Inside the USS Arizona

TexasRaceLady

TexasRaceLady

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Just watched a program on my local PBS channel about getting an ROV
inside the Arizona memorial in Hawaii.

They got it down to the 3rd deck into an officer's cabin. Found a bed, the remains of a hat, and
a suit --- still hanging on the hanger in the closet.

Worth watching if you get a chance.
 
I watched it too, TRL. It was extremely emotional. I felt so bad for the older man who was one of the survivors of the Arizona.
 
One of the most humbling visits I ever made was to the Arizona Memorial in Hawaii. I had know idea how it was going to effect me emotionally.
 
I've always wondered why I never we to the memorial when our ship went there a couple of times. Really was a dumb move.
 
My first visit was in 1963. I don't know how to describe the conflicting emotions I felt.
 
TexasRaceLady said:
Yes, I watched both. The Oklahoma story was heart-rending.
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I cannot even imagine what those poor men who were trapped in the ship for days. Also, the men who had to make the decision to jump into the water knowing they were going to burn. Just awful.
 
lisa said:
Did anyone watch the other special on the USS Oklahoma? These 2 specials were on back to back. I could not watch them both. I watched the Arizona special first. Then a few days later, watched the USS Oklahoma special.

Just too emotional for me.

http://www.pbs.org/program/pearl-harbor-uss-oklahoma-final-story/
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Thanks for the link. I watched boh the OKlahoma and Arizona shows this morning. One thing that I noticed was on the OK video they said the Japanese pilots thought it was going to be a suicide attack because they thought the US was going to be warned, but on the AZ video they had a pilot on there and he said they weren't worried because they thought they would surprise us. I'm still kind of surprised though that we didn't pick up on the planes coming in from the wrong direction and ignored the mini sub sinking warning. Everything was a perfect storm against the US.
 
TexasRaceLady said:
From what I've heard and read, the men monitoring the radar were expecting a flight of bombers from the mainland and thought those were the planes they were expecting.
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True, but the radar showed them coming in from the wrong direction that the B17's would be coming from. Given that it was the early days of the radar not much was thought about it though. But in the end a ignored piece of info or two combined to the bunching or airplanes and the open WT hatches on the ships because of a Admiral inspection and all the battleships tied up instead of just some made for disaster.
 
TexasRaceLady said:
From what I've heard and read, the men monitoring the radar were expecting a flight of bombers from the mainland and thought those were the planes they were expecting.
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Exactly TRL but it wouldn't have mattered. Many have tried to make a point about what would have been different if the radar warnings had been taken seriously...in truth...it wouldn't have mattered much.
 
Racer1930 said:
Exactly TRL but it wouldn't have mattered. Many have tried to make a point about what would have been different if the radar warnings had been taken seriously...in truth...it wouldn't have mattered much.
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I disagree. If a serious warning would have been given at least some of the planes would have been able to get off and got in the way of the incoming planes. More important though was that the ships would have been able to button up, start getting steam up and get their defenses ready. Still would have been a serious attack but doubtful we would have a memorial in the harbor of Pearl.
 
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