We had been out for 3 weeks or maybe longer. We shot at drones pulled by airplanes. We fired the big guns, practiced anti-aircraft.
Seaman Louis Egnatovich
"We were patrolling the Hawaiian Islands, making 360 degree circles around the islands. We never had all the ships in Pearl Harbor at one time.
We had 3 battleship divisions which is 9 battleships. One division would be in port and the other two would be on maneuvers.
We had our scout planes looking, and we had gunnery practice. All of a sudden we get a message from the commander-in-chief of the fleet to prepare for the admiral's inspection Monday. They changed the routine in which we went into the harbor.
Before, the new ships were tied outboard, and the old ships inboard because they were senior ships. The Oklahoma had always tied up inboard because we were one of the old ships.
We got the message for all the ships to proceed into the harbor and it kind of caused chaos among the ships.
We didn't know what happened, how come all the ships were going into the harbor? We went in and they tied the older ships outboard of the newer ships. Of course I have always said that the whole thing was a set up."
seaman Robert McMahon
Ammunition was locked up.
The USS Oklahoma was back safe waters.
Saturday December the 6th
Many of her crew went on shore leave.
The Barber Shop on the Oklahoma.
View My Guest book
Sign My Guest book
2004 Reunion
WebMaster
Pearl
Harbor Today