Pearl Harbor’s Overlooked Wrecks: The USS Oklahoma and USS Utah
Our American Stories
iHeartPodcasts
4.6 • 817 Ratings
🗓️ 16 January 2026
⏱️ 8 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this episode of Our American Stories, regular contributor Anne Clare tells the lesser-known story of two ships lost at Pearl Harbor, the USS Utah and the USS Oklahoma. During the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, the Utah, a retired battleship used as a target ship, was torpedoed and left where it sank on Ford Island, where its quiet memorial still stands today. The Oklahoma was hit by multiple torpedoes and capsized in minutes, trapping hundreds inside. Ann recounts rescues, acts of bravery, and the memorials that honor the dead, including the 429 white pillars representing Oklahoma’s fallen crew, and what it means to remember them.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:02.5 | Guaranteed Human. |
| 0:14.2 | This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories, and we tell stories about everything |
| 0:19.8 | here on this show, including yours, send them to Our American Stories. and we tell stories about everything here on this show, including yours, |
| 0:21.9 | send them to Our American Stories.com for some of our favorites. |
| 0:25.8 | Up next, a story from our regular contributor, Ann Claire. |
| 0:29.6 | Anne is a choir director, teacher, organist, and a great writer on all things World War II history. |
| 0:36.1 | Today, she shares with us the story of two ships sunk at the attack on Pearl Harbor. |
| 0:41.5 | Take it away, Anne. |
| 0:51.4 | The island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii has a huge place in American history, particularly |
| 0:59.0 | in the history of America's involvement in World War II. The Japanese attacks on December 7, |
| 1:07.0 | 1941, which launched the U.S. into the war took place on that island. |
| 1:13.6 | These attacks did a great deal of damage and caused a great loss of life, as well as the complete losses of three ships. |
| 1:22.6 | The USS Arizona, the USS Utah, and the USS Oklahoma. |
| 1:36.1 | The Arizona Memorial is open to the general public as part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific |
| 1:42.8 | National Monument, and it's an excellent place to |
| 1:46.0 | visit and to remember those who were lost. Unlike the Arizona Memorial, the Utah and the Oklahoma |
| 1:54.2 | memorials are actually found on Ford Island, which is still used by the military as part of |
| 2:00.4 | joint base Pearl Harbor Hickham. |
| 2:02.9 | So to see these memorials, one needs special permission, or, if you're fortunate enough as we |
| 2:07.8 | were military friends stationed in the area who will act as escort. |
| 2:16.2 | The resting place of the Utah is a rather lonely and unassuming place. |
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