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Battleship Arizona's Marines At War: Making the Ultimate Sacrifice, December 7, 1941
On December 7, 1941, about twenty minutes into the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, an armor-piercing bomb struck the USS Arizona, penetrating four decks before exploding. An immense fire, fed by ammunition and fuel oil, swept through the ship, instantly killing hundreds of men. The Arizona quickly settled to the bottom of the harbor, taking most of her crew of 1,514 with her. Of the 88 Marines assigned to the battleship, only 15 survived. This account of the Arizona’s Marines on that fateful day, the first to tell their little-known story, also covers the broader history of shipboard Marines as well as the Arizona from her launch in World War I to the dawn of America’s entry into World War II.
With more than 100 historic photographs, many never before published, the book is a fitting tribute to Marine detachment Arizona and to all of America's ship-borne Marines. Includes 5 appendices: a copy of the original Muster Roll from December 1, 1941; a copy of the posthumously-awarded letter of commendation to the family of 2nd Lt. C.E. Simensen; a copy of the original affidavit and casualty roster from December 7; an unknowingly heartbreaking letter from Capt. F.V. Valkenburgh to his girlfriend confirming their date to see the movies on the quarterdeck of the Arizona on the evening of December 7; and an appendix listing updated profiles of the Marines detailed in the story.
With more than 100 historic photographs, many never before published, the book is a fitting tribute to Marine detachment Arizona and to all of America's ship-borne Marines. Includes 5 appendices: a copy of the original Muster Roll from December 1, 1941; a copy of the posthumously-awarded letter of commendation to the family of 2nd Lt. C.E. Simensen; a copy of the original affidavit and casualty roster from December 7; an unknowingly heartbreaking letter from Capt. F.V. Valkenburgh to his girlfriend confirming their date to see the movies on the quarterdeck of the Arizona on the evening of December 7; and an appendix listing updated profiles of the Marines detailed in the story.
128 pages, Paperback
First published November 15, 2006
About the author
R.D. Camp
20 books11 followersColonel Richard D. "Dick" Camp Jr., a Purple Heart recipient, served 26 years in the U.S. Marine Corps before retiring in 1988. Upon retirement he served as the Deputy Director, U.S. Marine Corps History Division (he was Acting Director for most of 2006) and as the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, Vice President for Museum Operations at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, Quantico, Virginia. Currently residing in Fredericksburg, Virginia, he is the author of ten books and over 100 magazine articles on various military related subjects.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 29, 2021
Great book that is well written and researched, and also includes a wealth of great photographs of the USS Arizona, it's Marines and the Day of Infamy. The book, after historical background of the ship and it's men, follows the Marines through this tragic day and where only 15 out of the 88 aboard the USS Arizona survived. I found out about this book after reading another great USS Arizona book, "Brothers Down", and this is a great companion to that book and highly recommended.
January 7, 2015
Amazing and terrible photos of such an awful day - got this one when in Hawaii with my grandma a few years go, at Pearl Harbor. So surreal to see it in real life as it is now, and look at the pictures of the attack. Full review to come.
+++++++++++
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I picked this volume up at the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Hawaii when Grandma and I were there in 2010. To be at the monument, to be in this place, to see the remains of the Arizona is beyond words. It was very humbling and I have included a few photos at the end of the post on blogspot from our visit.
Typically I do not care for reading about the military aspects of war. I know it seems kind of an odd statement to make, since what would wars be without military? I do not really find battle plans and weapons descriptions of interest, I care more about the human aspect, the people involved - how society and culture were impacted by the battles. There are exceptions to every rule however and Pearl Harbor is my exception. I realize this was was a (not so) surprise attack and not a battle, but we certainly fought back as best we could in those early morning hours and this is one of the most important events in our nation's history.
I like that this short volume did not just focus on the attack itself but the marines assigned to the Arizona. We get to know them first, which is almost more difficult, as the majority of them did not survive that day. We see photos of them in uniform with their unit, and then recreational-themed photos - such as the sports teams they belonged to on-board, like bowling or basketball teams. This is so important to events like this, to remember the human element of the story and not think of these men who made this sacrifice are purely a number. They were real men, doing what they felt was their duty to their country and they deserve this honor and respect.
Seeing the photos during and after the attack are heartbreaking. You know there are men trapped inside these ships, you know the outcome, and it is devastating. The accounts described within were almost too much and I had to skim some parts - men so burned that their skin fell off at the touch, and such. I did not realize prior to this that recovery efforts were begun to remove the bodies once the dust had settled so to speak. I thought it had always been intended to leave the ship as a grave. 46 bodies were recovered but it was soon realized that it was a better decision to leave these men entombed in the ship and to not disturb the grave site.
I feel like after having been to Pearl Harbor, I have a much better understanding of what happened and how it happened. It is different seeing something in person, vs just knowing it through photographs. I feel like I know the place much better now and have a much better understanding of why this attack was so successful for the Japanese.
This is one I would highly recommend to those with an interest in Pearl Harbor and World War II, or interest in general in major events in US history.
+++++++++++
http://allthebookblognamesaretaken.bl...
https://www.facebook.com/AllTheBookBl...
www.twitter.com/SarahsBookNook
I picked this volume up at the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Hawaii when Grandma and I were there in 2010. To be at the monument, to be in this place, to see the remains of the Arizona is beyond words. It was very humbling and I have included a few photos at the end of the post on blogspot from our visit.
Typically I do not care for reading about the military aspects of war. I know it seems kind of an odd statement to make, since what would wars be without military? I do not really find battle plans and weapons descriptions of interest, I care more about the human aspect, the people involved - how society and culture were impacted by the battles. There are exceptions to every rule however and Pearl Harbor is my exception. I realize this was was a (not so) surprise attack and not a battle, but we certainly fought back as best we could in those early morning hours and this is one of the most important events in our nation's history.
I like that this short volume did not just focus on the attack itself but the marines assigned to the Arizona. We get to know them first, which is almost more difficult, as the majority of them did not survive that day. We see photos of them in uniform with their unit, and then recreational-themed photos - such as the sports teams they belonged to on-board, like bowling or basketball teams. This is so important to events like this, to remember the human element of the story and not think of these men who made this sacrifice are purely a number. They were real men, doing what they felt was their duty to their country and they deserve this honor and respect.
Seeing the photos during and after the attack are heartbreaking. You know there are men trapped inside these ships, you know the outcome, and it is devastating. The accounts described within were almost too much and I had to skim some parts - men so burned that their skin fell off at the touch, and such. I did not realize prior to this that recovery efforts were begun to remove the bodies once the dust had settled so to speak. I thought it had always been intended to leave the ship as a grave. 46 bodies were recovered but it was soon realized that it was a better decision to leave these men entombed in the ship and to not disturb the grave site.
I feel like after having been to Pearl Harbor, I have a much better understanding of what happened and how it happened. It is different seeing something in person, vs just knowing it through photographs. I feel like I know the place much better now and have a much better understanding of why this attack was so successful for the Japanese.
This is one I would highly recommend to those with an interest in Pearl Harbor and World War II, or interest in general in major events in US history.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews