Why the USS Utah Is Closed to the Public

USS Utah, one of Pearl Harbor’s most forgotten battleships, has been sitting off the coast of Ford Island since December 7, 1941, and I can’t be the only one who finds its story strange. Unlike the USS Arizona, millions of visitors to Pearl Harbor never get close to it. Access to the USS Utah Memorial has historically been extremely restricted because it sits on an active military installation. The USS Utah was struck by torpedoes during the attack on Pearl Harbor, rolled over, and sank with 58 men lost. The Navy tried to raise her, but the salvage attempts failed, and in 1944 the decision was made to leave the ship where she rested with the men still aboard. Today, the wreck remains in Pearl Harbor as a final resting place and National Historic Landmark. In this video, I dig into *why the USS Utah was never raised, why visiting the USS Utah is so difficult, what happened during the failed salvage operation, and why this forgotten Pearl Harbor battleship is still there more than 80 years later.*