Featured Artifact

Piece of the USS Arizona (BB-39)

This piece of the USS Arizona was removed from the remains of the aft deckhouse superstructure in 1960 during the construction of the USS Arizona Memorial. The USS Arizona is the final resting place for many of the ship's 1,177 crewmen who lost their lives on December 7, 1941, including 37 confirmed sets of brothers and one father and son. Approximately 15-minutes into the attack, a Japanese high-level bomber dropped a 1760-pound Naval projectile that had been specially converted for the attack, onto the USS Arizona. The bomb penetrated the forward deck of the ship about 40 feet in from the bow. The resulting explosion ignited aviation fuel stores and the powder magazines for the 14-inch guns, instantly separating most of the bow from the ship and lifting the 33,000-ton vessel out of the water. The explosion and subsequent fires killed approximately 1000 men instantly. Out of a crew of 1,511 only 334 survived. In addition, the entire front portion of the ship was left destroyed and the fires burned everything in its path. The fires continued for more than 2 days and virtually cremated the crew remains still on the ship. Due to the immense fire, only 107 crewmen were positively identified. Contrary to popular belief, the USS Arizona is no longer in commission; she was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in December of 1942. On March 7, 1950 the Arizona was symbolically "re-commissioned" when a flagpole was erected on the ship. The Arizona is treated as one of the current fleet and the flag flying on the ship's mast only flies at half-staff when the other ships fly their flags at half-staff.
(Donated by the United States Navy)