USS Utah Memorial

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 Early in 1970 it was proposed by the shipmates and supporters from the state of Utah that a memorial be built to honor the dead. On May 27, 1972 Senator Moss of Utah, who had led the fight for approval and construction, dedicated the memorial. The legacy of the UTAH was ever present in the struggle of the Pacific. The training it had provided to the pilots, warships, submarines and antiaircraft gunners enabled the Pacific Fleet to be an effective fighting force early on. The weapon testing system had allowed the fleet first-hand experience in working effectively. The ship had contributed significantly to the scientific testing of remote systems, gunnery training and aerial attack. In a larger sense, the UTAH helped prepare America for war.

The USS Utah Memorial commemorating the loss of ship and men is a 40-by-15-foot concrete platform connected to the northwest shore of Ford island by a 70-foot walkway. The memorial is about a mile from the Arizona Memorial. A Naval color guard raises the flag each morning to honor the sailors entombed in the UTAH. Although 1.5 million people annually visit the ARIZONA, few have visited the Utah.

INSCRIPTIONS

USS   UTAH     MEMORIAL   This memorial was officially authorized by the 91st Congress of the  United States of America on l9 October 1970.   Its construction was made possible by congressional appropriation and by the generous contributions of many individuals and organizations devoted to the preservation of heroic memories  Dedicated Memorial Day 1972     "While we honor those who here gave their last full measure of devotion  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"                                                      Frank G. Moss                                                  United States Senator-Utah                                                  Ground Breaking-7 December 1971

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The original USS Utah Memorial plaque affixed to the hull of the Utah remains there today.

By 1950 a memorial plaque had been affixed to a more permanent structure on shore as shown in the photograph below.

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Today, visitors to the memorial will see the bronze plaque pictured below.  It bears the names of the 58 Officers and Men  who paid the ultimate sacrifice for United States of America on December 7th, 1941.

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