Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Remembering...


Pearl Harbor Day

The Arizona was struck by a converted sixteen inch armor penetrating naval shell that was dropped from a high level horizontal bomber. The bomb penetrated between the number one and two turrets, proceeded aft and downward through several decks, and exploded in one of the Arizona's aircraft catapult gunpowder magazines. The resulting fire ignited the main gun magazines where great quantities of gunpowder were stored. The explosion blew out all forward transverse bulkheads and caused the ship to sink to the harbor bottom in a few minutes. The explosion and sinking resulted in the death of over 1100 crew members.*


The Arizona has been preserved as a tomb for most of the crew and as a memorial to the events of this day. The observation structure in the picture spans the ship's hulk, with Ford island in the background. The memorial is accessed by boats from the naval base at Pearl Harbor. Within the memorial, the first object seen is the ship's bell. In the middle, viewing ports overlook the Arizona. At the far end, a marble wall is inset with bronze letters naming the deceased crew members.

4 comments:

Mrs. Mac said...

I've visited the memorial twice and it's very stirring. We must never forget the sacrifices made for our freedom.

Debby@Just Breathe said...

I would love to visit the memorial.
How sweet of you to post about it.

Rick said...

Everyone should visit Pearl Harbor. It was a moving experience for me.

Margie said...

thank you!