USS Arizona: The Battleship That Still Weeps

At the heart of Pearl Harbor, beneath the tranquil waters of Hawaii, lies a ship that has never stopped telling her story. The USS Arizona, a steel giant lost during the attack of December 7, 1941, rests on the harbor floor—her hull torn, her decks collapsed, and her crew entombed within. Yet every day, she rises. In silent, black treacle tears of oil, the Arizona continues to mourn.

A Ship with a Peaceful Past

Before her fateful end, the USS Arizona had a life of quiet service. Commissioned during World War I, she never saw combat in that conflict, instead training gunners and patrolling the Atlantic coast. After the war, she escorted President Woodrow Wilson to France for peace talks—her first brush with history.

In the interwar years, Arizona was a symbol of American diplomacy, carrying the flag to ports across Europe, Australia, and Latin America. She was present during celebrations, state visits, and even humanitarian relief. After an earthquake struck Long Beach, California, in 1933, her crew rushed ashore to aid civilians, distributing supplies and offering medical assistance. The Arizona was more than a warship; she was a lifeline.

From Star of the Screen to Sentinel at Sea

In 1934, Hollywood captured the Arizona in the film Here Comes the Navy, giving audiences a rare look at life aboard the battleship. It was an unintentional time capsule—one of the last public glimpses of the ship before war changed everything.

By 1940, amid rising tensions with Japan, the Navy moved its Pacific Fleet to Pearl Harbor. Arizona became a central presence in Hawaii’s waters, her updated guns and radars reflecting the modernization of a fleet preparing for conflict. Still, no one expected what came next.

December 7, 1941: A Morning That Changed the World

That Sunday morning, the Arizona was moored at Ford Island, having just taken on 1.5 million gallons of fuel. As sailors prepared for the day, Japanese aircraft descended. At 8:10 a.m., a 1,800-pound bomb pierced the ship’s deck and detonated her forward magazine. The explosion ripped the battleship apart, lifting her from the water in a fireball of steel and flame.

In moments, she was gone.

1,177 souls were lost—nearly half of all U.S. casualties at Pearl Harbor. Among them were 23 sets of brothers, the ship's entire band, Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd, and Captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh. The Arizona suffered the heaviest loss of life in the attack.

Legacy in Death

Though the Arizona could not be raised, parts of her lived on. Guns from turret number two were salvaged and later mounted on the USS Nevada, bombarding Japanese positions during Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Other parts were used in coastal defense batteries or recycled to aid the war effort.

In 1962, the USS Arizona Memorial was completed—its white span bridging past and present. Designed by Alfred Preis, a former internee, the memorial does not touch the wreck. Instead, it hovers respectfully above it, allowing the ship and her crew to rest undisturbed.

Visitors to the site witness the phenomenon that has come to define the Arizona’s legacy: oil droplets, rising steadily to the surface. More than 80 years later, the ship still leaks—up to nine quarts per day. These are not just remnants of fuel. They are symbols.

They are her tears.

Her Story Still Speaks

The USS Arizona is more than steel and rivets; she is a grave, a monument, and a teacher. Her destruction marked a turning point in history. Her memory urges reflection on the cost of conflict, the weight of duty, and the enduring power of remembrance.

Her story still speaks, as her black treacle tears drift silently to the surface—reminders of sacrifice, memory, and the cost of peace.