After over 80 years within the water, the U.S. Navy has eliminated greater than 150 tons of getting old concrete mooring platforms from the usArizona. This transfer comes because the Navy and the Pearl Harbor Nationwide Memorial end their months-long effort to guard and protect the key U.S. Navy ship sunk throughout World Battle II. After years of planning, a crew began this mission in September 2025, taking the final of the 2 platforms from the water a few month later. Eradicating these concrete platforms was successfully the ultimate step. Immediately, solely small sections stay to keep away from disturbing one of the traditionally important warships in navy historical past.
The method concerned utilizing a crane barge and diamond wire noticed to chop and raise concrete segments from the sunken battleship. Navy Cellular Diving and Salvage Unit 1 led the work alongside assist from federal contractors. This was no small feat, because the crew’s schedule usually concerned many 12-to-14-hour days to get the job accomplished on schedule.
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What it took to take away the platforms
USS Arizona from above – Tropicalpixsingapore/Getty Photos
Why now? Properly, officers stated the mission addressed some long-standing considerations that the huge buildings would possibly ultimately collapse by the usArizona’s deteriorating decks. The concrete platforms have been first put in after the assault at Pearl Harbor to assist the salvage of weapons and munitions. There they’ve remained ever since.
Because it was an underwater job, a number of environmentalists have been concerned within the uninstallation course of. Specialists in marine sources, historic preservation, water high quality, and water security have been on standby for steady assist. That approach, the platforms might be eliminated with out harming the encircling harbor ecosystem, the memorial, or any of the folks working to take away them within the first place.
The united statesArizona Memorial, managed by the Nationwide Park Service since 1980, spans the midsection of the sunken battleship and is accessible solely by boat. Inbuilt 1962, it serves as each a nationwide monument and the ultimate resting place for these a whole lot of sailors and Marines who died aboard the ship — to not point out any survivors who later selected to have their ashes interred there. This main enterprise helps be sure that the memorial is not underneath menace of injury, permitting future generations to nonetheless go to the U.S. battleship for years to return.
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