Pearl Harbor - Is it true?

Question

Is it true that the USS Arizona that sank in the Pearl Harbor attack is still under the water? I understand that is is a war grave. Does that mean that the bodies of those that perished are still there in the ship? Can you also tell me if there are any other ships left under the water? Have people actually been into the boat or do they leave it well alone?

Thanks.

Answer 1

There is a memorial right over the place the boat sank.

http://www.nps.gov/usar/

Answer 2

Yes it is still underground and yes there are men still buried in the ship. The memorial that is at pearl harbor is actually over the ship. They have decided that those men are to be left there and a memorial was placed over them so that we never forget those heros who lost their lives defending our country. http://www.nps.gov/usar Visit this site to learn more on how the memorial stands and what it stands for.

Answer 3

Mortal remains were recovered from USS Arizona and other ships that were sunk within weeks after the attack. The ship remains under water and a memorial was built over her to accommodate visitors. One other battleship remains under water. All other ships were refloated and many of them were outfitted and repaired to take part in the war in the Pacific.

One of my instructors at Hospital Corps School in Great Lakes had served as a Navy diver and went through several ships recovering mortal remains. It wasn't a pleasant duty.  

Answer 4

Yes , everything you mentioned is entirely true . We have sent divers down to see if the bodies could be removed , but what the divers found is that the ship is so mangled with jagged metal around all the holes .would prevent any diver to get in and get out with his own life in tact . It is entirely too dangerous to go down and try to bring up the dead . The US chose to make it a memorial and have it guarded daily by Marines and Sailors . You can go out on it and see down into the ship itself . A reminder to all what happened to America on that day of infamy .

Answer 5

i just recently went to hawaii and went to the memorial as a matter of fact :D

and they told us that over 1000 bodies are burried undersea with the ship, so yes all the bodies are perished underwater with the ship

and yes the uss arizona is still underwater

if you go to the memorial, they take you out to this dock like thing that is directly partially over the ship, and you can look of either side and clearly see the boat underwater( the ship is even still leaking oil! how neat )

lol but yes the boat and bodies are all still there!

Answer 6

Yes, it is true. The bodies of the Sailors and Marines of 1,177 are memorialized (The U.S. Navy recovered only 229 bodies, declaring the rest of the servicemen "buried at sea.") and are still in the ship. This disaster marked the greatest loss of life in U.S. naval history.

Read this book (which I did) about all the salvage and reasons why certain boats stayed underwater and the bodies stayed in the Arizona. It's heartbreaking and there were Congressional hearings about it.



Descent into Darkness : Pearl Harbor 1941 A Navy Diver's Memoir

by Edward C. Raymer - Paperback  

There was never much expectation that the shattered wreck of the Arizona could be raised and returned to service. Though consideration was given to cutting loose the the ship's relatively intact after portion and refloating it, divers' examinations of the wreck indicated that the work involved would not be worthwhile.

During 1942, most of the battleship's guns were removed and many of these were put back into service. Her two after turrets, and their 14"/50 guns, were turned over to the Army for use in coastal defense emplacements on Oahu. One of these two fortifications was completed far enough to fire test shots at the end of World War II, but neither achieved combat-ready status. Both were discarded following the war. Also removed were Arizona's intact tripod mainmast and partially collapsed foremast, armored conning tower, bridge and most of the rest of her superstructure. The ship's hull was left where it sank, a tomb for many of whose who lost their lives with her, and ultimately a memorial to her casualties and to all those killed in the Pearl Harbor raid.

As of 2008, 66 years after the explosion that destroyed Arizona, oil leaks from the hull still rise to the surface of the water. The USS Arizona continues to leak about a quart of oil per day into the harbor. Survivors from the crew say that the oil will continue to leak until the last survivor dies. Many of the survivors have arranged for their ashes to be placed in the ship, among their fallen comrades, upon their death and cremation. The Navy, in conjunction with the National Park Service, has recently overseen a comprehensive computerized mapping of the hull, being careful to honor its role as a war grave. The Navy is considering non-intrusive means of abating the continued leakage of oil to avoid the further environmental degradation of the harbor.

The USS Utah is the other ship which is underwater in pearl Harbor. On the morning of 7 December 1941, the latter location was occupied by the seaplane tender Tangier, the old target and training ship Utah and the light cruisers Raleigh and Detroit. Six aerial torpedoes were launched against these ships, of which three hit, sinking one vessel and nearly sinking another.

About it's sinking:

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/event...

Here's is all about it's salvage attempt:

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/event...

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/event...

Salvage pics on the USS Arizona after the attack:

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/event...

Answer 7

yes, the USS Arizona is still under water in the harbor.  A few of the pieces of the ship are visible from the memorial that you can visit.  It has been visited a few times just to see at what rate the oil that was in the battleship is leaking.  For the most part the ships are left alone.  The USS utah is also on the other side of the harbor, still in the water, sunk

Answer 8

it is exactly where it sank..having been to the memorial..it still leaks oil into the water..its a very odd feeling to walk out there..makes me sad as an american....they say the soldiers that went down with the ship ..that after it sank they could hear knocking and pinging for a few days like people were still alive...im sure there were some who did live below the water for a few days or even hours..it had to be a horrible way to die..but they will not move their bodies..the ship is their tomb...if you ever get the chance to visit it..you should...its a very beautiful peaceful thing every american should go...makes you realize what its all about...

Answer 9

Yes it is true,  Some of those who survived and have since then passed away have had their ashes scattered there to be with their shipmates.  

Yes there is several other ships that were destroyed during that time.

Answer 10

I have been to the memorial. The ship is currently underwater... I think there might be a small piece of it out of the water and in a museum. The bodies are still in the ship and the memorial has all the names of the men and is like a floating cemetery. The only way to get to the  memorial is by boat. they have tours and stuff to the Ship.

Ummm... I can't remember exactly how many but I am pretty sure over ten are still under... I know more then ten sunk... but... I am not 100% sure on if they are still under.

If you ever go to Hawaii, make sure to stop there and pay respect. It is a very beautiful Memorial and worth the wait in line.  

Answer 11

Shock and Awe gave you and awsome answer. There are hundreds of unmarked, hidden graves of US sailors and marines in all of the oceans of the world. Over 3,500 submariners of the World war II's "silent service" are still 'on patrol' under the seas of the world.