History of the Memorial

One Man Can Make A Difference

My name is Kevin King, and in the late 90's I purchased a remarkable book by my friend, Mr. Joe Todd, on the history of the USS Oklahoma. Mr. Todd dedicated countless hours to interviewing the surviving crew members of this storied battleship.

Inspired by his work, I decided to take my young son and bride to Pearl Harbor, only to be struck by a surprising realization upon our arrival—the USS Oklahoma was nowhere in sight. Instead, we found the USS Missouri standing tall on the very spot where the Oklahoma had once been moored on that infamous morning of December 7, 1941.

A simple marker recognizing the Oklahoma’s presence would have been fitting.  However there wasn’t any mention. 

After visiting the USS Missouri, we planned to honor the 429 sailors of the Oklahoma at the Punchbowl National Cemetery. However, the journey was anything but straightforward. The groundskeepers couldn’t locate the burial site of these men, which led me on a search that later revealed the crew was laid to rest in mass graves, marked only by the number of bodies they held and the word “UNKNOWN.”

The USS Oklahoma lost 429 officers and crew, 

along with the USS Arizona (BB-39), which lost 1,177 officers and crew,

and the USS Utah (BB-31), with a loss of 64,

were three battleships that did not survive the Japanese attack. 

Today, the Arizona and Utah remain in Pearl Harbor, entombing their fallen crews, while the USS Oklahoma was ultimately removed and sold for scrap.

Realizing the importance of acknowledging the Oklahoma’s role, I set out to raise awareness. In 2000, I met with Oklahoma City businessman Mr. P.B. Odom III, who encouraged me to draft a letter of intent to pursue a memorial. His daughter Rachel proofread and forwarded my letter to the appropriate government representatives. Thus began my campaign to secure historical recognition for the USS Oklahoma.

Through letters to the White House, Congress, and the U.S. Senate, I called for a memorial, determined that future visitors to Pearl Harbor should know the Oklahoma’s story. I soon found myself sharing this vision with local business leaders, and thanks to a supportive state senator, a committee was established to advance the initiative.

I registered the domain www.ussoklahoma.com and, over several years of dedicated work and a personal investment exceeding $20,000, I traveled across the country to conduct interviews, attend USS Oklahoma reunions, and gather historical materials. I acquired a high-performance computer and specialized software to maintain this website. This effort culminated in an extensive online archive, designed to educate the public and honor the legacy of this historic battleship.

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 upon the hearts of many people to help.  The committee gained momentum,  we began receiving support from influential leaders like U.S. Senator James Inhofe and Congressman Tom Cole.

With Senator Inhofe’s sponsorship in the Senate and Congressman Cole’s advocacy in the House, the bill to establish the memorial gained traction and ultimately reached President George W. Bush’s desk for signing. With 1,800 dollars of personal limited funds remaining, I organized a benefit concert, featuring the iconic USO entertainer Anita Bryant, the 145th Army Band, and a WWII-style swing band. This event raised over $50,000, propelling us toward our $1.1 million goal.

The Oklahoma Centennial Commission, under Mr. Blake Wade’s leadership, supported the cause, and with the donations of the kind people of the great state of Oklahoma we reached our funding target. On December 7, 2007, during the Centennial Celebration of Oklahoma, the USS Oklahoma Memorial was dedicated.

Ensuring smooth transportation for the USS Oklahoma survivors and their families to and from the dedication ceremony was a personal priority. After years of tireless effort, we celebrated at a banquet, where these “Unsung Heroes of Pearl Harbor” were honored and their stories shared.

In a long-awaited tribute, the name of the USS Oklahoma Battleship was finally engraved on the grave markers resting place, forever preserving their legacy. Today, the Arizona Memorial has been expanded to recognize all ships affected by the attack, now serving as the Pearl Harbor Memorial—a testament to the resilience and sacrifice of every vessel and crew who bore witness to that fateful day.

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. 

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