Artifacts From Pearl Harbor You Can See Today
Pearl Harbor has remained a very significant day in the history of World War II, and America’s history as a whole. The Japanese attack and subsequent battle at Pearl Harbor is culturally marked as both a momentous and historic day. Several incredible artifacts from Pearl Harbor remain preserved today, so keep reading to learn about how and where you can see them.
Artifacts From Pearl Harbor You Can See Today
Take a Tour
Visit Pearl Harbor Warbirds to schedule an authentic and historic flight experience over the site of Pearl Harbor. You can book a tour in gorgeous Oahu, Hawaii for the adventure of a lifetime. For this unique flight, you’ll suit up in authentic World War II flight and naval uniforms for a guided tour over the site where the actual bombing and battle took place. You’ll be able to delve into history as you retrace the steps of the Army and Navy airmen in the days following the bombing. Pearl Harbor Warbirds offers the thrilling chance to ride in an authentic WWII SNJ T-6 Texan airplane over Pearl Harbor. You’ll also see beautiful Hawaiian scenery and come back with stories about the incredible history and culture you were able to experience.
The Bell
One of the bells from the USS Arizona was taken and preserved from a sunken ship. This salvaged artifact was one of two bells on the ship at the time, and it weighs nearly 2,000 pounds. This is also one of the artifacts from Pearl Harbor that you can visit on the mainland U.S.
Today, you can see this bell at the University of Arizona. Housed in the campus’s bell tower, this bell is rung every time the football team wins a game.
Superstructure, Flag and Silverware
Just a few hours north of Tucson and the University of Arizona, the city of Phoenix allows you to check out the Arizona State Capitol Museum. You’ll see a few more artifacts from the USS Arizona. On the first floor of the museum, you can visit a 500-pound superstructure – a large chunk of the USS Arizona – as well as the original flag that flew on the day the ship sunk. Here, you can also see pieces of the original silverware set used on the ship. Fifty-nine pieces of the set can now be found on display.
History Museum’s Artifacts
At the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., there is a display devoted to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Included in it are a piece of a Japanese plane shot down, a damaged window pane from an Army Air Field hangar and a “Remember Pearl Harbor” lapel pin. There’s also a “Remember Dec. 7th!” poster and a Purple Heart medal awarded to a serviceman killed in action aboard the USS Arizona, among other objects.
Air and Space Artifacts
The Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero is on display at the National Air and Space Museum’s second-floor World War II Aviation exhibit. It provides an example of a type of naval fighter the Japanese used in their aerial attack on Pearl Harbor, as well as kamikaze attacks that occurred at the end of the war.