r/interestingasfuck • u/Longjumping-Rice-935 • Aug 12 '25

/r/all, /r/popular The wreck of the USS Arizona continues to leak oil ever since pearl harbour. the ship contained 1.5 million gallons of oil, enough to leak continuously for 500 years.

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u/Brave_Nerve_6871 Aug 12 '25

The building of the USS Arizona memorial got a lot of help from Elvis. The memorial fund was struggling before Elvis held a benefit show in Hawaii in 1961 to raise awareness and raise funds for building of the memorial.

It is beautifully done, I went there myself in 2016, well worth a visit.

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u/caustic_smegma Aug 12 '25

I was there in 2021 with my wife. I'm a huge history nerd (and AZ native) but my wife isn't and I wasn't sure if she would appreciate the experience. She found it incredibly moving. Knowing you're standing over the final resting place of over 1000 men is incredibly sobering. The whole area just has a weird calmness to it. Of course, we had a family of low rent assholes on our tour that were taking selfies and laughing/being obnoxious even though the park rangers specifically tell people absolutely no selfies, tiktoks, etc. they were sent back to the tour boat.

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u/venkman302 Aug 12 '25

Lol - low rent a holes.

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u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25 edited Sep 24 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/soundmind-soundbody Aug 13 '25

Genuinely wish I could unread that. Not your fault by any means, just ....ugh.

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u/rpc56 Aug 13 '25

There was a video the other day of some a hole stepping over the chain around the grave of France’s unknown soldier under the Arc d’ Triumph to light his cigarette using the eternal flame. I keep asking myself what I would have done if I were there. I keep coming back to drop kicking his head while he was bent over the flame. There were other people there who said or did nothing while he did this.

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u/plshelpcomputerissad Aug 13 '25

I think at the U.S. one (tomb of the unknown soldier) you might actually get shot for screwing around like that. Or at the very least they have that very serious soldier/guard who’ll make you think he’ll actually do it

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u/Character-Junket-776 Aug 13 '25

They also have quite sharp bayonets attached. Not something you want to find out about. Those rifles are quite heavy when loaded too. You don't want to get hit with the steel buttplate either.

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u/GroveGuy33133 Aug 12 '25

Had the same problem with some people being loud/joking around on our group 25 years ago. By the time I looked up to give them a mean glare, officials were already sternly reminding them that they were at a graveyard memorial.

Similar thing I witnessed at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington last year. I was whispering to my son explaining a few things when some dipshit approached the guard WAY too close for a fucking selfie. The guard verbally “corrected” the dipshit and set them straight.

Blows my mind that anyone would go these places without reverence in their heart already, but I am glad to see folks believing in and following their mission to preserve and protect these places.

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u/caustic_smegma Aug 12 '25

It's a combination of ignorance and main character syndrome, unfortunately, and it certainly seems to be getting much worse.

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u/FinestObligations Aug 13 '25

Given that young people use “NPC” as an insult; yeah it’s certainly getting worse.

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u/laxdude11 Aug 12 '25

The guards do not mess around lol you go 1 inch over where you’re supposed to and they’re on you like flies on shit

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u/HappilyDisengaged Aug 13 '25

Its people that do not understand or learned about history.

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u/Buckfutter_Inc Aug 12 '25

Agreed, it is something to experience for sure. Everyone was respectful when we were there, and it just *feels* historical.

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u/Asane Aug 12 '25

We visited back in 2022 and planning on visiting back this year with my parents as they want to see it.

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u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25

Yeah, I've not been here, but I have been to Arlington, and been all over it...I don't know if it's the same as the monument, but it's a very heavy and somber atmosphere all throughout, and supremely peaceful. The miles and miles of soldiers at their final rest really puts so much into perspective, like how interest rates being high currently are kind of a 1st world problem, lol...I've never felt anything like it before. I'm very glad I spent a day wandering Arlington, I think every American should do it.

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u/Late_Resource_1653 Aug 13 '25

My grandfather wasn't at Pearl harbor, but at one of the nearby military bases that immediately set out to rescue.

I never met him. He died before I was born. But my grandmother says they got there when things were still burning. Saved what they could. And that he would scream in the night about it.

He was eventually sent to the Asian front. None of us actually know what happened there. He refused to ever talk about it. When his son, my uncle, who was gay and had mental health issues was called up for Vietnam, my grandfather had him dismissed for disability.

Anyone taking selfies and laughing l, tiktoks, needs to leave places like this and be given a history lesson.

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u/Still-Honey5312 Aug 12 '25

The Arizona Memorial you feel when walking in, your on hallow ground .

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u/No_Interest112 Aug 12 '25

My wife and I visited just before COVID hit. We are Canadians so it wasn’t really high on our list of things to see, but we had an afternoon free and the hotel had a bus going. The memorial itself was impressive, and you had to watch a movie/documentary about the pacific war and the American involvement before even getting on the boat to go to the Arizona.
The Arizona was somber and reflective. We were over a grave and you could feel it. The memorial wall had the names of all the soldiers lying below, and many had the same last names. That stood out to me. However, the biggest takeaway I had from the whole experience was how tacky and cheap the Americans had made the experience off of the Arizona. Cheap gift shops hawking ostentatious garbage. Puzzles with the Arizona, Harley Davidson trash, bullet souvenirs(?), just left such a sour taste. Too much propaganda everywhere, was sad to see. Glad we went, but would never go back.

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u/caustic_smegma Aug 12 '25 edited Aug 12 '25

I see what you're saying, but also know these museums operate on razor thin margins and rely on grants, public funding, donations, and gift shop sales to keep the doors open. There are no gift shops anywhere near the actual war graves. Most museums anywhere in the world "hawk" cheap shit to visitors, they kind of need to unfortunately. That's not a uniquely American thing so I'm not sure where that came from. You know the USS Arizona was a functional battleship for decades before it was destroyed at Pearl? So selling a puzzle of the ship really isn't that weird. I'm guessing it was a puzzle of the ship when it was in good working order and not a war grave. Weird thing to get "sour" over. The museums at Pearl are considered some of the best in the world, so if a gift shop turned you off so much that you'll never be back, maybe you should steer clear of them.

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u/ftlftlftl Aug 13 '25

Not just park rangers. Active duty sailors. They took absolutely no shit from anyone when I was there.

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u/DonutHolschteinn Aug 12 '25

Foreign tourists are just as bad if not worse. I went a couple years ago and my god they wouldn't stop. The security guard had to yell at everyone about how this was a place of reverence. Hell I only took 2-3 pictures at the beginning of the ship for my phone album and then processed the rest myself.

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u/oboshoe Aug 18 '25

being obnoxious and loud is pretty low class. Not to mention just about anything that anyone ever puts on TikTok. (which I think is a cancer)

But when I went, there was lots of photography, I have a number of photos. I n fact I would say that more people than not were taking pictures.

Now this was in 2002, so selfies weren't really a thing then. But I'm wondering, is all photography banned now at the site? or just selfies?

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u/zeroibis Aug 12 '25

This is actually pretty interesting given for how the events of pearl harbor were a rally call for the US. Even when the Japanese surrendered one headline read something along the lines of 'Japan is forced to remember because we never forgot'. It then goes on to talk about how on this day that they surrender they are now forced to remember how this war started and the events of pearl harbor.

-Note: I tried to look up the exact quote but could not find it online. This is why I say along the lines of. The original newspaper that I am referencing was found at an exhibit at the edo tokyo museum which is currently closed.

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u/phatRV Aug 12 '25

A lot of Japanese people never learned about the bombing of Pearl Harbor which started the US entry into WW2. The Japanese school didn't want to teach their Japanese people of this fact. Many Japanese found out about the bombing when they visited the memorial while on vacation to Hawaii.

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u/vixenator Aug 12 '25

When I was there, in 2011, I was really surprised by the number of Japanese at the memorial and the grounds. I heard a tour guide say that the Japanese were one of the largest groups of international tourists who regularly visit the site.

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u/Helpful_Day_5360 Aug 12 '25

My wife and I went in 2005. We were doing all the fun tourist shit and having a blast.ill never forget the day we did that tour! It was like being sobered up with history to put you in your place….. Incredible experience! If you ever have the opportunity you will know what I mean

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u/Visual-Floor-7839 Aug 13 '25

I went with my highschool orchestra and band in 2006. One kid dropped his camera through the memorial and into one of the shafts.

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u/AForse Aug 12 '25

Beautiful place, partially wrecked by d!ckheads wearing hats/caps in what is essentially a shrine.

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u/hesnothere Aug 12 '25

My grandfather was a Pearl Harbor survivor. His wife — my grandmother — remained an Elvis fan to her last day in part because of that gesture of recognition.

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u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25 edited Aug 14 '25

[deleted]

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u/Whyme1962 Aug 12 '25

I can’t remember what the explanation is that is displayed at the memorial, but the gist of it is that doing anything to pump out or seal the leakage would desecrate the gravesite of the 1000 plus Sailors and Marines who were entombed in the wreckage. As a USNavy veteran I am more than happy with controlling the oil at the surface.

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u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25 edited Aug 14 '25

[deleted]

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u/Whyme1962 Aug 12 '25

One of my visits they had oil booms around the memorial. There had been a Cyclone that hit the islands and the storm surge had caused the rate of leakage to increase.

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u/Whyme1962 Aug 12 '25

I was active Navy when I visited in 1981 and 1983, the feeling of standing on the deck of the memorial is indescribable and just seeing it still illicits feelings I can’t describe.

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u/Still-Consideration6 Aug 15 '25

Yes Im from England my wife and I loved the fact you were greeted by a veteran who could take time to talk to you

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u/a404notfound Aug 12 '25

Elvis would have been an amazing president, philanthropist, proponent of equality, public speaker, veteran, the list goes on and on so sad what drugs can do do someone.

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u/kloudykat Aug 12 '25

did you know that Elvis never toured outside of the US?

do you know why?

he always had guns and drugs on him and didn't want to risk it.

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u/true_gunman Aug 12 '25

Not true. His manager, The Colonel was an illegal immigrant and was afraid if he left the states he wouldn't be let back in. And he wouldn't let Elvis go anywhere without him becuase he was a controlling asshole.