Flagship of the Fleet: the Life and Death of the USS Arizona

Arizona State Library, Archives & Records COVID-19 Response – Temporarily suspending all in-person services, while maintaining our statutory responsibilities

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  • We are committed to providing continuity of services while reducing exposure risks
  • In-person trainings for ALL divisions are on hold until further notice. Divisions will hold trainings by webinar as needed.
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  • Services impacted:
    • In-person Patent and Trademark Resource Center consultations
    • The Arizona Capitol Museum is closed until further notice.
    • In-person retrieval and immediate checkout of materials to patrons of Arizona Talking Book Library
    • Walk-in reference service for Archives & the Research Library

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photo of USS Arizona Battleship
 
 

USS arizona Collection

 

image of Piece of the USS Arizona, U.S. Navy, 1916. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum by

Piece of the USS Arizona, U.S. Navy, 1916. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum
 
 

image of 1916-1941 Electrical Relay Switch, USS Arizona, U.S. Navy, 1916. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum by

1916-1941 Electrical Relay Switch, USS Arizona, U.S. Navy, 1916. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum
 
 

image of Photo Album, USS Arizona, belonging to survivor Louis Conter, 1940/1941. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum by

Photo Album, USS Arizona, belonging to survivor Louis Conter, 1940/1941. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum
 
 

image of Louis A. Conter, 1940/1941. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum by

Louis A. Conter, 1940/1941. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum
 
 

image of 1940-1941 Handmade Frame belonging to Donald Gordon, Donald Gordon, 1940/1941. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum by

1940-1941 Handmade Frame belonging to Donald Gordon, Donald Gordon, 1940/1941. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum
 
 

image of USS Arizona casualty, James Mattox, posthumous Presidential Citation, U.S. Government, 1941-1942. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum by

USS Arizona casualty, James Mattox, posthumous Presidential Citation, U.S. Government, 1941-1942. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum
 
 

image of 1942/1943 USS Arizona casualty, James Mattox, posthumous Purple Heart Medal, U.S. Military, 1942/1943. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum by

1942/1943 USS Arizona casualty, James Mattox, posthumous Purple Heart Medal, U.S. Military, 1942/1943. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum
 
 

image of 1942 USS Arizona Efficiency “E” Medal awarded to Patrick Keeshan, U.S. Navy, 1923-1924. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum by

1942 USS Arizona Efficiency “E” Medal awarded to Patrick Keeshan, U.S. Navy, 1923-1924. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum
 
 

image of 1940-1941 USS Arizona photo belonging to James Durant Mattox, 1939/1940. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum by

1940-1941 USS Arizona photo belonging to James Durant Mattox, 1939/1940. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum
 
 

image of 1940-1941 USS Arizona souvenir album belonging to James Durant Mattox, 1939/1940. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum by

1940-1941 USS Arizona souvenir album belonging to James Durant Mattox, 1939/1940. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum
 
 

image of Commemorative Pennant, USS Arizona belonging to Donald Gordon, Donald Gordon, 1940/1941. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum by

Commemorative Pennant, USS Arizona belonging to Donald Gordon, Donald Gordon, 1940/1941. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum
 
 

image of USS Arizona sailor’s blue felt cap, U.S Military, 1940/1941. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum by

USS Arizona sailor’s blue felt cap, U.S Military, 1940/1941. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum
 
 

image of Navy Identification Card belonging to USS Arizona survivor Louis Conter, Louis Conter, 1940/1941. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum by

Navy Identification Card belonging to USS Arizona survivor Louis Conter, Louis Conter, 1940/1941. From the collection of the Arizona Capitol Museum

 

Digital Collections

Arizona Memory Project - USS Arizona Silver Service Collection

https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/digital/collection/aslsilver

 

Google Cultural Institute - USS Arizona Artifact Collection

https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/the-arizona-capitol-museum-presents-the-u-s-s-arizona-artifact-collection/RALybXOueY...

USS Arizona memorials at wesley bolin plaza

Wesley Bolin Plaza, located east of the Arizona Capitol Museum across 17th Avenue, is home to several memorials honoring the USS Arizona. The first to be installed was the anchor memorial, dedicated on December 7, 1976. The anchor is one of two that was used aboard the ship, the other is located at the memorial at Pearl Harbor.

On December 7, 1990, the signal mast memorial was dedicated, after a campaign raised funds to bring it to Arizona. The mast is located 1,177 feet from the center of the Capitol dome to represent the number of men who died aboard the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The “Guns to Salute the Fallen” Memorial contains a gun barrel from the USS Arizona and the USS Missouri, serving as two visible bookends to the beginning and end of World War II. Between the gun barrels, steel pillars in the shape of a battleship hull honor the 1,902 Arizona men and women from the various military branches who died in World War II.