full year of its operation, 178,872 people visited the Arizona Memorial in Navy shuttle boats. An additional 93,217 visited the memorial in civilian tour boats. Each succeeding year, these numbers steadily rose so that by the end of the decade, the combined visitor count exceeded 634,000. Visitor growth continued into the decade of the '70's and the combined visitor count surpassed 1,000,000 in 1973. In a short time, the memorial had become a victim of its own success. Visitors to the Navy's boat landing adjacent to Halawa Gate were forced to Vi^ait in ever-increasing lines with little protection from Hawaii's sun, wind, and rain. During the, peak summer season, these waits could last as long as half a
Photo by Author
Museum Foundation (AMMF)
Halawa Boat Landing
Through the cooperation of the U.S. Postal Service and the Navy at Pearl Harbor, the AMMF set up a special post bearing office at the landing and sold commemorative covers — HARBOR PEARL STATION "MEMORIAL the postmark 96818." This post office was set up only on special occasions. The occasion for the post office pictured above was the 35th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack — December 7, 1976. AMMF C.E. Burns (center, back to camera) was president of the 1
Jean Smith, a foundation secretary, is seated at the This special fundraising effort was in addition to the direct solicitation of visitors standing in line.
at this time.
table.
business day.
- 63 -
But soon the Navy realized that the substandard shoreside Harbor were tarnishing its public image and that the increasing pressure from Congress, influential veterans groups, and the general public would soon make the visitor center a practical necessity. A study completed in 1974 by the Navy concluded that operation of the new complex by the
Harbor Survivors Association, the national Fleet Reserve Assoits Ladies Auxiliary, and the Disabled American
ciation and
facilities at Pearl
Veterans.
While the
in a
major
made
the visitor center a minor
bill.
in 1978, the Navy and the National Park Service reached an agreement to transfer responsibility for operating the memorial and the visitor center to the NPS with the details to be worked out later. The Navy accepted a design for the visitor center submitted by the architectural firm of Chapman, Cobeen, Desai, Sakata, Inc. and awarded the construction contract to S & M Sakamoto. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the $4.9 million visitor center were held on October 19, 1978. The Navy had made up the monetary shortfall for the complex from other areas in its budget.
Early
(NPS)
and 1979, first under the leadership of C.E. Burns and later under the leadership of Ansil "Sandy" Saunders, the foundation raised nearly Si million: more than $500,000 through direct
Evans; and
activities, the
addition,
Military Construction Program)
AMMF
$350,000
Faith
In
point
the year. Finally in December of 1974, the Navy signed an eleven-point memorandum of understanding with the that sought to raise $4.5 million for the construction of the shoreside facilities subject to Navy approval. Between 1975
sentative
with fundraising
Hawaii's senior Senator, Daniel K. Inouye, for the new visitor center in a military construction bill during the 1977 session of Congress. A conference committee agreed to fund the project for $2 million and the money was released the following year. While previous blj.ls had paved the way by building public support for the visitor center, this change in legislative strategy (funding the visitor center as part of the multibillion-dollar ties.
In January of 1974, members of Branch 46 organized the Arizona Memorial Museum Foundation (AMMF) as a nonprofit corporation to conduct the fund drive. But numerous delays and indecisions by the Navy frustrated the AMMF for most of
state of Hawaii through the efforts of State Repre-
itself
managed to include an authorization
side facilities.
from the
busied
Washington began to open. The Navy and the Interior Department agreed in principle on a sharing of responsibility for the Arizona Memorial and its shoreside facili-
National Park Service would be the most desirable option. Sensing that Congressional funding wasn't likely in the near future. Rear Admiral Richard Paddock, Commandant of the Fourteenth Naval District (which includes Pearl Harbor), asked Pearl Harbor Branch 46 of the national Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) for assistance in fundraising since this organization had already been active in providing financial help for maintaining and improving the present Arizona Memorial and its shore-
solicitations of visitors at the old shoreside facilities;
AMMF
political bottleneck in
major donations from the Pearl
Ansil
Rev. Dr. Abraham K. Akaka, Pastor of Honolulu's Historic Kawaiahao Church, Uses a Green Ti Leave to Sprinkle Holy Water on the Groundbreaking Site For the New USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Centerl
Photo by Author
"Sandy" Saunders,
2
President
Photo by Author
AMMF,
Turns a Spadeful of Ground With the Ceremonial Shovel
of the
2Qther groundbreakers pictured behind Mr. Saunders waiting George Slavens of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association; former State Senator David
their turns are, left to right: Mr.
McClung
(blocked by Mr. Saunders); State Representative Evans; Rear Admiral N.W. Clements, CEC, USN, the Navy's top engineer in the Pacific; and U.S. Congressman Cecil Heftel. A total of fifteen groundbreakers participated in the ceremony. The remainder of the groundbreakers included: Senator Matsunaga; Governor Ariyoshi; Admiral Davis; Rear Admiral E. Alvey Wright, USN (Ret.), who represented U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye; U.S. Congressman Daniel K. Akaka; Rear Admiral Wentworth; Mr. Robert Barrel of the National Park Service; Mr. Donald D. Chapman, the center's architect; and Mr. Gerard Sakamoto, the contractor.
Rear Admiral R.A. Wentworth, Jr., USN, Commander of the Pearl Harbor Naval Base, presided over the groundbreaking ceremonies held on October 19, 1978. He is pictured at the far right holding the koa-wood bowl of holy water. Other promi-
Faith
1
nently pictured speakers in the front row are (left to right): U.S. Senator Spark M. Matsunaga; Hawaii's Governor George R. Ariyoshi; and Admiral Donald C. Davis, USN, Commanderin-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, who gave the keynote address. A scale model of the proposed facility is in the fore-
ground.
- 64 -
P.
Rear Admiral Clements Autographs the Handle of the Groundbreaking ShoveM
The New Visitor Center Under Construction
Photo by Author
Camera Crews From All of Honolulu's Major Television Stations Prepare to Record the Dedication Ceremonies (October 10, 1980)
Photo by Author
and Ribbon- Cutting Ceremony
Photo by Authoi
Photo by Author
Lei
For the In
New
Visitor Center3
AMMF
AMMA
became the (Arizona Memorial Association), a nonprofit cooperating association that operate the bookstore at the visitor center. Profits would
1979, the
Museum would
be used to assist the National Park Service's interpretive projDuring the following year, the Navy and the NPS worked out the formal arrangements for operating the visitor center.
ects.
Ansi "Sandy" Saunders (Center) Presents Rear Admiral Edward S. I
Briggs,
Commander
Finally on October 10, 1980, dedication ceremonies were held and the Navy formally transferred responsibility for the visitor center and the Arizona Memorial to the National Park Service. However, the Navy continues to provide shuttle-boat service from the visitor center to the memorial and back. Thus the date of October 10, 1980 marked the culmination of the hopes and dreams of so many groups and individuals who struggled for more than ten years to bring about this event.
Photo by Author
of the Pearl
Harbor Naval Base. With a Cake Representing a Check^ For $456,484.25
^Two Navy Seabees steel
forged the shovel's scoop from a piece of plating salvaged from the sunken hulk of the battleship
^Pictured above are (left to right): Admiral Issac C. Kidd, USN (Ret.), son of Rear Admiral Kidd who had been killed aboard the Arizona during the Pearl Harbor attack; Hawaii's Governor Ariyoshi; and Rev. Akaka.
Arizona.
Jr.,
^The "check" was the final installment of the million in donations raised by the AMMF.
nearly $1
- 65 -
Ceremonial Cake Depicting the USS Arizona Memorial on Top1
Photo by Author
View of the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center^
Photo Courtesy of the Arizona Memorial
Aerial
Museum
Entrance to the Visitor Center
Photo by Author
Arizona Exhibit
in
Photo by Author
Visitor Center's
Museum
Association
Yet the final chapter has not been written to this story. Even now, the unrelenting increase in the number of visitors to the Arizona Memorial is taxing the staff of the National Park Ser-
the
Already the capacities of the twin theaters and the shuttle boats have been increased and some experimentation has been done with compressing program intervals in an effort to increase the number of visitors that can be accommodated. In the years ahead, the number of visitors will surely continue to increase as the state of Hawaii aggressively promotes tourism. Important
vice.
decisions will have to be made in the future. Only time will tell whether or not the National Park Service can continue to provide each visitor with a meaningful experience without excessively diluting the quality of that experience.
lThe Pearl Harbor Submarine Base Enlisted Dining Facility provided the cake which was the centerpiece of a small, informal post-dedication party. landscaped grounds, an interior courtyard 2 Attractively with central fountains and wide walkways, restrooms, a snack area, a well-stocked bookstore, a museum room, and twin airconditioned theaters showing a short movie which puts the
USS Arizona into the perspective of history, provide a maximum level of experience for the soon take
a shuttle
all
combine
visitor
who
Scale Model of the
to
and
will
Its
Museum
boat to the memorial.
- 66 -
Arizona
L/5'6‘
New Koa-Wood
Base
(August, 1985)
in
the
Photo by Author
#1
HONOLULU, HAWAII 96818
q
ARIZONA MEMORIAL PLACE
>1RlZONk
THE ARIZONA MEMORIAL MUSEUM ASSOCIATION IS A NON-PROFIT
FUNDS MADE THROUGH THE BOOKSTORE AND THE MAIL ORDER PROGRAM ASSIST THE EDUCATIONAL, INTERPRETIVE AND HISTORICAL ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. IN
COOPERATING ASSOCIATION WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.
AND THE
PEARL HARBOR A concise pictorial
1665
USS ARIZONA MEMORIAL. By Richard
A. Wisniewski.
history of Pearl Harbor, the battleship USS Arizona (BB-39), the December 7th attack and the USS Arizona Memorial and its current shore-side support facilities. of and the building 4th Class) List Price: $5.95 + Postage & Handling ($3.25 1st Class; $2.20
THE
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HARBOR CHILD: A Child's
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PEARL HARBOR, THE WAY IT WAS, DECEMBER 7, 1941. By Scott A 64 page color and illustrated book of the actual Japanese attack. Dealing
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NATIONAL PARKS: The Site-by-Site Guide. visiting information and island maps. This complete guide to Hawaii's national parks contains special features on each park, in the Pacific National Historical War and Memorial Arizona USS Parks listed are Hawaii Volcanoes, Haleakala, Kalapapa,
HAWAIIAN
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HARBOR
PEARL
4082
IN PERSPECTIVE. By Michael Slackman.
General Patton's secret plan to protect Hawaii from Japanese attack, the Japanese follow-up attack on Hawaii other
known
little
92 pages.
sidelights
This List
Pearl Harbor. This collection of articles illuminates
Soft cover. List Price:
PUNCHBOWL.
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The
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ARIZONA MEMORIAL.
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Association.
A
their lives during the war.
By Michael Slackman.
concise and informative work by historian
Michael Slackman. Recounts the story of the U.S.S. Arizona from the attack on Pearl Harbor on December raising projects, building of the U.S.S. Arizona Visitor Center by the National Park Service. List Price: $8.95 + Postage & Handling ($5.50 1st Class; $3.50 4th Class)
1547
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1827
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of honored dead. President Roosevelt declaration of war.
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in
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book explains the construction of a beautiful cemetery used for the honored dead who gave Price: $7.95 + Postage & Handling ($3.25 1st Class; $2.20 4th Class)
REMEMBERING PEARL HARBOR: THE STORY OF THE
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REMEMBERING PEARL HARBOR. Video tape (VHS only) on the attack on Pearl Harbor and the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. Approximately 60 minutes in length. Includes some captured film footage and underwater scenes of the U.S.S. Arizona taken in 1984. List Price: $29.95 + Postage & Handling ($5.50 1st Class)
2531
MISCELLANEOUS DUPLICATION OF THE OFFICIAL SURRENDER DOCUMENT.
1842
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NYLON COTTON 6' COTTON
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DETACH HERE
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SUPPORTING MEMBER For this
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— $15.00 Annual Dues.
discount on
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merchandise either purchased through the mail or
in
person. Furthermore, your membership
cooperating association stores throughout the National Park Service System and you will be sent the
this Park.
— $150.00 Dues which you are of the above. FAMILY MEMBERSHIP — $25.00 Annual Dues which you and your immediate family are LIFETIME
MEMBER
for
entitled to
for
all
entitled to all of the above.
NAME (Signature)
ADDRESS
ARIZONA MEMORIAL MUSEUM ASSOCIATION #1 Arizona Memorial Place
CITY
STATE
ZIP
Honolulu, Hawaii 96818
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen, Gwenfread. Hawaii's
Anthony,
J,
Garner. Hawaii
Bateson, Charles. The
War
Years:
Under Army
Ruie. Honolulu
War With Japan, A Concise
-
Carlson, Doug. Hiii of Sacrifice Heritage Limited, 1982. Costello, John.
1941-1945. Honolulu: University of Hawaii
The Pacific War.
S.
Hawaii:
New
A
Press of Hawaii,
1975 (Reprint of the
955
1
edition).
History. East Lansing, Mich.: Michigan State University Press, 1968.
The Nationai Memoriai Cemetery of the Pacific at Punch bowi. Norfolk Island, Australia: Island
York: Rawson, Wade Publishers,
Heiferman, Ronald. U.S. Navy in Worid War Kuykendall, Ralph
The University
:
Press, 1950.
History
i i.
1981.
Inc.,
Secaucus, N.J.: Chartwell Books,
From
Poiynesian
Kingdom
American
to
1978.
Inc.,
State.
Englewood
Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc.,
1961.’
Kuykendall, Ra\phS. Hawaii in the Worid War. Honolulu
Mayer, S.L. (Editor). The Japanese Messimer, Dwight R.
No
The
:
War Machine. Secaucus,
Historical
Commission of
the Territory of Hawaii, 1928.
N.J.: Chartwell Books, Inc., 1976.
Margin For Error (The U.S. Navy's Transpacific Fiight of 1925). Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute
Morgenstern, George. Pearl Harbor: The Story of the Secret War.
New York; The
Devin-Adair Company, 1947.
Morison, Samuel Eliot. History of United States Navai Operations in Worid War H (Voi. Hi, The Rising April, 1942). Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1975 (Reprint of the 1 948 edition).
Navy Department. Dictionary of American Navai Fighting Ships (Voiumes
1959Alan
Pater,
F.
i
Press, 1981.
through
Sun
in the Pacific,
1931
—
Washington, D.C.: Naval History Division,
Viii).
1981.
United States Battieships; The History of America's Greatest Fighting
Fieet.
Beverly
Hills, Cal.:
Monitor Book Co.,
1968. Potter,
New
Elmer Belmont. The Navai Academy iiiustrated History of the United States Navy.
with
Thomas
York: Galahad Books by arrangement
Y. Crowell Co., 1971.
Potter,
Elmer Belmont. Nimitz. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute
Prange,
Gordon William. At Dawn We Siept: The Untoid Story of Peari Harbor. New York: Penguin Books, 1982.
Singletary, Milly.
Punchbowi — Nationai Memoriai Cemetery of
Slackman, Michael. Remembering Peari Harbor
—
Press, 1976.
the Pacific. Honolulu
:
Sunset Publications, 1977.
The Story of the USS Arizona Memoriai. Honolulu: The Arizona Memorial Museum
Association, 1984.
Smith, S.E. The United States
Navy
in
Worid War
Toland, John, infamy: Peari Harbor and Wallin,
Homer
N. Peari Harbor:
its
i i.
New
York; William Morrow
Aftermath. Garden City, N.Y.
;
& Company,
Inc.,
Doubleday & Company,
1966. Inc.,
1982.
Why, How, Fieet Saivage and Finai Appraisai. Washington, D.C.: Naval History
Winton, John. War in the Pacific: Peari Harbor to Tokyo Bay.
New
York; Mayflower Books,
Inc.,
Division, 1968.
1978.
CREDITS FOR COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS Front Cover;
USS Arizona Memoriai — Richard
Back Cover;
Aeriai View of the Arizona Memoriai Visitor Center Rathburne (FF-1057) is in the channel.)
Centerspread;
Arizona Memoriai Sunset
(pp.
34
&
—
A. Wisniewski
Official
and Ford
isiand
—
Irwin C.
Maizman (The
Navy Photo, courtesy of VC-1 Photo Lab, Barbers Point
U.S.
Navy Frigate
NAS
35)
Page 33:
Day of infamy — Oil Museum Association
Page 36:
USS Arizona Memoriai Shrine Room —
painting by Kipp Soldwedel (1969)
/
Official
Richard A. Wisniewski
Navy Photo, courtesy of
the Arizona
Memorial
ifS 1 i n
g
1
fi
i
ILL;
ISBN 0-938144-06-5
978093 81440^9
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