History of the Memorial

One Man Can Make A Difference

My name is Kevin King, and in the late 90's I first discovered the story of the USS Oklahoma through a remarkable book I purchased at a gift shop, written by Army Major Joe Todd. He had dedicated countless hours to interviewing the surviving crew of this storied battleship.

His work inspired me to attend my first ship reunion, where I met those men and began traveling across the country to join other naval reunions.

It was their stories—and Major Todd’s dedication—that moved me to take my young bride and son to Pearl Harbor. But when we arrived, I was struck by a painful realization: the USS Oklahoma was nowhere to be found. Instead, the USS Missouri stood in her place, moored on the very berth the Oklahoma had occupied on that fateful morning of December 7, 1941. Not even a simple marker acknowledged this battleship’s presence.

We had planned to honor the 429 men of the Oklahoma at the Punchbowl National Cemetery. But when I asked the groundskeepers where their graves were, they could not direct me. Later, I learned why: the men had been laid to rest in mass graves, identified only by numbers and the word “UNKNOWN.”

That discovery left a deep impression on me.

The Oklahoma had lost 429 officers and crew that day. Alongside her, the USS Arizona lost 1,177 men, and the USS Utah lost 64.

Unlike the Arizona and Utah, which still rest in Pearl Harbor as memorials, the Oklahoma had been raised, stripped, and sold for scrap. I couldn’t help but feel angry. I told the Lord it seemed like a raw deal for my favorite battleship.

That moment planted a conviction in me: the USS Oklahoma deserved to be remembered. In 2000, I shared my concerns with Oklahoma City businessman P.B. Odom III, who encouraged me to put my thoughts into writing. His daughter Rachel proofread my letter and sent it to the right government officials. That was the beginning of my campaign.

I began writing to the White House, Congress, and the Senate, asking for a memorial so future generations would know the Oklahoma’s story. With the help of a state senator, we formed a committee to move the effort forward. I registered the website www.ussoklahoma.com, poured in more than $20,000 of my own money, and traveled the country interviewing survivors, attending reunions, and collecting historical records. I wanted to build not just a memorial, but a living archive.

Paul Goodyear

One significant supporter was Mr. Paul Goodyear, a USS Oklahoma survivor and leader of the Okie Survivors Association, who joined the committee.

Alongside him was Elayne Dennis, our dedicated secretary and executive board member, the conscience of our committee, who expertly managed communication and documentation within the committee. 

To this day, I still have all of emails sent out to the committee from the two co-chairs—because nothing says “fond memories” like a mountain of old emails.

Progress finally accelerated. Just before our planned groundbreaking ceremony on September 7, 2006, the two co-chairs thought it wise to invite Mr. Edward Vezey, another USS Oklahoma survivor to join the committee, who we then brought him up to speed, and he quickly engaged with the project.

George Brown the ship's cook and Kevin King

God placed it on the hearts of many to help. Support grew as U.S. Senator James Inhofe and Congressman Tom Cole joined the cause. With their leadership, a bill to establish a memorial passed Congress and reached President George W. Bush, who signed it into law.

Even when funds ran low—I had only $1,800 left—I refused to give up. I organized a benefit concert featuring USO entertainer Anita Bryant, the 145th Army Band, and a WWII-style swing band. The concert raised over $50,000, bringing us closer to our $1.1 million goal. With the support of the Oklahoma Centennial Commission under the leadership of Mr Blake Wade and the generosity of so many people of the great state of Oklahoma, we finally reached the funding target.

On December 7, 2007, during Oklahoma’s Centennial year, the USS Oklahoma Memorial was dedicated on Ford Island. I made it a personal mission to ensure survivors and their families had transportation to and from the ceremony. At the banquet afterward, these “Unsung Heroes of Pearl Harbor” were finally honored with the dignity they deserved.

Later, in a long-awaited tribute, the name of the USS Oklahoma was added to the grave markers where so many had once been listed only as “unknown.” Today, the Pearl Harbor Memorial has expanded to honor all ships affected by the attack. And there, among them, the USS Oklahoma finally has her rightful place in history.

Mr. Kevin King and Mr. Don Beck the designer of the USS Oklahoma Memorial. Dec. 7, 2007 Ford Island Pearl Harbor Hawaii.

In conclusion, I chose to reduce the website’s content for several reasons. Foremost was the unauthorized use of my unpublished photos and unique artifacts entrusted to me by survivors—close friends who generously shared items like “Shellback” certificates, which celebrate the maritime tradition of sailors’ first equator crossing, marking their transition from “pollywogs” to “shellbacks,” or honored subjects of Neptune, the Roman god of water.  Additionally, treasured items such as Japanese pilot autographs, the ship’s hymnal, pillowcases, and other memorabilia shared with me at reunions began appearing on other websites without credit, where they were being monetized without acknowledgment of my work. Finally, with the memorial completed and mounting expenses for maintaining the website without support,

I felt it was time to scale back the site’s content. 

Thank you for your time and consider supporting this site with a generous donation.

This is the recording of my first meeting with local business men to establish a permanent memorial.