Categories: Sightseeing / Travel

USS Arizona Memorial

On December 7, 1941, the USS Arizona suffered the most casualties on a single ship from Japan’s attack of the United States’ Pacific Fleet. It had exploded and sank in what was then known as “Battleship Row”, killing 1,104 sailors and 73 marines who are still entombed at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, along with the ship’s wreckage.

Aerial view of USS Arizona
Thanks Google Maps!

We had purchased a one-day Passport to Pearl Harbor package before flying out to Oahu. We set aside one full day for seeing all the memorials.

Once we were there…

All admission tickets for the USS Arizona Memorial are timed-entry. (Tip: Avoid showing up late to go inside the Pearl Harbor Memorial Theater at the Visitor Center. We had seen a number of people who were turned away).

Immediately after watching a 20+ minute video, we boarded a ferry shuttle.

Just as we pulled up to the ferry landing…

 
 
Inside the memorial…

Memorial plaque

View of the ship’s remains looking towards the front of the ship…

 
 
View of the rear…

 
 
There’s an opening (secured by railings so no one will fall in) to catch sight of what’s directly underneath the memorial…

Notice the handful of people looking downward?

Wreckage directly below the memorial

 
A park ranger stood near this sign post sharing tidbits about the ship and answering questions…

“Before Attack–December 1941” and “Remains of Ship Today”

Needless to say, everyone seemed to be in a reflective mood

 
At the far end of the memorial is a marble wall bearing all the names of the fallen sailors and marines…

 
 
As we sped away from the Memorial back to the Visitor Center…

 
Comin’ right up is the Texas State Capitol, followed by USS Bowfin Submarine.

Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, Part 1

Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, Part 2

Triple Chunk Brownies

Tags: Hawaii, Honolulu, Oahu, Pearl Harbor