Island of Oahu

Island of Oahu. Attack on Pearl Harbor. At dawn on 7 December 1941 more than half of the United States Pacific Fleet, approximately 150 vessels and service craft, lay at anchor on alongside piers in Pearl Harbor. All but one of the Pacific fleet’s battleships were in port that morning, most of them moored to quays flanking Ford Island. By 10:00 a.m. tranquil Sunday calm had been shattered. 21 vessels lay sunk or damaged the fighting backbone of the fleet apparently broken. Smoke from burning planes and hangers filled the sky. Oil from sinking ships clogged the harbor. Death was everywhere., The fleet in Pearl Harbor, the focus of the attack by Japanese air and naval forces, suffered the greatest loss: almost half of the total casualties occurred when the USS Arizona blew up. Army, Navy, Army Air Force, and Marine Corps facilities across the length and breadth of Oahu, from Kaneohe to Haleiwa to Malakole, bore the share of death and destruction. Hickam, Wheeler, and Bellows Army Air Force bases lost 217 men and 77 aircraft. Naval Air Stations at Ford Island and Kaneohe lost 19 men. Pacific Fleet Station, 4 men were killed and 33 aircraft were destroyed. Civilians from Waikiki to Pearl City were killed by exploding anti-craft munitions (friendly fire)., This exhibit lists persons, military and civilians, who died as a result of the attack or were killed later that day in the performance of their duties. The listing of servicemen is by branch of service and duty station. Sailors and marines killed on board the USS Arizona are identified on the memorial., Please note that names highlighted in gold letters indicate an individual who received the Congressional Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest decoration.