USS Arizona - 'Heart of a Volunteer'

"Shortly before 0800, aircraft from six Japanese fleet carriers struck the American Pacific Fleet as it lay in port at Pearl Harbor, wreaking havoc and devastation on the Battle Line and air/military facilities defending Pearl Harbor. Shortly after 0800, a bomb dropped from a Nakajima B5N Kate from the Japanese carrier Kaga hit the side of #4 turret and glanced off into the deck below, starting a small fire but causing minimal damage.

"At 0806, a bomb from a Kate from the carrier Hiryū hit between and port of Turrets #1 and 2. The explosion, destroying the forward part of the Arizona, was due to the detonation of the ammunition magazine, located in an armored section of the deck. It is unlikely to know exactly how this occurred, as experts seem to agree that the bomb could hardly have pierced the armor. Credit for the Arizonas destruction was officially given to Petty Officer Noburu Kanai, considered to be Japans crack bombadier

"The cataclysmic explosion tore through the forward part of the ship, starting fierce fires that burned for two days; debris would shower down on Ford Island in the vicinity. Amidst this, acts of heroism were present. Lieutenant Commander Samuel G. Fuqua, the damage control officer, earned the Medal of Honor for coolness in attempting to quell fires and get survivors off the ship. Posthumous awards of the Medal of Honor were given to Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, first flag officer killed in the Pacific, and Captain Franklin van Valkenburgh, who was killed attempting to defend his ship.

"The Arizona took with her 1177 lives of her 1400 man crew."


This is a different approach for me. As the first video in over a year to be uploaded (and created), it is a welcome return (although, as many will note, I have not changed my approach to the tribute too drastically). However, this one gave a problem in that I was unsure of the music to be placed with the video. None that I thought of or was given as a suggestion seemed to fit all too well and 'Sleeping Sun' has been overused by everyone out there in terms of tributes. As such, I shall leave it to the faithful viewers of my videos (...faithful in that, for one reason or another, you have remained despite not having anything new in over a year) to decide which is better, this one ('Heart of a Volunteer') or the other one ('The Longest Day'). Thank you, my faithful subscribers for bearing with me through this movie drought.

TCR

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• USS Arizona
• Shipwreck
• Pearl Harbor
• WWII
• World War II
• Japanese
• United States
• Tribute