The U.S. Navy and the Pearl Harbor National Memorial have begun removing two World War II-era mooring platforms to preserve the USS Arizona.
After meticulous planning, analysis, preparation, and training, divers from the U.S. Navy’s Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1, advised by the Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving and supported by locally contracted salvors, are carefully extracting the aging concrete platforms from the Arizona’s hull.
“This salvage operation will help preserve the Arizona for generations to come and assist in the safety of the more than 1.7 million visitors the Pearl Harbor National Memorial receives annually,” said Rear Adm. Brad Collins,Navy Region Hawaiʻi commander. “The Navy is proud to partner with the memorial and private industry partners to protect the USS Arizona and the memorial.”
The battleship, sunk during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, is not only important to naval history and heritage but also serves as the final resting place for more than 900 sailors and Marines who died defending against the attack…