In the Second Book of Shmuel (Samuel), 22nd chapter, 5th through the 19th verses, translated from the original in Hebrew and published by the Koren Publishers of Jerusalem, Israel, can perhaps aptly describe the fate of the crew and all other U.S.sailors who died defending their county:
"When the waves of death compassed me / the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; / the bonds of She'ol encircled me; / the snares of death took me by surprise; / in my distress I called upon the Lord, / and cried to my G-D: / and he heard my voice out of his temple, / and my cry entered into his ears. / Then the earth shook and trembled; /the foundations of heaven moved / and shook because of his anger /...the heavy mass of waters, and thick clouds of the skies /... And the channels of the sea appeared, / the foundations of the world were laid bare, / at the rebuking of the Lord, at the blast at the breath of his nostrils. / He sent from above, he took me; / he drew me out of many waters; / he delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me; for they were too strong for me. / They surprised me in the day of my calamity: / but the Lord was my stay..."
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 | 62k | Utah (AG-16) capsizing off Ford Island, during the attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941, after being torpedoed by Japanese aircraft. Photographed from Tangier (AV-8), which was moored astern of Utah. Note colors half-raised over fantail, boats nearby, and sheds covering Utah's after guns. | USN photo. | |
 | 65k | Utah (AG-16) lies with her bottom up at Berth F-11, after she was torpedoed by Japanese planes and capsized on 7 December 1941. In the right background is Raleigh (CL-7), also hit by a Japanese torpedo, which is being assisted in staying afloat by a barge and a tug tied up along her port side. | Official U.S. Navy Photograph USNHC # NH 97401, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. | |
 | 70k | Capsized hull of Utah (AG-16) off the western side of Ford Island on 12 December 1941, five days after she was sunk by Japanese aerial torpedoes during the Pearl Harbor Attack. View looks toward Ford Island, with Utah's bow at left. Tangier (AV-8) is in the right background. | USNHC # NH 50857. | |
 | 93k | Bow view of the capsized Utah (AG-16), as seen from the stern of Raleigh (CL-7), on 12 December 1941. Utah had been torpedoed and sunk during the Japanese attack five days earlier. | USNHC # NH 64498. | |
 | 55k | View of Utah (AG-16) lying on her port side on Pearl Harbor floor. | Courtesy of Submerged Cultural Resources Unit/Jerry Livingston. Historic Naval Ships Association. | |
 | 76k | Salvage of Utah (AG-16), 1943-44. View from offshore, looking toward Ford Island, showing the sunken ship's starboard deck edge area during righting operations, 10 February 1944. Visible on her superstructure deck, in center, are an open 5"/38 single gun mount and a 1.1" quad machine gun mount. | USNHC # NH 83059. | |
 | 124k | Under salvage at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 13 February 1944. The ship, which capsized to port after being torpedoed in the Japanese attack of 7 December 1941, is seen at about the 68 degree position at the completion of the first pulling period. Her blister plating has been cut away around the turn of the bilge to provide fair lead to hitch pads. Salvage efforts rolled her back toward Ford Island, but she was not refloated. | USNHC # NH 64301. | |
 | 111k | Wreck of the Utah (AG-16) after righting, 13 March 1944. | USNHC # NH 64302. | |
 | 112k | Utah (AG-16) memorial plaque mounted on the ship's wreck, off the west side of Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. Photographed on 9 December 1950. The plaque's inscription reads: "In Memory - Officers and Men - Utah - Lost in Action - 7 December 1941". | Official U.S. Navy Photograph USNHC # NH 80-G-484354, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. | |
 | 86k | Chief Watertender Peter Tomich, USN, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism on board Utah (AG-16) during the 7 December 1941 Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor. Halftone reproduction, copied from the official publication "Medal of Honor, 1861-1948, The Navy", page 270. | USNHC # NH 79593. | |
 | 88k | Utah (AG-16) plaque erected near the ship's wreck, off the west side of Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. | Official U.S. Navy Photograph USNHC # NH 80-G-484355, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. | |
 | 80k | The Utah's (AG-16) wreck, off the western side of Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, on 7 December 1951, the tenth anniversary of the Japanese attack that sank her. At right is a memorial plaque giving historical information on her loss. | Official U.S. Navy Photograph, USNHC # NH 80-G-436639, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. | |
 | 77k | The Utah's (AG-16) hulk is seen from the flight deck of the Lexington (CV-16) in May, 1959. | NA photo # USN 1056771. from the WARSHIP SERIES #7--"PARALLEL FATES--The Utah (BB-31/AG-16) and the Oklahoma (BB-37) in Peace and in War", by Harvey M. Beigel, courtesy of Mike Green. Photo added 04/08/08. | |
 | 67k | Looking at the Utah Memorial from Ford Island at Pearl Harbor. | Daniel W. Gless. | |
 | 189k | Utah Memorial as seen on August 1987 against the backdrop of Ford Island. | Courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. | |
 | 323k | Utah Memorial Plaque at Pearl Harbor. | Daniel W. Gless. | |
 | 267k | An overhead view of the Radio Control - Bombing & Submarine Target and Anti-Aircraft Gunnery Training Ship Utah (AG-16), under the water in the East Loch at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 10 Mar 1989. The Utah Memorial is one of two National Memorials at Pearl Harbor. | USN photo # DN-SC-04-14300, by PH3 Bos, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil. | |
 | 926k | A guest studies a painting depicting the history of battleships. The artwork was painted by George Skybeck and presented to the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association during their annual banquet at Honolulu, Hawaii, on 8 Dec 1991. | USN photo # DN-SC-92-05391, by PHC Carolyn Harris, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil. | |
 | 74k | Taken in 1992 during the first ever unlimited hydro races held at Pearl Harbor. Shows the 01 level area on the starbord side near the bridge of the Utah (AG-16) . Plaque on this level commerates the 58 lives lost on this ship 7 Dec 1941. The same plaque can be seen ashore. | Courtesy of Larry Lee. | |
 | 135k | Bows on view of the ship showing the final resting place of the ship. The ship was pulled back towards shore in 1944 and now rests at a 38 degree angle. The ship would have been salvaged if it had not been for the fact the ship slid towards Ford Island instead of rolling over like the Oklahoma (BB-37). | Courtesy of Larry Lee. | |
 | 109k | View of the side of the ship and 01 level superstructure as seen from Ford Island. Interesting detail view of the overhang area showing portholes, WTD door, and rusted area of the ship. | Courtesy of Larry Lee. | |
 | 138k | Close up of the forward starbord quarter of the ship with one of cables used in righting operations in '43/44. Again more port holes can be seen - all battened up, as well as the barbett of the original 12 inch gun of turret no. 2. This turret was removed in the 30's and the barbet covered over and a non-shielded 5"/38 gun was put in its place. | Courtesy of Larry Lee. | |
 | 90k | Taken from Ford Island showing most of the above water remains of the Utah (AG-16) . Shot taken in January 1988, when I just reported aboard the Coronado as part of COMTHIRDFLT staff. I walked all around Ford Island that day and there were still lots of WWII buildings around so it was kinda like walking back into history for a while there. | Courtesy of Larry Lee. | |
 | 262k | Sailors assigned to ships based at Pearl Harbor bring the flag to half-mast over the Utah Memorial on Ford Island in honor of Memorial Day 31 May 2004. | U.S. Navy photo # N-9643K-008, courtesy of news.navy.mil. | |
 | 371k | A quote made by Fleet Adm. Chester W. Nimitz is inscribed on a granite wall at the National World War II Memorial located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Fleet Adm. Nimitz was the United States signatory to the surrender terms aboard the battleship Missouri (BB-63) in Tokyo Bay, Japan on 2 Sept. 1945, thus ending World War II. Established by the American Battle Monuments Commission, the memorial honors all military veterans of World War II, the citizens on the home front, the nation at large, and the high moral purpose and idealism that motivated the nation's call to arms. On 29 May 2004, the memorial will be formally dedicated with an estimated 200,000 people expected to attend, and includes 100,000 visiting veterans of all wars. | U.S. Navy photo # N-0295M-011 by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Daniel J. McLain, courtesy of news.navy.mil. | |
 | 342k | Nina and Mary Kreigh prepare to raise the American flag at sunset at the Utah Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 6 Dec. 2005. Mary's father was the chief yeoman aboard theUtah (AG-16) when it was sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. | U.S. Navy photo # N-6507M-033 by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class TeResa R. Martinez, courtesy of news.navy.mil. | |
 | 214k | Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, Adm. Harry Ulrich will present a posthumously awarded Medal of Honor to the family of Chief Watertender Peter Tomich at a ceremony on 18 May 2006. Retired Croatian Army Lt. Col. Srecko Herceg Tonic will receive the U.S. military's highest award on behalf of the Tomich family. Tomich was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions aboard the battleship Utah (AG-16) on 7 Dec. 1941, during the surprise Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. | U.S. Navy photo # N-0000C-001 by Cmdr. Jane Campbell, courtesy of news.navy.mil. | |
Utah (BB-31) History
View This Vessels DANFS History Entry
(Located On The Hazegray & Underway Web Site, This Is The Main Archive For The DANFS Online Project.)
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Contact Utah (AG-16) Association Web Site Webmaster
Note About Contacts.
The contact listed, was the contact at the time for this ship when located. If another person now is the contact, E-mail me and I will update this entry. These contacts are compiled from various sources over a long period of time and may or may not be correct. Every effort has been made to list the newest contact if more than one contact was found.
Additional Resources
Hazegray & Underway Battleship Pages By Andrew Toppan.
Utah (AG-16) Report of Pearl Harbor Attack.
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