Sunk at Pearl Harbor: The USS Utah and Oklahoma

00:00:10
Speaker 1: This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories, and we tell stories about everything here on this show, including yours. Send them to OurAmericanStories.com. With some of our favorites up next, to story from our regular contributor, Anne Claire. Anne is a choir director, teacher, organist, and a great writer on all things World War II history. Today, she says, well, that’s the story of two ships sunk at the attack on Pearl Harbor. Take it away, Anne.

00:00:47
Speaker 2: The island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii has a huge place in American history, particularly in the history of America’s involvement in World War II. The Japanese attacks on December 7, 1941, which launched the U.S. into the war, took place on that island. These attacks did a great deal of damage and caused a great loss of life, as well as the complete losses of three ships: the USS Arizona, the USS Utah, and the USS Oklahoma. The Arizona Memorial is open to the general public as part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, and it’s an excellent place to visit and to remember those who were lost. Unlike the Arizona Memorial, the Utah and the Oklahoma Memorials are actually found on Ford Island, which is still used by the military as part of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. So, to see these memorials needs special permission, or, if you’re fortunate enough as we were, military friends stationed in the area who will act as escort. The resting place of the Utah is a rather lonely and unassuming place. When we visited, our party had the little parking area to ourselves. By 1941, the Utah was already past her prime. Launched in 1909, she served in World War I. She was demilitarized in 1931 and repurposed as a target ship for training. The Utah was on the opposite side of Ford Island from the Arizona and other prime targets for Japanese planes. Just why she ended up having six torpedoes fired on her is an open question. Perhaps it was a case of mistaken identity, but whatever the reason, sixty-four of the training ship’s officers and crew were lost. It might have been more if Lieutenant Commander Solomon Issqwyth hadn’t organized a rescue crew. When he and others who’d escaped heard the frantic knocking on the hull of survivors trapped inside, braving Japanese planes still strafing the harbor, they returned to their sunken ship to cut the hull open and save those they could. The Utah was never salvaged. It still rests in Pearl Harbor as part of its own memorial, entombing those who went down with her. The original memorial for the Utah was a plaque mounted on the wrecked remains. A new memorial was built in 1972. The simple white structure offers a close view of the ship’s remains below the raised American flag; a plaque commemorates those who were lost. Like the Arizona survivors, survivors of the Utah have the option of having their ashes returned to the ship upon their passing to join those who never left. The memorial for the USS Oklahoma is also found on Ford Island. Unlike the Utah, the USS Oklahoma was still a fully active battleship. On the morning of December 7, 1941, she was tied up just down Battleship Row from the Arizona. Struck by at least nine torpedoes, it took only thirteen minutes for the Oklahoma to capsize. Sailors tried to evacuate over the starboard side, but as she rolled over, hundreds were trapped inside. There are many stories of bravery from the Oklahoma’s tragedy. Honors given to her crew include two posthumous Medals of Honor and one Navy Cross. One award particularly caught my eye, as it was given just a couple of years ago. It was given to Father Aloysius H. Schmidt. He had just finished morning mass and was reportedly hearing confession on board the USS Oklahoma when the first torpedoes hit. He assisted twelve sailors to escape through a porthole. When he attempted his own escape, he became stuck. Hearing other sailors in the compartment behind him, he insisted on being pushed back into the doomed vessel so that others could escape. His remains were identified recently, and his family was awarded his posthumous Silver Star in 2017. Those who escaped the Oklahoma worked frantically for days to cut through the ship’s hull to rescue trapped survivors, but in spite of their best efforts, they were only able to rescue thirty-two. All told, the Oklahoma suffered four hundred twenty-nine losses, the second highest loss of life after the Arizona. In memory of those lives lost, four hundred twenty-nine white marble pillars stand at the Oklahoma Memorial. A black stone marker at the memorial sums up the meaning of the place best. A portion of it reads: “Manning the rails. As Navy vessels passed through Pearl Harbor, sailors and Marines stand at attention along the ship’s railing and superstructure. The crew’s dress uniform contrasts sharply against the gray vessels. In full dress uniform, the ship’s crew stands at attention in a display of respect and honor, coming home for a final time.” By “Manning the Rails,” those white marble pillars are meant to represent those missing crew members who will no longer be able to man their ship’s rails. The USS Oklahoma herself no longer rests in Pearl Harbor. The Navy attempted to salvage her, patching and refloating her. However, the damage was too great. The Oklahoma was decommissioned in 1944. She was sold for scrap. However, en route to the West Coast, she broke her tow and sank the 17th of May 1947. I’m grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to pay my respects at these memorials. If you ever have that opportunity, I definitely recommend a visit as well, as we remember lives lost and sacrifices given as people fought and struggled to preserve the freedoms that we cherish.

00:07:06
Speaker 1: And a beautiful job on the production by Monty and a special thanks to Anne Claire for sharing the stories of the USS Utah and Oklahoma here on Our American Stories. Lee Habib here, as we approach our nation’s 250th anniversary. I’d like to remind you that all the history stories you’re here on this show are brought to you by the great folks at Hillsdale College. And Hillsdale isn’t just a great school for your kids or grandkids to attend, but for you as well. Go to Hillsdale.edu to find out about their terrific free online courses. Their series on communism is one of the finest I’ve ever seen. Again, go to Hillsdale.edu and sign up for their free and terrific online courses.