USS Arizona, Battleship in Pearl Harbor
USS Arizona was a Pennsylvania-class battleship 608 feet long, armed with twelve 14-inch guns in four triple turrets and protected by a 13.5-inch Krupp armor belt. Its wreck lies in Pearl Harbor beneath a white memorial building that spans the hull without touching it, holding an entry room, an assembly area and a shrine room with a marble wall listing the 1,177 dead.
The ship was sunk during the attack on December 7, 1941, marking a turning point in history. After the war ended, plans for a memorial moved forward; President Eisenhower signed an executive order in 1958, and the site opened to the public in 1962.
The memorial is built directly across the sunken hull, and the shrine room holds a marble wall inscribed with the names of the 1,177 officers and crewmen killed on 7 December 1941. Visitors reach it by boat from the Pearl Harbor visitor center.
Access is by boat, with the short ride forming part of the experience. Wear sturdy shoes since surfaces can be wet and slippery, and bring sun protection for the water crossing.
Arizona was the second and last ship of the Pennsylvania class, laid down on 16 March 1914 with Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt present. Builders hoped to launch her within ten months, but she went into the water on 19 June 1915, about fifteen months after her keel was laid.
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