[Eric in the Ozarks]

The possibility of a structural collapse of the Arizona wreck has been an issue with the Navy for more than a decade. There was talk of building a cement sarcophagus to hold the remaining wreckage where it is, driven by the fear that if it did collapse, the remains inside could be scattered in the harbor.
I'm not sure why this issue has been moved to the back burner; could be that no one in the Navy wants to take responsibility for the job and associated risks.
Wife and I visited the Arizona Memorial, the submarine memorials and the Missouri while in Honolulu this past March. The wreck still gives up about a pint of Number 6 oil every day. The crowds on the Memorial were mostly young Japanese and a few gray hairs like us.
I spoke to one couple from Japan, asking why they wanted to see the Arizona. from what I could understand, (and I used to speak pretty good Japanese) they wanted to see what their grandfathers had done because they just couldn't believe it possible.
btw, the Missouri had just come out of dry dock with a new paint job and looked like a brand new battleship. The paint looked to be about 1/4 inch thick and other than the small dent on the edge of the main deck where a kamikaze had hit and bounced off, she looked perfect. We got to go inside the dining area with the dinner service placed out for the officers and walked through the control room. This was remarkable because along side old round radar scopes were the digital controls for the missiles President Reagan had put aboard when the Iowas were refitted.

[Ax]

The USS Massachusetts is tied up at Battleship Cove in Fall River, MA. It’s just off I-95. The Massachusetts engaged the French warship Jean Bart in 1942, and participated in Operation Torch (the U S landing in French Morocco). She then went to the Pacific and fought in the Solomons campaign and the battle for Leyte Gulf.

[doorgunner69]

+The possibility of a structural collapse of the Arizona wreck has been an issue with the Navy for more than a decade.

Interesting. Hard to imagine the debris getting out into the main channel though, think it would just fall right next to the hulk. And nothing navigates near the Arizona other than tour boats. The big carriers do dock on the other side of the channel there, so I could see some concern.

btw, the Missouri had just come out of dry dock with a new paint job and looked like a brand new battleship. The paint looked to be about 1/4 inch thick and other than the small dent on the edge of the main deck where a kamikaze had hit and bounced off, she looked perfect.

Got video (illegal, but everyone was doing it) of the Missouri getting towed out after the redo, past Bldg 38 where I worked. So damn close I could not go wide enough angle to get the whole ship, so I panned back and forth. Beautiful ship, classic lines. Did a tour several months earlier, and the rust was very apparent, needed the facelift bad.

The rails were lined with sailors that had reenlisted on her as a special ceremony before leaving the drydock.