A 40-foot section of the USS Oklahoma's mast, lost at the bottom of Pearl Harbor ever since that fateful day in 1941, and recovered during dredging of the harbor in 2006, has now found its way back to its namesake's land, at the USS Batfish Memorial Park in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma lost 429 crew members during the Japanese attack.
Today, it is covered with barnacles and rust, but back on December 7, 1941, it proudly flew the US flag. A ceremony was held July 10th.
Three veterans were given pieces of it at the ceremony:
Ed Vesey of Moore, was a gunnery officer on the Oklahoma.
Arles Cole of Tulsa was on the USS West Virginia and is president of the Pearl harbor Survivors of Oklahoma.
Donald Ritz served on the Oklahoma from 1936-1937.
From the July 11th Tulsa World and July 11th Muskogee Phoenix.
More to Come. --Cooter
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