Naval Station Pearl Harbor in Honolulu in Honolulu County, Hawaii — Hawaiian Island Archipelago (Pacific Ocean)

USS Utah Memorial

World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument

September 27, 2012

1. USS Utah Memorial Marker

Photo Caption:
In a solemn interment ceremony, National Park Service divers prepare to place inside the ship an urn containing the remains of a former Utah crewman.

Inscription. In the waters ahead lie the mostly submerged remains of USS Utah, a former battleship used for target and gunnery training. Two torpedoes struck the Utah as the Pearl Harbor attack began on December 7, 1941. The ship capsized, trapping dozens of men inside. They included Medal of Honor recipient Chief Watertender Peter Tomich, who stayed at his post to make sure the ship's boilers were secured and all fireroom personnel had left their stations.

Efforts to raise the ship failed, so the Utah and its entombed crewmen remain at rest here. The Navy placed on it a memorial plaque visible to passing ships, and later added a shoreline monument. The present memorial opened in 1972.

"All of us hope and pray that the time will come when we no longer need to dedicate memorials to men who died in battle --- that we will dedicate memorials to those who live in peace --- to all nations and all men."
Senator Frank G. Moss
Utah Memorial ground breaking, December 7, 1971

Erected by National Park Service, US Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker and memorial is listed in this topic list: War, World II. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1853.

Location. 21° 22.118′ N, 157° 57.712′

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W. Marker is in Honolulu, Hawaii, in Honolulu County. It is in the Naval Station Pearl Harbor. Marker is on Saratoga Blvd near Yorktown Boulevard. The monument is located on Pearl Harbor Navy Base and can only be visited by those with a military identification card. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Honolulu HI 96818, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A different marker also named USS Utah Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named USS Utah Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); The Golden Anchor (approx. 0.6 miles away); Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, USN (approx. 0.7 miles away); USS West Virginia Memorial (approx. 0.7 miles away); U. S. S. Missouri (approx. 0.7 miles away); USS Arizona Memorial (approx. 0.7 miles away); U.S.S. Arizona (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Honolulu.

USS Utah Memorial image. Click for full size.

2. USS Utah Memorial

Photo Caption:
Sailors work to free crewmen trapped in the overturned Utah. They managed to save only one--Fireman First Class Jack Vaessen.

Photographed By Joe

3. USS Utah

Credits. This page was last revised on February 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 8, 2012. This page has been viewed 1,085 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 8, 2012. 3. submitted on October 6, 2012. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.