Battleship Arizona's Marines at War: Making the Ultimate Sacrifice, December 7, 1941
by Dick Camp 

List Price: $19.95 
Hardcover: 128 pages
ISBN: 0760327173
Publisher:  Zenith Press
Publish Date: November 15, 2006 

 

New in Print

On December 7, 1941, about twenty minutes into the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, an armor-piercing bomb struck the USS Arizona, penetrating four decks before exploding. An immense fire, fed by ammunition and fuel oil, swept through the ship, instantly killing hundreds of men. The Arizona quickly settled to the bottom of the harbor, taking most of her crew of 1,514 with her. Of the 88 Marines assigned to the battleship, only 15 survived. This account of the Arizona's Marines on that fateful day, the first to tell their little-known story, also covers the broader history of shipboard Marines as well as the Arizona from her launch in World War I to the dawn of America's entry into World War II.

With more than 100 historic photographs, many never before published, the book is a fitting tribute to Marine detachment Arizona and to all of America's ship-borne Marines. Includes 5 appendices: a copy of the original Muster Roll from December 1, 1941; a copy of the posthumously-awarded letter of commendation to the family of 2nd Lt. C.E. Simensen; a copy of the original affidavit and casualty roster from December 7; an unknowingly heartbreaking letter from Capt. F.V. Valkenburgh to his girlfriend confirming their date to see the movies on the quarterdeck of the Arizona on the evening of December 7; and an appendix listing updated profiles of the Marines detailed in the story.

About the Author:

Dick Camp is a retired Marine Corps colonel and the author of Lima-6, his memoir as a Marine infantry company commander at Khe Sanh, which has been described as “an outstanding true story. A tremendous book recounting . . . the challenges of leading [young] Marines in war time.”  He is also the author of Leatherneck Legends: Conversations with the Marine Corps’ Old Breed. Over his twenty-six-year career, he served with two of the five legends covered in that book. Colonel Camp is deputy directory of the History Division of the Marine Corps University at Quantico, Virginia.