Group pushes for
USS Oklahoma memorial

The Navy is supportive of plans to build
near the ship's former pier

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By Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.com

The Navy is receptive to a proposal to build a memorial to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was one of the casualties of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

Paul Goodyear, who was a 23-year-old signalman on the Oklahoma 61 years ago, said he and four residents of Oklahoma met with Navy officials at Pearl Harbor on Thursday to discuss at least three proposals to erect a memorial to the battleship, which was moored at Ford Island's Fox 5 pier -- the present home of the battleship USS Missouri.

Goodyear, of Casa Grande, Ariz., said Navy officials were "very cooperative" and talked about an area near Fox 5 where the Oklahoma and the USS Maryland were tied up.

Lt. Cmdr. Jane Campbell, Navy spokeswoman, acknowledged that Rear Adm. Robert Conway, commander of Navy Region Hawaii, is "supportive" of a Oklahoma memorial and believes it would be consistent with the current historical preservation effort and overall developmental master plan for Ford Island.

Goodyear said he was the only Oklahoma survivor to attend the Pearl Harbor meeting. Other members of the delegation included Oklahoma state Sen. Jim Reynolds, an architect and several Oklahoma residents. He said the memorial has the support of Oklahoma's governor and congressional delegation.

Goodyear estimates that his group would need to raise $50,000 to erect a Ford Island memorial. However, he does not believe that should be an obstacle.

"That's because several years ago, with just the survivors and family members alone, we were able to raise enough money for a memorial in Oklahoma City," Goodyear said. "This time, we have help from not only the survivors and their families, but others as well."

More than 400 of the nearly 2,395 Americans killed at Pearl Harbor 61 years ago were aboard the Oklahoma. About a third of the ship's crew members died when the ship capsized after being hit by Japanese torpedoes.

Goodyear had duty from 8 a.m. to noon. The first Japanese planes began dropping torpedoes at 7:55 a.m.

"Imagine you are sitting there some Sunday morning drinking coffee," Goodyear said. "Within a matter of 10 minutes, you lost everything you owned, and you personally lost one-third of your friends. That's what happened to us."

"The kid I relieved, we're going out there to put a new headstone on his grave this weekend," Goodyear said. "One of my men who I sent up to the bow of the ship was killed. A 23-year-old is not used to sending a kid to his death. We were just standing there watching these planes."

Goodyear was referring to a ceremony held at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl on Saturday where 41 grave markers were replaced honoring the 44 Oklahoma sailors who lie in graves marked "Unknown."

The Oklahoma headstones were among 177 markers bore the epitaph "Unknown."

However, with congressional legislation sponsored by the late U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink, the replacement markers now recognize the missing from the USS California, USS Utah, USS West Virginia and USS Nevada and carry the date Dec. 7, 1941.

After the war the Oklahoma was sold and was being towed to San Francisco when it sank 450 miles outside of Pearl Harbor on May 17, 1947.