USS Arizona Thoughts

I’m a day late in posting this, but found some great info here:

  • Out of a crew of 1,511 only 334 survived.  Due to the immense fire, only 107 crewmen were positively identified. 
  • In total, 319 sailors and 15 Marines (on or off the ship) were officially USS Arizona survivors.
  • Crewmembers who were assigned to the USS Arizona on December 7, 1941, have the right to have their cremated remains interred inside the barbette of gun turret four by National Park Service divers.  If you were a crewmember before that infamous day, you have the right to have your ashes scattered over the ship.  In both cases, the common thread is that these men were at one time in their Navy careers assigned to the USS Arizona. 
  • On April 12, 1982, the ashes of retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Stanley M. Teslow were interred, becoming the first USS Arizona survivor to return to his ship.  By mid 2006, 28 surviving crewmembers have rejoined their shipmates in simple and private ceremonies, complete with a two-bell ceremony from the Fleet Reserve Association; a rifle salute from the Navy or Marine Corps; and a benediction with the echo of Taps being played across the harbor. The services are conducted inside the Memorial and consist of an invocation, funeral ceremony, and a flag presentation to the family.  Following the ceremony, the urn is carried from the Memorial to the dock area and .presented to divers, who swim the urn into the open barbette of gun turret number four and proceed to a large open “slot” that measures approximately six inches by five feet.  The urn is placed into this slot and slides into the ship. 
  • There were 37 confirmed sets of brothers assigned to the USS Arizona on December 7th. 
  • The USS Arizona 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.
  • As of March 1, 2006, 38 USS Arizona survivors are still living; 36 sailors and 2 Marines.

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